The 49ers are in dire straits heading into the Thursday Night Football matchup with the Rams.
San Francisco’s mounting injury problems have dominated the discussion ahead of the battle for first place in the NFC West at SoFi Stadium.
With Brock Purdy out and the 49ers down to the bare bones at the pass-catching positions, the Rams are heavy favorites to move to 4-1.
But why has it gone so well for Los Angeles through four games, and where are the weaknesses the 49ers could exploit to make this a game?
I consulted Evan Craig of Turf Show Times to get those answers.
1.) The addition of Davante Adams seems to have had a huge positive influence already. How has his arrival changed the offense?
Davante Adams has been the perfect Robin to Puka Nacua’s Batman. He is no longer the top target like he was in his prime Packers days, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s just the stage he’s at in his career. When the Rams signed him this offseason, there were concerns that he’d be the next free agent bust for Les Snead, as his track record wasn’t great with wideouts in the last few years (*cough* Allen Robinson).
Adams is so effective because he remains a dynamic enough target when defenses are already so concentrated on containing Puka. The reason Nacua looks unstoppable so far this year is due to Adams being a strong partner-in-crime. L.A. didn’t have that last year with Cooper Kupp, and that’s why the front office (rightfully) moved on this offseason. It might be unsustainable in the long run to have such a high target share for two guys, but it’s working wonders for the passing game, and that’s all that matters right now.
2.) Los Angeles’s passing game is thriving despite poor play in protection up front. What do the Rams need to do to improve their pass blocking?
TRADE EVERYBODY!
Just kidding, but the team has to get healthier up front. That might be a cop out answer, but it’s true. Linemen Steve Avila and Rob Havenstein have been in and out of the lineup. There is enough depth along the line, but it’s not enough to feel confident in it, given what we’ve seen so far.
There have been some injury flashbacks of the team’s dreadful 2023 campaign when players could not stay healthy. It seemed like that with Matthew Stafford for a while until those concerns mostly went away entering the season. Part of what made ’23 so miserable was mainly due to all the injuries up front, so I’m really hoping fans do not have to endure a repeat this season.
3.) The Rams only had 38 sacks last season despite generating a lot of pressure. This year, they already have 14, how has the pass rush improved?
Last year, the lack of sacks felt like a young team trying to figure things out. Most of the guys up front were either first or second-year players. It’s not like they weren’t making life uncomfortable for the quarterback, since, for example, Jared Verse won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for all the pressures he had, not sacks. Then, the defense exploded in the two playoff games, and they’ve carried that momentum into this season.
Adding Poona Ford to the defensive line was a great investment because he’s helped shore up a much-improved run defense in L.A. The Rams have passed back-to-back tests against two of the league’s best running backs, and have another with Christian McCaffrey on the docket. Since the run defense has improved, that has put more pressure on opposing offenses to air it out instead, paving the way for the Rams to tee off on quarterbacks.
4.) Who is one under-the-radar player on offense that 49ers fans must know ahead of Thursday? What about on defense?
He’s not exactly an under-the-radar player, but Tutu Atwell, for starters. Atwell has been with the team for five seasons and has never been a consistent playmaker. Much of that has to do with the coaching staff not utilizing him right, which is a shame considering he has speed to burn and then some. He only has two catches on the year, but one of them was an 88-yard game-winning touchdown against the Colts last week. Tutu could be Matthew Stafford’s secret weapon if he sees more action.
Defensively, linebacker Nate Landman has been a revelation for the team. The Rams have failed to invest in a serviceable linebacker during the Sean McVay era. Truthfully, the Bobby Wagner signing was shocking for that reason, even though it lasted for one season. Anyway, Landman has started all four games this year and could be in line for a contract extension if he maintains his high level of play. He saved the Rams’ season opener by forcing a critical fumble with the Texans driving late. Landman already has two fumble recoveries, so he’s a big play waiting to happen.
5.) What’s one question that you have for 49ers fans?
The 49ers have struggled with significant injuries over the years, which have ruined some potentially promising seasons. Do you mainly attribute that to simply awful luck, poor conditioning, or the strain of returning after a long season (in the case of the two Super Bowl runs)?
