5 Bold Predictions for San Francisco 49ers' Week 6 Matchup
Anquan Boldin will reach triple-digit receiving yards for the first time this season, while Austin Davis will have a big game against San Francisco's defense.
Those are two of my bold predictions for the Week 6 Monday Night Football matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams.
Note that I believe all of these predictions have a good chance of happening. If you want the "ridiculous predictions that will never come true" article, you went to the wrong place.
Finding the fine line between bold and realistic is impossible. The following is my best attempt.
Anquan Boldin Will Have 100-Plus Receiving Yards
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Why It's Bold
Boldin has yet to have a 100-yard receiving game this year. The Rams allow just 192 passing yards per game.
Why It Will Happen
Boldin has often been Kap's No. 1 option over the last season-and-a-half, but he's clearly the leader of the pass-catchers now.
Michael Crabtree played just 42 of 71 offensive snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs. He's been slowed by a foot injury.
Vernon Davis missed the Kansas City game, and we're still awaiting his status for Monday night.
Brandon Lloyd and Stevie Johnson both made an impact against the Chiefs, but they combined for only 30 snaps.
So Boldin, who played 60 snaps, will likely get the most targets. In his last two games against the Rams, No. 81 has put up 98 and 90 receiving yards, respectively.
Whether lined up against Janoris Jenkins or E.J. Gaines, Boldin will eat up man-on-man coverage for his fourth 100-yard game in a 49ers uniform.
Austin Davis Will Eclipse 250 Passing Yards
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Why It's Bold
The 49ers, who have faced Tony Romo, Jay Cutler and Nick Foles, have yet to allow more than 244 passing yards to a quarterback.
Why It Will Happen
Davis has thrown for 702 yards in his past two games. Though that was against the inferior defenses of Dallas and Philadelphia, it's safe to say Davis is a threat to the San Francisco defense.
Meanwhile, the 49ers haven't been rushing the passer well this season. They have just five sacks in five games.
My guess is the Rams will quickly realize that running the ball is an exercise in futility against San Francisco's defense. Just like the last two weeks, the Rams will air it out with Davis as they play catch-up during the latter part of the game.
Brian Quick, Kenny Britt and Jared Cook will create enough matchup problems for the 49er secondary that Davis will once again be effective.
Carlos Hyde Will Top 60 Rushing Yards
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Why It's Bold
Carlos Hyde, the rookie from Ohio State, has yet to rush for more than 50 yards in any of his five career NFL games.
Why It Will Happen
The 49ers running game has hit it stride the last two weeks, rushing for 404 yards. Hyde received 10 carries in each game, totaling 69 yards.
The Rams have allowed 152.5 rushing yards per game on a 4.9-yard-per-carry average.
The rookie is primed for another double-digit-carry game, except this time he'll break off the first 20-plus-yard run of his career because of St. Louis' poor tackling secondary.
Frank Gore will also have a solid day, but Hyde will eat into Gore's total with a great game of his own.
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Zac Stacy Will Rush for Fewer Than 30 Yards
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Why It's Bold
Zac Stacy has rushed for more than 40 yards in each of the Rams' four games this season.
Why It Will Happen
Even if Stacy is fully healed from his strained calf, he won't find running lanes against the 49ers' stingy run defense.
The 49ers held Matt Forte and LeSean McCoy to a combined 38 rushing yards. However, they did allow Stacy to gain 72 yards in Week 13 of the 2013 season.
The theme of this slideshow is my belief that the 49ers offense is due to break out. If the Rams fall behind early, they might go away from Stacy in the second half.
This will be Stacy's third game under 40 yards since Week 5 of the 2013 season.
The 49ers Will Score 30-Plus Offensive Points
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Why It's Bold
The 49ers have yet to score 30 points or more this season. The Rams have yet to allow 30 points from an opposing team's offense.
Why It Will Happen
In the last two weeks, the 49ers have had five drives of 10 plays or more that resulted in red-zone field goals. Overall, San Francisco had nine field goals in those two games.
There are two ways of looking at this. The first is that the 49ers are a mediocre red-zone team and these struggles will continue for the rest of the year. The second is they're due to have a game of red-zone success.
For this game, the latter will ring true.
The 49ers scored five red-zone touchdowns against the Rams last season. They averaged 29 points per game in their two meetings.
St. Louis is 29th in run defense, and San Francisco is third in rushing offense. The 49ers should have no issue moving the ball. As long as they stick to the run in the red zone (looking at you, Greg Roman) and utilize Carlos Hyde, they'll set a season high in points.
Prediction: 49ers 30, Rams 20
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