SANTA CLARA – Kyle Shanahan isn’t calling the 49ers overachievers, “because we believed we could do this,” he claimed of their injury-laden 6-3 begin.
The 49ers are primarily main the NFC West trophy hunt by advantage of a win over every division foe, together with a 26-23 extra time win on the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 2.
Sunday brings the Rams (6-2 general, 0-1 NFC West) into Levi’s Stadium, and any head-to-head tiebreaker might be nullified in the event that they beat the 4 1/2-point underdog 49ers. “We’re in the hunt,” Shanahan added, “but we’ll see how we finish the rest of this half out.”
Final season, with out Christian McCaffrey for the primary two months, they opened 5-4. Whether or not or not that group overachieved, the 49ers then went on a 1-6 nosedive for a 6-11 report.
Included in that 2024 freefall was a 12-6 house loss to the Rams on Dec. 12, a recreation extra recognized for linebacker De’Vondre Campbell’s in-game expulsion. That clinched the season sequence for the Rams, reversing a pattern through which the 49ers swept the regular-season matchups from 2019-22.
Listed below are 5 methods the 49ers can win at house, the place 5 of their ultimate eight video games shall be performed:
1. SLOW DOWN STAFFORD
As defensive finish Bryce Huff returns from a two-game hiatus from a hamstring pressure, he is aware of his project: Strain Matthew Stafford for a 49ers’ cross rush that ranks final within the NFL and didn’t add a trade-deadline savior, all due respect to the earlier week’s additions of Keion White and Clelin Ferrell.
“He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback so I know he’s going to be looking to dice us up any way he can,” Huff mentioned. “So I need to do everything I can to impact him and get to him in the pocket.”
Stafford leads the NFL with 21 landing passes, together with three in a 389-yard outing in opposition to the 49ers in final month’s extra time loss. His common of 8.9 yards per cross is second within the league. Not too shabby for a 37-year-old who practically left within the offseason for the Raiders or Giants and missed a month of camp with a again challenge.
“So much for the bad back,” 49ers common supervisor John Lynch mentioned on KNBR 680-AM. “That might have all been a ruse because he looks pretty healthy to me.”
Stafford is 3-9 all-time in opposition to the 49ers, and 2-6 as soon as the Rams traded for him in 2021 earlier than the 49ers may. If the 49ers can’t strain him, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are going to make life even rougher for Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Inexperienced and Upton Stout.
2. WIN TURNOVER BATTLE
The 49ers overcame Stafford’s success final recreation with well timed heroics, notably Alfred Collins’ compelled fumble on the 1-yard line late in regulation earlier than their walk-off, fourth-down cease in extra time.
Stafford has had solely 2-of-274 passes intercepted and none up to now 5 video games. The 49ers have only one interception over their previous 16 video games, the NFL’s fewest-ever in such a span.
Linebacker Tatum Bethune, moderately than relish in his 16-tackle manufacturing final recreation, turned his consideration to takeaways. Stated Bethune: “Tackles are a nonnegotiable. I need to do better in the pass game, just getting the ball out and creating turnovers for the defense.”
The 49ers have recovered six fumbles this season (one lower than the Rams), and their offense has coughed up the ball simply 4 instances, together with a Mac Jones fumble final recreation on a sack.
3. McCAFFREY VS. RAMS
Three years in the past, McCaffrey debuted within the 49ers’ beginning lineup with three touchdowns (speeding, receiving, passing) in a rout on the Rams. He’s averaged 158 complete yards in opposition to them in his profession, and solely three gamers within the Tremendous Bowl period have loved extra dominance in opposition to a selected opponent.
No participant within the league this season is touching the ball extra. He ranks first in speeding makes an attempt (168, for 596 yards) and third in receptions (61, for 626).
McCaffrey, 29, has prevented the 49ers’ damage report since calf tightness was listed for Weeks 1-3, thrusting him into rivalry for MVP, Offensive Participant of the Yr and Comeback Participant of the Yr.
“Christian does a good job taking care of his body and he’ll play as long as he wants to play,” tight finish George Kittle mentioned. “… The shelf-life thing is kind of B.S.”
This shall be McCaffrey’s first recreation in opposition to the Rams at Levi’s Stadium. The 2022 recreation predated his commerce from Carolina; a seemingly minor calf damage stored him out of the 2023 regular-season finale; and he was on Injured Reserve for final season’s recreation.
Now McCaffrey is 4 yards shy of reaching 600 speeding yards and becoming a member of a membership with Marshall Faulk and Brian Westbrook as the one NFL gamers with 4 seasons of 600-plus yards each speeding and receiving. To get far more than these 4 yards, Kittle famous that the Rams’ defensive entrance excels at funneling runs into the inside, so maybe the 49ers’ finest lanes are the outside-zone runs moderately than their power-run success Oct. 19 in opposition to Atlanta.
4. PRESSURE ON KEY PLAYERS
Working again Kyren Williams and new Rams kicker Harrison Mevis could have plenty of strain to carry out.
The 49ers final noticed Williams slamming his helmet into the SoFi Stadium turf Oct. 2 after he bought stopped for no acquire on fourth down, sealing the 49ers’ walk-off win in extra time, not lengthy after he fumbled on the 1-yard line on an Alfred Collins punchout.
For the primary time since 2016, the 49ers gained’t have linebacker Fred Warner to defend in opposition to the Rams, so Tatum Bethune (thigh) and Dee Winters (knees) have to be prepared for a full-on scheme in opposition to them. Williams is coming off his first 100-yard speeding recreation of the season, albeit in opposition to the lowly New Orleans Saints. He’s additionally sharing time within the backfield with Blake Corum, who fumbled away a Stafford pitch final recreation in opposition to the 49ers.
Additionally within the Rams’ highlight is Mevis, who was introduced in to supplant Joshua Karty after the Stanford product’s missed 5-of-15 field-goal makes an attempt and three point-after kicks this season. Mevis is a 6-foot, 245-pound NFL novice who’s but to try an NFL kick however did was on Birmingham’s UFL-winning group final 12 months with 49ers backup quarterback Adrian Martinez.
5. MORE MAC MAGIC
This shall be Mac Jones’ sixth straight begin courting again to his first time by means of the Rams’ defensive batting order. He was 33-of-49 for 342 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions within the Oct. 2 extra time matchup.
A month in the past, the 49ers hoped Ricky Pearsall or Brandon Aiyuk is perhaps again from knee accidents for this recreation. They gained’t be. However tight finish George Kittle shall be obtainable, having missed the Oct. 2 recreation with a hamstring pressure.
The Rams have allowed just one first down on 20 performs opponents confronted longer than third-and-10.
Verse is in search of revenge for that final defeat, and he didn’t need his mindset softened by birthday needs this week from his former Florida State teammates on the 49ers, Bethune and Renardo Inexperienced.
“They texted me Monday or Tuesday, ‘Hey, happy birthday.’ I say, ‘Hey, thank you. Get off my phone — you’re my opponent. I’m not messing with you this week. You’re my opponent like, simple as that,’” Verse mentioned. “Even your best friends, even your brothers, it’s just different this week.”
