For the second time in as many weeks, the Los Angeles Rams will face a divisional opponent in arguably the most important game of their season. Last week, they lost to the Seattle Seahawks, but they’ll get a chance to bounce back from that defeat against the San Francisco 49ers at home on Sunday.
Somewhat unexpectedly, the 49ers enter this game with a 1.5-game lead over the Rams, boasting the best record in the NFC at 4-0. The Rams have limped to a 3-2 record, losing their last two games.
This isn’t a must-win contest for the Rams, but it’s as close as it gets this early in the season. Here are six things to know about the matchup.
49ers boast top-4 offense and defense
The 49ers’ roster may not look dominant on either side of the ball, but they’ve been very good both offensively and defensively. San Francisco ranks second in points per game (31.8), fourth in total offense (427.3 yards), fourth in points per game allowed (14.3) and second in total defense (257.5 yards).
The Rams offense has been statistically good this season, ranking sixth in points and fifth in yards, but the defense lags far behind. They rank 26th in points per game allowed and 13th in total defense. The 49ers’ schedule has been favorable, but they’ve been dominating lesser opponents.
First time since 2001 that both teams are above .500 entering a matchup
As Trey Wingo of ESPN pointed out, this is the first time since 2001 that the Rams and 49ers will play with both teams above .500 at the time of their meeting.
That seems hard to believe, but they haven’t both been good at the same time in quite a while. When the 49ers were winning the NFC West and reaching the Super Bowl, the Rams were struggling to stay above .500. Since the Rams have turned things around and won the division the last two years, the 49ers have fallen apart.
Now, though, both teams look like legitimate playoff threats.
Winner has scored at least 34 points in each of last 4 meetings
From 2012-2016, the Rams and 49ers played 10 games. Only once did one of the teams score at least 34 points, which happened in 2013 when the 49ers won 35-11. Other than that, neither team had scored more than 31 points.
In each of their last four meetings since 2017, however, one team has scored at least 34 points. In 2017, the Rams won 41-39 and lost 34-13. Last season, the Rams swept the 49ers with wins by a score of 39-10 and 48-32.
This should be another high-scoring affair with the over/under set at 50.5 points.
49ers have 5 more INTs than they had all of last year
The 49ers had the fewest interceptions in NFL history last season as they picked off just two passes all year. In only four games this season, they’ve nearly quadrupled their total from a year ago. San Francisco is tied for second in the league with seven interceptions already, five more than the team had in 16 games last season.
The Rams have taken the ball away plenty, too, picking off four interceptions in five games. That’s tied for the 11th-most in the league, but their turnover differential of minus-4 is tied for 24th. The 49ers are tied for seventh with a turnover differential of plus-4.
Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley own the 49ers
Two of the Rams’ biggest stars have had some remarkable success against the 49ers in their careers. Donald was a force against San Francisco last season, recording five sacks, 13 tackles (seven for loss), eight QB hits and a forced fumble in two games. In nine career games against the 49ers, he has 33 tackles, eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Gurley has been equally effective against the Rams’ division rival. In five games, he has 510 yards from scrimmage (423 rushing) and eight total touchdowns. That’s an average of 102 total yards and nearly two touchdowns per game.
The Rams will need both players to shine against the 4-0 49ers on Sunday.
McVay, Shanahan have different track records vs. NFC West
McVay has owned the NFC West since joining the Rams, going 10-3 against the division in the last two-plus years. Shanahan joined the 49ers in the same offseason (2017), but his results against the NFC West have been vastly different.
Shanahan owns a putrid 2-10 record against the Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals, with one of those wins coming against the Rams when they were resting their starters in 2017.
The 49ers have yet to play a divisional game this season, and those contests are often indicative of a team’s success in any given year.
