LOS ANGELES vs SAN FRANCISCO 

RAMS WIN 42 – 26

Story of the Game – Stafford and the Rams continue to dominate as they roll through an injured 49ers team 

With an injury riddled 49ers team starting off slow in this game the Rams took full advantage as they rattled off 3 straight scoring drives to start the game along with their defense shutting the 49ers out up until their second drive of the 2nd Quarter. While the 49ers were able to get their passing game going and in turn match scores with the Rams down the stretch of this game the poor start proved to be too much. The Rams moved the ball up and down the field all game long and really in any way they wanted as Matthew Stafford picked apart the 49ers secondary snap after snap and their OL blew the 49ers DL off the ball, creating gaps that made life easy on Kyren Williams. The 49ers seemed to have no answer for the Rams on offense and looked completely outmatched in just about every aspect. On the flip side the 49ers may have gotten off to a slow start but their quick hit passing game, especially when they utilized Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, was beautiful to watch. They used motion and pressured the edges of this Rams defense to slow their pass rush down and even when they’d win the ball was coming out so fast they didn’t have a chance to wrack up even a single sack. Had the 49ers had their entire team healthy and on the field this game more than likely would have been a special matchup to watch but it quickly got out of hand as the Rams continue to look like the pinnacle of the NFC if not the entire NFL right now. 

• Key Notes for the Rams 

The Rams OL and TE’s (blocking wise) as well played at an incredibly high level this game. While playing this injured version of the 49ers team certainly helped and I’m not willing to ignore that it, it was awesome to watch what this group put on tape. The 49ers were to create some pressure as they wracked up 6 QB hits (tied for 2nd this week) and 1 sack but largely they kept the pocket clean enough for Stafford to get the ball out but where I thought this OL really shined was in the run game. Every time this team got into the red zone it seemed they would line up in 12 or 13 personnel and run the ball through which gap they wanted. This group up front for LAR absolutely blew the 49ers off the ball made it clear who was winning the trenches in this game. If they can continue to do that along with keeping Stafford off the ground this team is going be very difficult to stop as Stafford is playing like an MVP right now and their weapons are shining in both the run and pass. 

Matthew Stafford is playing at a such a high level right and now and this game was no exception. Right now I believe he’s reached another level as a QB and you can point to the support he has around him as to why that is but I believe it’s more about where he is in his career and life right now. His arm is still as great as ever, his touch and ball placement is not just great but it’s consistently great, and I’m not sure there’s anything you can throw at the guy that he hasn’t seen. This reminds of that Brady in his 1st and 2nd year in Tampa Bay where his arm and athleticism was still as great as ever but because of the amount of games he had played up to that point there was just nothing you could throw at him that he didn’t have a solution for. It’s truly incredible to see what he’s been able to do this year especially when you consider all of the questions around d his back during training camp and preseason. 

• Key Notes for the 49ers

While this offense may have not gotten off to the start they were hoping for coming into this game against their division rivals I thought they ultimately had a good day offensively. Mac Jones did a great job of playing within the offense and getting the ball out quick to mitigate a Rams pass rush that has wrecked offenses all year. I thought. I thought Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle played at an incredibly high level as they were consistently creating separation and breaking off YAC all day long. The OL also had an impressive day only allowing 1 QB hit and 0 sack and while it was inconsistent they did have a number of solid reps in the run game, especially for runs in between the tackles. 

The second and third levels of this defense had a rough start and looked largely outmatched through the majority of the first half but rounded into form as the game went on. While it was promising to see those groups make a couple nice stands in the 2nd Quarter and into the 2nd half as well the DL was atrocious this game. They were misaligned against so many of Los Angeles’ runs which routinely gave LAR free access to the edge of their defense and the worst part is it’s hard to say it’ll get better. With not only Nick Bosa and Fred Warner going on IR but also rookie edge Mykel Williams, vet edge Yetur Gross-Matos, and now rookie DT Alfred Collins all being banged up to some extent this team is not only looking at 3rd string players but practice squad players and free agents to fill reps along their DL and it’s showing in the worst way. I trust DL coach Kris Kocurek and DC Robert Saleh more than most defensive coaches in the league to put out a capable group for this team but it’s only going to continue to get harder and harder if this trend of injuries continues down the stretch of this season. 

• Standout Performers

LAR 

Matthew Stafford – 24/36  280yds  4/0 

Kyren Williams – 14/73  2 TDs – 2/11 rec

Puka Nacua – 5/64  1  TD 

Davante Adams – 6/77  1 TD

Nate Landman – 11 Tackles (5 Solo)  2 TFLs  1 FF 

Quentin Lake – 11 Tackles (8 Solo) 

• Continues to fly around the backend of this defense and be one of the more stable players on this entire defense  

SF 

Mac Jones – 33/39  319yds  3/1 

Christian McCaffrey – 12/30 – 8/66 rec

George Kittle – 9/84  1 TD 

Brian Robinson – 8/41  1 TD 

Tatum Bethune – 10 Tackles (2 Solo)  1 TFL 

• Has stepped in nicely for the middle of this defense through the Fred Warner injury 

Malik Mustapha – 8 Tackles (4 Solo)