Rams vs. 49ers: Breaking Down San Francisco's Week 9 Game Plan
The San Francisco 49ers kick off the second half of their season as they play host to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, November 2 at 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox Sports.
San Francisco is coming off its Week 8 bye—a period that, hopefully, allowed the team to rest and regroup after what has been a challenging first half of the season. The two-week break, combined with the familiar confines of Levi's Stadium, also play into the 49ers' favor.
The 49ers' 31-17 road victory over the Rams in Week 6 also works into the equation.
TOP NEWS
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Colts Release Kenny Moore
Projecting Every NFL Team's Starting Lineup 🔮
Rookie WRs Who Will Outplay Their Draft Value 📈
At 2-5, St. Louis' prospects for a promising season have all but evaporated. But as we know, teams in such circumstances can be dangerous. Playing for pride and with nothing lose, a team like the Rams will do their best to upset any postseason hopes the 49ers may have.
Take what St. Louis did to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7 as an example.
While the Seahawks' loss to the Rams surely delighted 49ers fans everywhere, San Francisco will have to guard against the same sort of effort from an underdog St. Louis team that befell a hated division rival.
The solution? Don't let it happen to you.
Fortunately, the 49ers have the bye and the Rams traveling halfway across the country in their favor. The added rest should provide a welcomed advantage.
So how will San Francisco go about besting an opponent that, on paper, it should be able to defeat handily?
Let's try to answer that.
Regaining Defensive Fortitude
There are a number of angles we can take here.
On the one hand, let's simply move beyond the 42-17 drubbing the 49ers suffered at the hands of Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in Week 7. San Francisco's defense was extremely shorthanded during the contest, having lost linebacker Patrick Willis (toe) prior to the game.
Some much-needed bodies are back now. Willis has been limited in practice this week per Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, which leads us to believe that he should be active on Sunday.
Nose tackle Glenn Dorsey (biceps) has been activated after spending the first half of the season on the injured reserve/designated for return list. Will he unseat No. 1 defensive tackle Ian Williams atop the depth chart?
Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area doesn't think so, but at least Dorsey provides some valuable depth along this critical group.
These added pieces to San Francisco's front seven should help bolster a unit that still ranks No. 2 in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game (306.0). This stat stands out, especially after the defense gave up 419 total yards to Denver in Week 7.
Adding to the equation is San Francisco's effectiveness against the running game. The 49ers allow 84.9 yards rushing yards per game, fourth best in the league, and has yet to give up a 100-yard rusher since DeMarco Murray in Week 1.
This matters because St. Louis will likely have to rely heavily upon Zac Stacey and Benny Cunningham to get their ground game going.
| Week 1 | @ Dallas Cowboys | 127 | 255 | 4 |
| Week 2 | vs. Chicago Bears | 46 | 170 | 0 |
| Week 3 | @ Arizona Cardinals | 84 | 254 | 1 |
| Week 4 | vs. Philadelphia Eagles | 22 | 191 | 4 |
| Week 5 | vs. Kansas City Chiefs | 107 | 158 | 1 |
| Week 6 | @ St. Louis Rams | 93 | 216 | 1 |
| Week 7 | @ Denver Broncos | 115 | 304 | 0 |
| Total | 594 | 1548 | 11 |
The Rams' injury woes continue, now that they have lost top receiving threat Brian Quick to a season-ending shoulder injury. Wide receiver Kenny Britt is also limited thanks to a hip injury, per ESPN (h/t Larry Hartstein of CBS Sports).
Further hindering St. Louis' offense is the loss of tackle Jake Long—also out for the season.
We shouldn't expect San Francisco to suffer any drop off in run defense. But when quarterback Austin Davis takes to the passing game, the key factor will be whether or not San Francisco's pass-rushers can generate the pressure necessary to upset the Rams aerial attack.
The 49ers sacked Davis five times during the two teams' previous matchup. Rookie Greg Robinson will likely be the primary focus of San Francisco's pass-rushing efforts as the 22-year-old looks to do his best in Long's absence.
These San Francisco efforts will have to be done likely without the services of linebacker Aldon Smith, who has yet to be informed whether or not his nine-game suspension will be reduced per NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.
Instead, expect some added work from reserve linebackers Dan Skuta and Aaron Lynch. While Lynch's pass-rushing prowess has blossomed in his first season, Skuta was one of two linebackers who twice got to Davis in the 49ers Week 6 win in St. Louis (the other being Ahmad Brooks).
Taking Advantage on Offense
St. Louis sold out to stop San Francisco's ground game the last time these two teams met. This was in part because, prior to that point, the Rams had allowed 610 yards on the ground—an average of 152.5 yards per game.
The approach worked, at least in one sense. San Francisco's backs, Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde, combined for just 52 yards on 27 carries.
But what the Rams took away on the ground, they more than gave up in the air. The 49ers offense adjusted properly after falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter. Opening up the passing game, Colin Kaepernick finished the day with 343 passing yards and three touchdowns against zero interceptions.
Rams defensive backs, like Janoris Jenkins, looked awfully bad in pass coverage. Jenkins (knee) and fellow corner Trumaine Johnson (knee) are both listed as questionable for Sunday's game, which should provide additional opportunity for the 49ers to move the ball with its passing game.
| Anquan Boldin | 7 | 94 | 1 | 28 |
| Brandon Lloyd | 1 | 80 | 1 | 80 |
| Stevie Johnson | 5 | 53 | 0 | 20 |
| Michael Crabtree | 3 | 49 | 1 | 32 |
| Vernon Davis | 3 | 30 | 0 | 17 |
| Vance McDonald | 1 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Carlos Hyde | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bruce Miller | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Total | 22 | 343 | 3 |
Proper in-game adjustments will be the emphasis here. Should St. Louis attempt to once again limit the 49ers on the ground, an effective aerial attack will likely be the best solution for netting points. Wideouts Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd could each wind up being effective tools.
But the biggest hope would be to get tight end Vernon Davis back on track as a legitimate offensive force.
Davis was limited to just three receptions for 30 yards in Week 6, despite being targeted six times. The 30-year-old veteran has just 14 receptions for 142 yards on the year. While injuries have hampered his 2014 campaign, signs point to him being 100 percent healthy for the second matchup against St. Louis.
Of course none of this will matter if San Francisco can't generate the necessary blocking and protection from its offensive line.
The unit has been a cause for concern over much of the season. Injuries have also played a key factor within this unit. Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati have been sidelined at various points throughout the year. Now the team faces the season-long loss of center Daniel Kilgore (leg).
Rookie Marcus Martin, who also just returned from a knee injury, is slated to start for Kilgore, per Maiocco.
While establishing some sort of continuity along the O-line will be vitally important for San Francisco during the second half of the season, the 49ers do have the benefit of going up against a defense that has amassed a total of just six sacks this year.
St. Louis' defense against the run also ranks low; the Rams allow 144.3 rushing yards per game, which is next to last in the NFL.
Expect the Unexpected
As 49ers fans saw in the Rams' 28-26 victory over the Seahawks, head coach Jeff Fisher is willing to take extreme gambles in order to generate any sort of edge over superior opponents.
Why should we expect anything different in Week 9?
That the Rams' 2014 season is going nowhere comes into play here. Playing for nothing but pride, St. Louis can afford to take chances at nearly any point in the game. This is especially the case if the game is close.
Whether it be a fake punt or a trick play, the Rams play-calling could wind up being a factor if San Francisco hasn't sealed the outcome of the game early.
The Rams have also shown a willingness to execute this sort of gimmickry against the 49ers. Remember cornerback Chris Cook sniffing out a fake-punt attempt by the Rams in Week 6? St. Louis was forced to call a timeout after San Francisco's special teams unit adjusted to the play.
Thankfully, Seattle was not so observant.
But this isn't to say that St. Louis will not pull another fast one against San Francisco on Sunday. Everyone, from the coaches down to the players, will have to be on guard against any and all possibilities.
Fortunately, the 49ers look as if they are preparing for this, reports Barrows.
Unconventional play-calling and special teams gimmickry might be the only edge with which the Rams have to work.
Have a Statement Game
At 4-3, the 49ers have to be feeling pretty good about where they stand within the division and in the playoff picture. This team has weathered a hefty storm, when one considers all the injuries and setbacks suffered by the franchise.
Each one of San Francisco's four wins was an example of how this team has overcome such setbacks. But each win also revealed that the 49ers are far from where they want to be.
In Week 1, the Dallas Cowboys essentially shot themselves in the foot. San Francisco, taking advantage of frequent Dallas turnovers, got out to a huge early lead before going into cruise control.
Week 4's victory over the Philadelphia Eagles saw a Kaepernick interceptions and special teams miscues put the 49ers down 21-10 in the second quarter. San Francisco's offense answered back, but the 49ers won by just a five-point margin.
The 49ers' Week 5 win over the Kansas City Chiefs was another hard-fought, close game, in which San Francisco squeaked by on three consecutive Phil Dawson field goals in the second half. Against St. Louis the following week, the 49ers found themselves trailing 14-0 before the first quarter had ended.
It would be nice and completely refreshing to see San Francisco dominate an opponent in all facets, regardless of that opponent's record. Stalwart defensive play combined with an overwhelming offensive presence could help the 49ers' second half start out on the right foot.
Dominate on special teams and win the field position and time-of-possession battles. Do everything necessary to come out and let the rest of the league know that San Francisco is a force with which to be reckoned.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive for 49ers news, insight and analysis.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
