The Los Angeles Rams shocked many people by defeating the Seattle Seahawks 30-13 on the road in Week 1. After beating one divisional opponent, the Rams will now host the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium in Week 2.
Matthew Stafford and the offense were firing on all cylinders in the season opener despite All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp being sidelined. Meanwhile, the 49ers cruised to a 30-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 to prove they are still a top-tier team in the NFC.
Buy Rams TicketsWith the Rams being near touchdown underdogs entering Week 2, here are six players to watch in the impending matchup with the 49ers.
RB Kyren Williams
Kyren Williams was among the group of offensive players who stepped up in a large way in Week 1 for the Rams. Even though Cam Akers began the game as the starter, Williams received more snaps and he was more effective than his backfield mate to begin the season.
Williams turned 15 rushing attempts into 52 yards and two touchdowns, while Akers had 22 attempts for 29 yards. Akers would score a touchdown late in the game when the Rams were already ahead in the contest. All eyes will be on Williams and whether or not he earns even more work for the Rams in their matchup with the 49ers.
WR Tutu Atwell
Tutu Atwell has been solely viewed as a vertical threat at the wide receiver position due to him being an undersized wideout. Aside from rookie Puka Nacua, Atwell impressed with six receptions and 119 receiving yards on eight targets in Week 1 versus the Seahawks.
Sean McVay did a phenomenal job manufacturing ways for Atwell to attack Seattle’s secondary and he was on the same page as Stafford. Against an elite defense like the 49ers, Atwell will need to prove he can be a consistent option in the aerial attack to maintain his role in the Rams’ offense.
OT Alaric Jackson
The offensive line was dominant in the win over the Seahawks, with the new-look unit receiving the third-best aggregated pass protection rating in Week 1. Stafford remained upright throughout the game and wasn’t sacked once, which was a rare occurrence in 2022.
One of the primary reasons why Stafford had a clean jersey at the end of Week 1 was Alaric Jackson, who is the new starting left tackle for the Rams. On Sunday, Jackson will be tasked with blocking the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Nick Bosa. Bosa played limited snaps in Week 1 after holding out in the offseason, so he’ll see an increased workload in Week 2.
OLB Byron Young
For the defense of the Rams to exceed expectations, they’ll need consistent production from their edge rushers. Byron Young made his NFL debut in Week 1 versus the Seahawks, and the first-year edge rusher had an encouraging outing.
Young recorded four tackles, two quarterback hits, and half a sack in the double-digit victory against the Seahawks. The pass rushers on the Rams need to make life uncomfortable for Brock Purdy on Sunday to prevent the 49ers from moving the ball with ease, and Young will certainly need to be part of that.
LB Ernest Jones
Ernest Jones made his debut as the player with the green dot on his helmet for the Rams, and he performed extremely well to begin the season. While joining Jordan Fuller and Russ Yeast as the only defensive players on the Rams to be on the field for 100 percent of the snaps, Jones led the team with nine tackles in Week 1.
Jones would also register three tackles for loss, which were the only tackles for loss the Rams made in the season opener. The third-year linebacker and the entire Rams defense will need to be at their best on Sunday to slow down the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle.
CB Derion Kendrick
It was a somewhat rough start for Derion Kendrick in Week 1 versus the Seahawks as D.K. Metcalf torched him for an early score in the first half. The second-year cornerback would bounce back in the second half to help the Rams shut out the Seahawks in the second half to win the game.
Kendrick started on the outside with Ahkello Witherspoon, while Cobie Durant operated in the ‘star’ role in Raheem Morris’ defense to begin the season. The 49ers will likely have Samuel and Aiyuk matched up with Kendrick as much as possible on Sunday, so it will be up to the Georgia product to answer the call in Week 2.
