The San Francisco 49ers chances of winning their fifth-straight game and finishing the season with a 6-10 record just got an enormous boost. According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters on Tuesday that he will likely rest his starters against the 49ers during the Week 17 contest at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Rams coach Sean McVay told the media in Thousand Oaks that he will probably rest his starters for the season finale against the 49ers. Getting guys healthy is more important than a 3 or a 4 seed, McVay said.
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) December 27, 2017
Because the Rams lost to the Minnesota Vikings earlier this season, they cannot earn a first-round bye and are guaranteed to play a game during the Wildcard round of the postseason. Los Angeles is currently the 3rd seed in the NFC, and even slipping to the 4th seed means it would still host a playoff game.
Those hoping for a proper rematch of the Week 3 nail-biter between the two teams at Levi's Stadium are out of luck. A contest between 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and Rams quarterback Jared Goff will also have to wait until next season.
The 49ers-Rams rivalry re-emerged as one of the more interesting ones in the NFL following Week 3's 41-39 win by Los Angeles. Since then, both teams went in completely different directions with the Rams winning the NFC West, but the 49ers are red-hot having won five of their last six. Both squads are led by first-year head coaches in Kyle Shanahan and McVay, who are considered to be among the top young offensive minds in the game.
The addition of Garoppolo on October 30 has sped up the rebuilding process by the 49ers, who now have their franchise quarterback to build around.
h/t to Patrick Tulini for the find.