Which San Francisco 49ers team will show up tonight against the Los Angeles Rams? Will it be the team that always plays its division opponent hard, resulting in a six-game winning streak before last season's NFC Championship Game? Or will it be the squad featuring the same sputtering offense on display in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos?
Joe Staley believes it will be the former. He feels his former team will find a way to prove their doubters wrong, knocking off the reigning Super Bowl champions.
"I was telling people this weekend, everybody's kind of down on the Niners how they're starting, especially offensively, and I think this is going to be a game that reminds everybody that this is a pretty good team still," Staley said during his weekly interview on KNBR, per Jake Montero of KNBR. "They still have a ton of talent. I wouldn't be surprised to go watch the game tonight and see the 49ers come away with a 38-10 victory."
That type of win would undoubtedly change the narrative surrounding the team. The 49ers offense was far from mistake-free against the Broncos, turning over the football three times and giving up a safety. The defense was its typical dominant self but couldn't capitalize on opportunities to force turnovers.
Staley believes the 49ers will need to return to what was successful against the Rams in recent years.
"I think it's just a good matchup," Staley said. "Honestly, if you look at how we won those games for the last couple of years, it's been ball control, limiting the mistakes, playing just that 49ers brand of that boring, kind of efficient offensive football that we talk about all the time.
"Deebo (Samuel) hasn't really kind of flexed his muscles yet this season. A big part of this game, I think, is going to be getting him out in space, quick passes with the run game again. It's just one of those situations where the team just matches up really well."
While the 49ers feel they are better than their current 1-2 record, falling to 1-3 would generate more doubt surrounding the team's direction, making tonight's game a must-win matchup.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Staley below.