It’s do-or-die time for the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night as they face the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. A loss will eliminate them from playoff contention, while a win will keep them alive until at least Monday night when the Vikings host Green Bay.
But before they look ahead to Week 17 or the postseason, the Rams must take care of business against the 49ers. It’s a tough matchup, but one they must win. Here are their three biggest concerns against San Francisco.
Stopping the 3-headed monster at RB
Similar to the Rams in 2017 and ’18, the 49ers’ offense is predicated on being able to run the football. It sets up the play-action passing game for Jimmy Garoppolo and keeps defenses on their toes with a balanced attack. San Francisco has had remarkable success running the ball this season, ranking second in the league in rushing with an average of 147 yards per game.
The 49ers have three very capable backs, too, with Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman all chipping in. Right now, the hot hand belongs to Mostert, who’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry this season and leading the team with 662 yards.
The Rams were gashed by Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard last week and the 49ers aren’t going to be any easier of a matchup. If Los Angeles constantly misses tackles, the defense is going to get run over once again.
Negating 49ers’ pass rush
Part of the reason the Rams offense improved in recent weeks was the impact of the play-action passing attack. With better protection in the pocket, Jared Goff gained a comfort when faking handoffs to Todd Gurley. Sean McVay also called more plays where Goff left the pocket and rolled out, which helped get receivers open and force defenses to adjust.
That’ll be difficult against a 49ers pass rush that’s led by Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner. They can all get in the backfield with great consistency, which will force Goff to speed up his processing and get rid of throws quicker than he’d like. That’s something the Cowboys also did last week and we saw the results.
If the offensive line can’t protect Goff and neutralize the pass rush off the edge when he rolls out of the pocket, we could see a performance similar to the one the Rams had in Week 6 against the 49ers.
Being outcoached
McVay has had a rough season. That’s not to say he’s a bad coach, of course, but some of his decisions and play calling have been called into question. The same goes for Wade Phillips, whose defense is littered with talented players but can’t play at a high level consistently each week.
Kyle Shanahan is an offensive mastermind who knows how to expose defenses’ weaknesses. He’s going to find ways to get George Kittle open against man coverage, just as he did in Week 6 by lining him up as a fullback and splitting him out wide.
McVay and Phillips have to come up with a game plan that counters the 49ers. Far too often, McVay comes out with a good script to open a game but then the offense struggles after defenses adjust. That can’t happen tonight because when the 49ers get a lead, their rushing attack closes out games.
