Podcast: 49ers Offseason Stories with SI's Conor Orr →
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports


Rams vs. 49ers: 3 things to watch for San Francisco in Week 7

Oct 21, 2018 at 10:52 AM


The San Francisco 49ers host the undefeated Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium in Week 7, and here are three elements of the game worth paying attention to.


The NFL's Week 7 contest between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams was supposed to be one of those highly heralded bouts between two up-and-coming division rivals. Six weeks into the season, though, the Niners have just one win. The Rams haven't lost.

In fairness, San Francisco's season went awash after losing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending ACL injury. With him out and the 49ers struggling, no wonder the league flexed this divisional bout out of the prime-time Sunday Night Football slot -- the time when the Niners were going to debut their throwback uniforms to the 1994 Super Bowl-winning squad.

At least the 49ers will still don those outfits for this game, so that's something to watch.

There are a few other things too, especially with backup quarterback C.J. Beathard coming off arguably his best game as a pro -- a 33-30 heartbreaking loss to the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football last week. If Beathard can be as effective as he was in Week 6, perhaps San Francisco has a chance.

C.J. Beathard and the Turnover Differential


The turnover game hasn't been friendly to San Francisco in 2018. Head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad has lost 14 turnovers thus far, which is second worst in the league. And the Niners defense has generated just three turnovers, which comes in last over six weeks.

Beathard was responsible for a big turnover last week, tossing a game-changing interception in Green Bay on a drive that would have likely ended in a 49ers' game-winning field goal as the clock expired.

Over his three starts this season, Beathard has been responsible for eight turnovers -- three fumbles lost and five interceptions. Not all of those picks have been truly his fault. But when facing off against a high-powered Rams offense, not unlike quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last week, Beathard and Co. can't afford to lose the turnover battle.

And if San Francisco's defense isn't generating turnovers, it's going to mean Beathard needs to protect the ball as much as possible.

First-Class Defensive Tackles


Both the Niners and Rams boast pretty impressive defensive tackles, DeForest Buckner and Aaron Donald, respectively.

Pro Football Focus ranks Donald the No. 1 interior defender in the league entering Week 7, posting an elite-level 94.3 grade on the year. Buckner is currently ranked 24th with a 76.5 mark. Still, these two players are among the best defenders in the NFL today.

Which one gets the edge?

The 49ers offensive line has shown massive improvement this year, but it's still something of a liability in pass protection. Football Outsiders ranked the Niners O-line 26th, while L.A. is ranked ninth.

If San Francisco is able to contain Donald and his teammate, Ndamukong Suh, it will have a chance to keep Beathard upright and perhaps avoid some of those worrisome turnovers that have plagued Shanahan's offense all season.

49ers Winning on the Ground


While Beathard managed to have a great game and has played well enough to win in two of his three starts, the 49ers' No. 1 offensive strength this season still remains the ground attack.

Namely running back Matt Breida.

Remember the 49ers O-line? Pass protection might not be the strength, but Football Outsiders ranked this unit second in the league after six weeks. So no wonder Breida is leading the league with an average of 6.8 yards per carry. He's been a solid workhorse in relief of Jerick McKinnon, who was lost to an ACL injury before Week 1.

The Rams have a solid crop of defenders at all three levels, and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has his defense allowing the seventh fewest points in the league. But if there is a notable weakness, it's against the run game. Opponents are averaging 4.8 yards per carry against L.A.'s defense, which is fifth worst among all defenses in the league entering Week 7.

So one might expect Shanahan to feature Breida, Alfred Morris, Raheem Mostert and as much of the 49ers ground game as possible.

Especially if it means keeping the Rams' own MVP-candidate running back, Todd Gurley, off the field as much as possible.

The 49ers and Rams kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET from Levi's Stadium on Oct. 21.
  • Written by:
    Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
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.


0 Comments

  • No Comments

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



5 things to know about new 49ers DL Austin Bryant

By Kirk Larrabee
Mar 22

The 49ers added their third defensive lineman of free agency on Wednesday with the signing of Austin Bryant, who comes to San Francisco just days after the team added defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and defensive end Clelin Ferrell. Bryant, 26, comes to the 49ers from the Detroit Lions, where he played for four seasons after being selected in Round 4 of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Clemson. Bryant had a history of production and winning at the college level, but he's still looking to make his mark in the NFL. Here are five things to know about Bryant as he begins his time with the 49ers. Power Rangers reunion, of sorts Bryant (6-5, 260) played on one of the most talented defensive lines in recent college football history while at Clemson, starting



5 things to know about new 49ers kicker Zane Gonzalez

By Kirk Larrabee
Mar 24

The San Francisco 49ers filled one of their biggest roster holes Friday by acquiring veteran kicker Zane Gonzalez from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a conditional late-round pick swap in 2025. Gonzalez's arrival seems to signal a farewell to kicker Robbie Gould, who appears to be moving on from the 49ers after six seasons. What should 49ers fans know about Gonzalez? Let's take a look. What Gonzalez brings to the 49ers If he indeed wins the starting job in San Francisco, Gonzalez (27) will be the youngest starting kicker the 49ers have had in many years. Gould kicked with the 49ers until age 40, while the team's previous kicker, Phil Dawson, was 41



5 things to know about new 49ers OL Matt Pryor

By Kirk Larrabee
Mar 27

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch announced the signing of veteran offensive lineman Matt Pryor on Monday, a move that will give the team another needed veteran depth piece capable of helping at multiple spots across the offensive line. Pryor (6-7, 332) comes to the 49ers with 60 games of NFL experience and 24 starts. He entered the league in 2018 as a sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, then was traded to the Indianapolis Colts before the 2021 season. A native of Long Beach, California, Pryor, 28, spent the past two seasons with the Colts before joining the 49ers. Let's take a look at what 49ers fans should know about Pryor as he heads to the Bay Area. High School and College According to a 2018 article from the



Rapoport: Sam Darnold will 'more likely than not' be 49ers' Week 1 starting QB

By David Bonilla
Mar 28

Ah, San Francisco 49ers offseason quarterback drama. We haven't had that since … well, last offseason. If there is one thing you can count on with the Bay Area team on a yearly basis, it's quarterback drama. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan made one thing clear over the last two days: If he were healthy, Brock Purdy would be the frontrunner to start Week 1 of the 2023 season. However, he is recovering from his March 10 surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear in his right elbow. That will keep him off the practice field until maybe early September. That timeline could extend beyond September. It's just too early for


Featured

More by Peter Panacy

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone