Things are not shaping up well for the San Francisco 49ers ahead of a big rivalry matchup on Thursday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams.
Once again, injuries are piling up for the 49ers, as several
starters did not practice on Tuesday, which was the lone day this week before the game. That included quarterback Brock Purdy, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, wide receiver Jauan Jennings, and defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos, among others.
At the moment, it seems like Purdy, Pearsall, and Jennings won’t be available against the Rams, which certainly hurts the team’s passing game, as San Francisco’s wide receivers would be Demarcus Robinson, Skyy Moore, Kendrick Bourne, Russell Gage, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. That’s something.
But, where the 49ers may actually be hurt the most is their running game. Through four games, the 49ers have had one of the worst rushing attacks under Kyle Shanahan, averaging 3.3 yards per carry and having zero explosive plays. And it’s primarily because there seems to be a blocking whiff on every single carry.
The offensive line will evidently catch flak for that, but it’s also been the blocking issues from skill position players, which is why wideouts like Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk have been so valuable in this offense. Their consistency as blockers has allowed Kyle Shanahan to be more trustworthy of the run game, while George Kittle has been one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the league.
San Francisco saw those issues continue this week when Christian McCaffrey had just 49 yards on 2.9 yards per carry. When it’s clicking, the 49ers run game is a piece of art. But, when it doesn’t, it becomes frustrating, seeing the missed block or two that cost the team several yards.
In addition to the run-blocking woes, the 49ers had a load of drops on Sunday, with their top two receivers having to overcome those with some major catches to keep San Francisco afloat. With Pearsall and Jennings both dealing with recurring injuries, it feels smartest to let them sit and get the extra 10 days to heal. But, that also means throwing receivers without as much experience in the offense and hoping the results are similar, which likely won’t be the case.
So, without a currently functioning run game and the injuries at quarterback and wide receiver, the 49ers offense has quite a few hurdles to overcome against one of the best defenses in the NFL this season on a short week on the road.
And then, there’s the defense. San Francisco has definitely improved on that side of the ball under Robert Saleh. But, they’ve also seen a major issue over the last six quarters: the lack of a pass-rush.
The 49ers did not get much pressure on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence last week, allowing him to operate from a fairly clean pocket and complete his highest rate of passes on the season. Now, Lawrence didn’t have a spectacular game, throwing for only 174 yards and a touchdown, but it was enough to get the Jaguars a 26-21 victory with help from a strong run game.
San Francisco faces a much more difficult challenge with Matthew Stafford this week. In the past, the 49ers have had the Rams’ number, as their defense was able to get pressure, forcing Stafford to get rid of the ball quickly. That allowed the rest of their defense to rally to the ball and keep the Rams in longer situations on second and third downs.
Stafford is still notorious for getting the ball out quickly and efficiently (he ranks fourth in average time to throw this year), but with more clean pockets, the Rams’ offense should look more fluid than it has in the past against the 49ers. Not to mention, wide receiver Puka Nacua has been on a tear, while the Rams offense has looked stellar so far in the air.
This game feels like a reset game for the 49ers with the short week, the injuries, and the team’s current issues. Still, after winning two crucial division games against the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals to start the season, it’s a game they can afford to lose, while maintaining a quality divisional record.
