Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
49ers vs Rams: A Renewed Rivalry for the Ages in the Making
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The Los Angeles Rams have not been resting on their laurels this offseason. In fact, thus far in the NFC West, they have been the aggressors when it comes to offseason acquisitions before acquisitions can technically even take place (the new league year doesn't officially start until Wednesday). Those 'wink and nod' deals will ultimately result in a completely revamped secondary with
Marcus Peters,
Aqib Talib, and
Sam Shields patrolling the field, and all but guaranteeing the exit of
Trumaine Johnson.
Meanwhile, about a thousand miles north of Los Angeles, the Seattle Seahawks and their bodacious and bombastic 'Legion of Boom' is all but dismantled. The likes of
Michael Bennett,
Jeremy Lane, and
Richard Sherman: all unceremoniously ousted.
Earl Thomas is reportedly available for trade. The futures of
Cliff Avril and
Kam Chancellor, are both up in the air due to neck issues. Then you have
Jimmy Graham and
Sheldon Richardson who are both more than likely gone as free agents. We haven't even touched on the coaching turnover of Pete Carroll's staff. Yes, it's a new dawn in Seattle, and the writing on the wall says it's also a changing of the guard.
The Cardinals, well, cap issues aside, they'll be irrelevant until their new head coach figures out who their starting quarterback is going to be (sound familiar, 49er fans?).
In the constantly revolving door of NFL teams, this type of overnight change isn't uncommon. The Niners have been no stranger to change ever since Jim Harbaugh left over four years ago. In fact, I'm sure to most, it's been a refreshing start to the offseason just knowing the 49ers will have the same general manager, head coach, and quarterback to start the new season. All of which is to say there is a newfound sense of hope, even confidence, that the changes at 4949 Centennial Blvd (along with the shift of power and upheaval in the North) have created an opportunity to rise atop the NFC West hierarchy again.
Not so fast, say the Rams. Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan's former protege/assistant from their days in Washington says, "I'll see your
Jimmy Garoppolo and raise you three pro bowl corners!" It's clear the Rams, having surprised everyone with their dramatic turnaround last year and who haven't taken their foot off the pedal since, are planning on being the new bullies of the division. They're being strategic, decisive, and aggressive this offseason and with very little cap room to do it.
How will Lynch/Shanahan up the ante?
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
More San Francisco 49ers News
QB Brock Purdy part of another historic record for the 49ers
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 24
The San Francisco 49ers comfortably improved to 3-0 on the season with a 30-12 Thursday Night Football win over the New York Giants, dominating on the ground once again, while quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a season-high 310 yards in the victory.
In the win, Purdy and the 49ers broke another unique record, becoming the first team in NFL history to both rush and pass for at least 140 yards in 8 consecutive regular season games, according to Opta Stats.
The @49ers are the first team in NFL history to both rush and pass for at least 140 yards in
49ers DL experiment reaping rewards through three games
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 24
The San Francisco 49ers have started off strong to begin the 2023 season, winning of each their first three games while scoring at least 30 points a game and allowing under 15 points per game on average.
Defensively, the 49ers came into the season with a strong roster, but a couple of questions, as they had lost key depth pieces while entering the season with a new defensive coordinator.
While the majority of the defensive alignments have been similar, the 49ers have increased the usage of five-man fronts, experimenting with the implementation of Javon Kinlaw alongside Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave on the interior.
Thus far, the early rewards have been plentiful.
Through three games, the trio has combined for 32 of San Francisco's 79
Are 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw's penalties getting out of hand?
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 24
The San Francisco 49ers comfortably won their third straight game to begin the regular season, defeating the New York Giants 30-12 to improve to 3-0.
However, for the second consecutive week, linebacker Dre Greenlaw committed a 15-yard penalty that cost the team, which was an issue at times last season due to the aggressiveness of his play.
Greenlaw enjoyed a breakout season in 2022 after signing a well-earned 2-year contract extension and cemented himself as the No. 2 linebacker next to Fred Warner.
But, after two straight weeks with 15-yard flags, are Greenlaw's penalties getting out of hand?
Head coach Kyle Shanahan provided his take on the matter, valuing Greenlaw's aggressiveness, while also pointing out the close nature of both
49ers starting to figure out running back rotation behind Christian McCaffrey
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 24
Through the first two games of the season, San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey dominated the team's touches, recording 27 in Week 1, when he rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown, and 23 in Week 2, when he gained 116 yards on the ground and another touchdown.
When on the field, McCaffrey was dominant, but he was earning a lion's share of the reps at running back, including a 100% snap share in Week 2 during the 49ers' 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
That led to head coach Kyle Shanahan taking some accountability after the Week 2 win, understanding the need to balance the running back rotation to preserve McCaffrey for the full season.
"Yeah, we definitely got to get Elijah in there more and do better with our rotation than
