NFL
By: George Lopez
The Los Angeles Rams travel to San Francisco for a pivotal matchup against their NFC West division rival 49ers the Thursday night. The Rams are looking to make it three straight wins following their exciting 44-42 win over the Buffalo Bills. The 49ers are looking to make it 2 straight wins following their 38-13 dismantling of the Chicago Bears. The Rams find themselves in 2nd place, one game behind the Seattle Seahawks, and will look to keep pace. The Niners currently sit in 3rd place in the NFC West and will look to keep from falling further behind the division leaders.
In their victory against the Bills, the Rams made a concerted effort to stick to a balanced offensive attack. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 23-30 passes for 320 yards with 2 touchdowns in one of his finest games of the season. The Rams offense has been more fluid when Stafford has less than 35 pass attempts. Look for head coach Sean McVay to keep Stafford under 35 pass attempts going forward.
Puka Nacua has emerged as a top target for Stafford in the Rams passing attack. Against the Bills, Nacua had 12 receptions for 162 yards and 1 touchdown. Cooper Kupp accounted for 5 receptions for 92 yards and 1 touchdown. Nacua and Kupp give the Rams a tremendous 1-2 punch at the WR position. With both on the field at the same time, opposing defenses find themselves with a difficult decision…which receiver will they roll over safety coverage. The Niners’ pass coverage will look to contain both Nacua and Kupp. Look for Stafford to get Tutu Atwell and TE Colby Parkinson more involved in the passing game. WR Demarcus Robinson sustained a shoulder injury in the game against Buffalo and his availability Thursday remains a question.
In their effort to stick with a balanced offensive attack, the Rams had 42 rushing attempts for 137 yards against the Bills. Kyren Williams led the way with 29 carries for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns. Blake Corum has begun to see more time in the Rams backfield, as he accounted for 34 yards on 8 carries. Puka Nakua, running jet sweeps, added 16 yards on 5 carries with 1 touchdown. Look for Coach McVay to continue emphasizing the running game against the Niners. The running game has allowed the Rams to utilize their play-action passing schemes and allows Stafford to roll out of the pocket.
Quarterback Brock Purdy leads the 49ers offense. Against the Bears, Purdy completed 20-25 passes for 325 yards and 2 touchdowns. Purdy has a firm grasp on the offensive game plan 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to run each week and will take what the defense gives him. Purdy has the ability to tuck the ball and run if facing pressure. The Rams pass rush, led by Jared Verse and Byron Young on the edges, will need to maintain outside discipline and not give Purdy an avenue of escape to the outside as the interior defensive line led by Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, and Bobbie Brown III will look to collapse the pocket up the middle.
TE George Kittle was Purdy’s primary target against the Bears. Kittle had 6 receptions for 151 yards. Look for Kittle to be a go-to target for Purdy against the Rams pass coverage. Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula will look to limit Kittle’s productivity and limit his yards after catch. WR Deebo Samuel has been vocal recently about his lack of touches in the 49er’s offense. In his career, Samuel has given the Rams defense fits. Look for the Niners to have Samuel heavily involved in their offensive attack, not just in their passing game, put in their running game as well. WR Jauan Jennings is someone the Rams secondary will be aware of where he lines up. In their first matchup earlier this season, Jennings had 11 receptions for 175 yards and 3 touchdowns.
With Christian McCaffrey on IR, Isaac Guerendo has assumed the top RB spot. Against the Bears, Guerendo rushed for 78 yards on 15 carries with 2 touchdowns. The Niners rushed for 131 yards against the Bears defense. Facing a Rams defense that allows over 140 rushing yards per game, look for the Niners to go to their running game early in an attempt to exploit this weakness in the Rams defense. The Rams rush defense will need to maintain proper pursuit angles and close-up running lanes in order to contain the Niners rushing attack.
The Rams know they control their playoff destiny…. if they win out, they will win the NFC West. Their drive towards a division begins Thursday night. Look for the Rams to stick to a balanced offense to keep the 49ers defense honest. Look for the Rams to make it 3 straight wins in a hard-fought game against their long-time rival.
