The Chip Kelly era in the Bay Area officially kicks off on Monday night. The San Francisco 49ers open the 2016 regular season at home against the Los Angeles Rams in the second of ESPN's two Monday Night Football games to finish the NFL's opening week. This is the second consecutive year that the 49ers will kick off their season on Monday Night Football. In 2015, the team opened up with a 20-3 home victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

The 49ers, who are looking to win their sixth straight season opener, will face a Rams team that returned to the Los Angeles market during the offseason. The matchup will renew an intra-state rivalry that was once among the best in the league.


QB Colin Kaepernick, who has been relegated to the backup role with San Francisco, will continue to be in the spotlight. His controversial protest of the national anthem has gained significant publicity from the media since it was first noticed following a preseason game on August 26.

"I'll continue to sit," said Kaepernick following that preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers. "I'm going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me this is something that has to change. When there's significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it's supposed to represent, this country is representing people the way that it's supposed to, I'll stand."


Unsurprising to most, Blaine Gabbert emerged from the 49ers' quarterback competition as the starter. Kaepernick, who missed much of the team's offseason program, part of training camp, and two exhibition games, was never able to fully compete for the starting job.

"It was unfortunate for [Kaepernick] – because of the arm injury – that we didn't have an opportunity to see him earlier, to get a chance to get in there against Houston and our second preseason game," Kelly said this week. "He got some limited reps in terms of the third preseason game but just to get him back on his feet and get him going. He'll be the first to tell you we need to get him back to where he was physically. He's still working on that. I think he's obviously got nothing wrong with him from the injuries that he had last year. So, medically he's cleared to play, but physically he still needs to make some strides in terms of getting back to where he was as a player."

2015 Highest Red Zone Passer Rating
Blaine Gabbert, SF 120.5
Matthew Stafford, Det 118.0
Marcus Mariota, Ten 116.1
Kirk Cousins, Was 113.5
Cam Newton, Car 112.7

Gabbert finished the 2015 season with a 19-16 overtime win against the Rams. It was a game where he threw for 354 yards – a career high. It was also the only win within the division that the 49ers had last season. He will face a very good Los Angeles defensive front that will likely focus on stopping RB Carlos Hyde and challenge Gabbert's ability to get the ball downfield.


Kelly praised Rams DT Aaron Donald, who he called one of the best in the game while speaking to the media this week. "He's so explosive and so dynamic," said Kelly. "Very rarely does one guy get him blocked because he can get off a block so quickly. So, the one thing that you notice is sometimes he will be blocked and you stop the film first two steps in, the offensive guard's doing a great job of covering him up and then he's off the block. So, he does such a great job getting off of blocks and making plays.

"To have that type of a playmaker on the inside of your defense, it's rare that there's someone that's that athletic that's playing that position and that's obviously certainty something that has everybody's attention, not just us because we're playing them on Monday, but I think anybody that plays the Rams."


Halftime entertainment will feature a performance by the Air Force Band of the Golden West and the 49ers official drumline, Niner Noise.

Matchup Information


Kickoff: Monday, September 12 at 7:20 p.m. PT

All-Time Matchup: 49ers lead series 66-64-3


Last Meeting: 1/3/16, 49ers win 19-16 (OT), at SF

Current Streak: Won 1

Betting: The Rams are 2.5-point favorites

NFL Fan Picks: 59% pick the Rams to win according to Yahoo! Sports

49ers Fan Picks: Within our Pick 'em Contest, 84% believe the 49ers will win


49ers Schedule: View full schedule

Rams News: Rams news at Problitz.com

Follow Game Online: NFL.com's Game Center

Discuss: Niner Talk forum

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Television and Radio


The game will be televised on ESPN (Check 506 Sports to see if it is local) with Chris Berman (play-by-play), Steve Young (color analyst), and Lindsay Czarniak (sideline reporter).

KGO 810 AM and The Bone 107.7 FM (Other markets) will carry the radio broadcast with Ted Robinson (play-by-play) and Tim Ryan (color analyst).

ESPN Deportes and KKSF 910 AM will carry the spanish radio broadcast.

San Francisco 49ers Injuries


Questionable: DT Arik Armstead (shoulder), LB Nick Bellore (knee), OT Anthony Davis (not injury related), DT Quinton Dial (knee), DT Glenn Dorsey (knee), CB Keith Reaser (ankle)

Doubtful: CB Chris Davis (hamstring)


Los Angeles Rams Injuries


Out: WR Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), CB E.J. Gaines (thigh), WR Nelson Spruce (knee)

Questionable: LB Bryce Hager (concussion), OT Rob Havenstein

Preseason Game Averages (Rank)


Rams 49ers
20.8 (9th)
Offense Pts
21.2 (6th)
298.2 (20th)
Offense Yds
347.2 (5th)
162.5 (28th)
Offense Pass
163.0 (27th)
135.8 (5th)
Offense Rush
184.2 (1st)
22.0 (27th)
Defense Pts Allowed
22.5 (28th)
301.5 (13th)
Defense Yds Allowed
322.0 (23rd)
203.2 (17th)
Defense Pass Allowed
205.8 (18th)
98.2 (18th)
Defense Rush Allowed
116.2 (22nd)


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