Five 49ers players to watch in prime-time Week 5 matchup vs. NFC West rival Rams
“The Rams’ pass protection was abysmal against the Indianapolis Colts, allowing 25 pressures. Right tackle Rob Havenstein was particularly brutal, surrendering nine pressures. That is a matchup Huff should be able to exploit with his quickness at the snap of the ball. A pro-49ers crowd in Inglewood could work to the edge rusher’s advantage.”
49ers QB Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall ruled out for prime-time matchup vs. Rams
“Backup quarterback Mac Jones will get his third start of the season in place of Purdy.
The 49ers are likely to turn to Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson to be their top receivers against the Rams.“
Why Christian McCaffrey and the running game have no pop: 49ers mailbag (paywall)
“Oh, they’re running. But it’s definitely not as long or as intense as Thursday’s practice, which, according to 49ers who have played elsewhere, is one of the most rigorous sessions in the league. Remember two weeks ago when both Connor Colby (groin) and Watkins (calf) were injured in practice? It’s not a coincidence that those happened on a Thursday.
Most intense in-season practice:
Saturday (literal walk-through)
Thursday
Wednesday
Friday”
49ers vs. Rams: Mac Jones, meet L.A.’s fierce pass-rushing quartet (paywall)
“However, the highest praise for the Rams defensive line came from pass rusher Nick Bosa before the start of the regular season. Bosa said the 49ers’ front four that helped carry them to a Super Bowl in 2019 had an unrelenting standard that he wanted to instill in his young teammates. And he invoked Los Angeles, which lost in the divisional playoff to the Eagles last year, as a current example of a front that had a franchise-altering mindset.
“I just want them to understand what it takes for the D-line to really affect the organization,” Bosa said. “It’s not just ‘Oh, I’m going to go out and get 10 sacks as a rookie.’ It takes a mentality of swarming to the ball and effort that makes a team get to the Super Bowl. You saw that with the Rams last year. That was what they did. And they were close.”
