Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke with Bay Area reporters via a conference call on Wednesday afternoon and discussed his team's upcoming NFC West showdown in Southern California with the San Francisco 49ers.
This Niners squad is much-improved compared to the ones McVay has faced in recent years. McVay has won three of the four matchups against his friend, Kyle Shanahan, since the two head coaches took control of their respective teams.
This season, the 49ers enter the game 4-0 and atop the NFC West in the standings.
"They've always been a really good team, even though sometimes maybe the record has been a little bit different," McVay said. "The problems (of facing them) have been there from a preparation standpoint. The guys have continued to compete well, but I think you're really seeing everything come together, and they've done an excellent job.
"I mean, you flip the tape on, and it looks like an excellent team with no weaknesses on any one of the three phases. They've got great leadership, sound schemes, good players; it's all the things that you're looking for from a really good team, and they've got all those things."
Of course, McVay said this before Shanahan revealed that his starting right tackle, Mike McGlinchey,
will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and will miss four to six weeks. The 49ers were already without starting left tackle Joe Staley.
McVay was asked about the 49ers' exciting rookie defensive end, Nick Bosa, who caused havoc in the Cleveland Browns backfield on Monday night, and what he has seen from the young pass rusher.
"(He's) relentless," McVay responded. "A mature player for a rookie. He's got a great feel, a great motor, a lot of the same things that you see, really, from their entire group up front. They do an excellent job rotating guys, and they play with an energy, you know, snap to whistle.
"You hear them say, 'All gas, no brakes,' and that's what it looks like when you watch them play."
McVay also praised 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the talented group of running backs, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, and shared that injuries have been the team's biggest obstacle in recent years.
You can listen to the entire conversation below.
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman spoke with reporters on Tuesday and shared his thoughts on how NFL teams are navigating through these uncharted waters. The league is preparing to play the 2020 season amid a pandemic. It is going to great lengths to ensure the safety of players, staff, and their loved ones.
"Obviously, it's an adjustment, and winning teams find a way to adjust the best in these situations," Sherman said. "So, I think the team that will adapt the best will be the one holding the trophy at the end."
It was linebacker Fred Warner's turn to speak with reporters on Wednesday, and he was asked about Sherman's comments, agreeing with the conclusion by the veteran cornerback.
"I think we have one of the best locker rooms, one
In June, San Francisco 49ers fans got a glimpse of rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in a Niners uniform thanks to Panini America. Now, they got a look at the real thing, and it included the player selected 11 spots ahead of Aiyuk — defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.
The 49ers posted photos of the team's top two draft picks from April in their full game-day uniforms for the first time.
New colors look good on these
There's a training camp battle brewing between San Francisco 49ers cornerbacks Emmanuel Moseley and Ahkello Witherspoon. One will earn the right to start opposite veteran Richard Sherman, who believes Moseley has the upper hand after a strong 2019 campaign.
Moseley, an undrafted player out of Tennessee, is entering his third NFL season. He started nine games last season after taking over for Witherspoon, who was sidelined with a foot injury. Moseley also started the 49ers' final two playoff games, including Super Bowl LIV.
Sherman envisions Moseley getting the early snaps with the first-team defense when the 49ers finally get onto the practice field in August.
"I think he'll have a whole training camp of starting,"
