The San Francisco 49ers fell short at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 26-21. Now they hit the road to face their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, on a short week on Thursday Night Football. The Rams are coming off a win against the Indianapolis Colts, who were previously undefeated. The 49ers look to rebound against the Rams, but it won't be easy. If the 49ers want to be victorious, they must apply these Keys to Victory.
Run the Ball
The 49ers are going to have to find a way to move the ball on the ground against the Rams' run defense. Los Angeles ranks 10th against the run, allowing 98.5 yards per game. The 49ers may need to add another running back to the mix, like Isaac Guerendo or rookie Jordan James, to add more explosiveness out of the backfield. The 49ers have zero explosive runs of 20 yards or more on the season.
If the 49ers can run the ball successfully, they can set up successful play-action pass attempts downfield. San Francisco must run the ball to wear down the defense. If they can get to 35 or more rush attempts, they will win the game.
Red Zone Offense
The 49ers went one for three in the red zone against the Jaguars. They rank 27th in scoring in the red zone this season at 42.8 percent. The offense must be creative in the red zone and turn every opportunity into a touchdown-scoring drive. The 49ers will have opportunities against the Rams, but they must execute and score in the red zone to secure a victory and improve to 4-1.
Limit Puka Nacua
The 49ers' secondary will have its hands full with the Rams' best weapon, wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is primarily a threat on the short to intermediate routes. He has 24 receptions on 27 targets on passes of 0-9 yards, 10 receptions on 12 targets on passes of 10-19 yards, and four receptions on six targets on passes of 20-plus yards.
Cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Upton Stout are going to have to do their best to limit Nacua on yards after the catch on those short routes—0-9 yards. Nacau has 114 yards after the reception.
When asked about the challenges of facing Nacua, head coach Kyle Shanahan said, "How big and physical he is, how good his hands are, and how aggressive he plays tied with how big he is. He's full speed all the time, running through people, attacking edges, and the same way he runs through that football and catches it."
If the 49ers' defense limits Nacau, they will be victorious.
In conclusion, there are numerous other factors the 49ers could focus on this week, such as stopping the run and limiting explosive plays, but these are staples for the 49ers. In this particular matchup, they must focus on the specifics. It won't be easy, given all the adversity the team has faced this season, but it can be done. If the 49ers stick to the Keys to Victory, they will be 4-1 and remain on top of the NFC West.