San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams: Full St. Louis Game Preview
The St. Louis Rams (3-3) will host the San Francisco 49ers (2-5) Sunday for the first matchup of the year between these two NFC West rivals.
The Rams are coming off a much-needed victory over the Cleveland Browns. St. Louis now owns a .500 record with the toughest part of its schedule in the rearview mirror.
As for the 49ers, they're struggling to adjust to the post-Jim Harbaugh era. San Francisco ranks last in the division and has now lost five of its last six games. The loss of key veterans in the offseason—Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Frank Gore, Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis—has clearly taken its toll, and the 49ers have been unable to recover.
Even so, the games between the Rams and 49ers are always heated. St. Louis cannot take anything for granted, as San Francisco will show up ready to play.
This game means a lot for the Rams. Not only will a victory give them a perfect 3-0 record in the division, but it will also give St. Louis a winning record for the first time since starting 1-0 against Seattle. It will also mark the only time St. Louis has owned a winning record beyond Week 1 since the start of Jeff Fisher's tenure in 2012.
With a lighter schedule ahead, the time is now for St. Louis to pile up wins and compete in the NFC. To do so, the Rams must knock out beatable opponents, such as the 49ers.
This article will preview the upcoming game, including the latest headlines, injury news, matchup analysis and more.
News and Notes
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Rams Place Alec Ogletree on Injured Reserve
Following his lower leg injury against the Arizona Cardinals, the Rams have finally placed linebacker Alec Ogletree on injured reserve with a designation to return, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
Ogletree was playing as well as any linebacker in the league prior to his injury. He accumulated 35 tackles in his last three games, including a 16-tackle, two-sack performance against Pittsburgh. The former first-round pick was on pace for a breakout year, so the Rams are feeling the loss.
The injured reserve with a designation to return requires that Ogletree sit out from practice a minimum of six weeks and from games for eight weeks, so it's a bit baffling that the Rams waited two weeks before exercising the option.
Then again, teams only get to exercise this option once per season, and it's possible that Ogletree's healing process would have exceeded six weeks anyway.
If Ogletree can return to game action in eight weeks, the Rams will have their star linebacker back for the final push of the season.
Rams Release LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar
Veteran linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar was present at training camp but failed to make the final roster. Following the Ogletree injury, the Rams temporarily re-signed him, but Dunbar has now been released, per NBC Sports.
The signing was a reaction to Ogletree's injury, but there's been no comment as to why the move didn't work out. It could have been due to Dunbar's physical shape or simply a numbers game.
It's also possible that the Rams no longer need an extra linebacker thanks to the emergence of safety-linebacker hybrid Mark Barron. Barron led St. Louis with 16 tackles during its latest win over Cleveland, and he has been a force as a pass-rusher.
As long as Barron and the current linebackers stay healthy, there's little need for Dunbar. If not, the option is always there in the future.
St. Louis Offense Looking for a Fast Start
St. Louis' biggest issue this season has been inconsistency on offense and an inability to manufacture points. The meteoric rise of running back Todd Gurley has given the Rams a semblance of an offense, but according to Myles Simmons of the official St. Louis Rams' website, the offense is looking to get off to faster starts on game day.
“The biggest thing is to get rolling faster,” Gurley said on Tuesday. “If we can get things picking up a lot faster from the first play, we’d love that. But things don’t always work out as planned.”
According to Team Rankings, the Rams ranked fourth overall in first-quarter scoring last season (5.9 points per first quarter). This year, the Rams rank just 26th (2.8 points on average).
With St. Louis' stellar defense, it doesn't take a lot of points for the Rams to win games. If the offense can get off to faster starts, as we saw in 2014, it will give the defense more cushion to work with and result in more wins.
Latest Injury News
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The following injury report is according to NFL.com. Check the injury report closer to game day for a more up-to-date listing.
San Francisco 49ers Injury Report
LB NaVorro Bowman (Did Not Participate In Practice)
RB Carlos Hyde (Did Not Participate In Practice)
DT Tony Jerod-Eddie (Did Not Participate In Practice)
QB Colin Kaepernick (Full Participation in Practice)
T Erik Pears (Full Participation in Practice)
G Alexander Boone (Limited Participation in Practice)
LB Ahmad Brooks (Limited Participation in Practice)
S Eric Reid (Limited Participation in Practice)
T Joe Staley (Limited Participation in Practice)
St. Louis Rams Injury Report
DT Nick Fairley (Did Not Participate In Practice)
DE William Hayes (Did Not Participate In Practice)
DE Chris Long (Did Not Participate In Practice)
RB Tre Mason (Did Not Participate In Practice)
S T.J. McDonald (Did Not Participate In Practice)
DE Robert Quinn (Did Not Participate In Practice)
TE Lance Kendricks (Full Participation in Practice)
LB James Laurinaitis (Full Participation in Practice)
There are no surprises for the Rams this week on the injury front.
Chris Long did not play against the Browns, and it appears St. Louis could go another week without him. Long injured his knee in Week 5 at Green Bay, per NBC Sports, but it's likely he'll return in the upcoming weeks.
Tight end Lance Kendricks has been nursing a finger injury for several weeks now, but there's a chance he could return this week, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His return in the passing game is greatly needed, as Jared Cook is becoming a major liability with his ball-control issues.
Top Matchups
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Colin Kaepernick vs. Mark Barron
Colin Kaepernick's aerial game has not been pretty this season, but he still poses a threat as a runner. He has 228 rushing yards and a touchdown this season, so containing Kaepernick and not allowing him to break free for big gains is vital.
Barron is key to stopping Kaepernick's legs. The St. Louis safety frequently lines up in the box and has been excellent in run support. Kaepernick may have the speed to find the edge against defensive linemen, but Barron has just enough speed to keep him contained.
Barron will be a vital part of St. Louis' run support this week. Also, you can bet the 49ers will keep an eye on him, especially in pass protection. Barron has already sidelined two quarterbacks this season—Ben Roethlisberger and Josh McCown—so San Francisco will be on high alert.
Marcus Martin vs. Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald continues to be a handful for opposing offenses. He finished with a sack and three tackles against Cleveland and was constantly in the backfield affecting every play.
Unfortunately for San Francisco, Donald will be lining up against second-year center Marcus Martin. Martin, who has just 15 career starts, is one of the many weak points on the San Francisco line. With veteran Mike Iupati no longer around to back him up, he's in danger of being swallowed whole by the St. Louis defensive line.
Donald in particular will be on Martin's mind all week. If the 21-year-old center fails to produce one of his better games of the year, Donald will live in the San Francisco backfield all game long. It could be a nightmare for the 49ers.
NaVorro Bowman vs. Interior Offensive Line
The 49ers lost many key pieces on defense during the offseason—Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Ray McDonald, Chris Culliver—but the team managed to retain a vital asset in linebacker NaVorro Bowman.
After missing the entire 2014 season, Bowman is nearly back to himself. He has 53 tackles and a sack in seven games, and he'll undoubtedly be a handful for the young St. Louis interior linemen—center Tim Barnes and guard Jamon Brown.
In order to spark the run game, the offensive line must take Bowman out of the equation. Barnes must locate him on every play to ensure he's accounted for. It'll be awfully difficult for Gurley to get to the edge if the Rams have subpar blocking on Bowman.
This isn't the same 49ers defense that went to three conference championships, but Bowman is one of the few remaining pieces that the Rams must game-plan for.
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Matchup X-Factors
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Can Nick Foles Capitalize on Weak San Francisco Pass Defense?
Nick Foles has yet to have a lights-out performance in 2015. Many of his starts have been acceptable, one was abysmal—his four-interception debacle in Green Bay—but we have yet to see a flash of the 2013 Pro Bowl-caliber Foles.
After his disaster in Green Bay, Foles had a nice bounce-back performance against Cleveland—163 yards, a 65.2 percent completion rate and no turnovers—but he needs to take the next step against the 49ers.
San Francisco has been awful at defending the pass this season. The 49ers rank 31st in average passing yards allowed per game (292.7)—only the Oakland Raiders have been worse (303.8). It's been the team's most glaring weakness in 2015, and it's something St. Louis must capitalize on.
Unfortunately, the St. Louis aerial attack has been equally troubling. The Rams rank dead-last in passing offense with just 177.7 aerial yards per game. If that incompetence continues, St. Louis will be incapable of exposing the 49ers' biggest weak point.
For the Rams to overcome this disadvantage, Foles must bring his best game.
Will Gurley's Rampage Continue?
The 49ers' pass defense may be abysmal, but their run defense hasn't been much better. San Francisco ranks 20th in run defense and has allowed 113.3 rushing yards per game this season.
The matchup isn't as favorable as last week's game against the Browns, who rank dead-last in run defense, but the San Francisco unit is still far weaker than it used to be. It should provide Gurley with an opportunity to run wild, as long as the run blocking is up to par.
Gurley's early career has been nothing short of breathtaking. The rookie back has exceeded 100 yards in all three of his career starts and is averaging 144.3 yards per start. Last week against Cleveland, he crossed the goal line twice for his first two NFL touchdowns.
Gurley has quickly established himself as the focal point of the St. Louis offense. In order to take down San Francisco, the Rams need another big game from No. 30.
Prediction: Rams 24, 49ers 16
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The St. Louis defense seems to be on a roll. The Rams defense has allowed just three touchdowns in the last four games, and only the Arizona Cardinals have put up over 20 points against the defense during that stretch—an effort that required five field goals.
Meanwhile, the stale San Francisco offense has averaged just 14.7 points per game, and the key weapons—Kaepernick, Carlos Hyde—are struggling to find any consistency.
On top of that, the Rams have the home-field advantage and already own a 2-0 record within the division. Jeff Fisher teams frequently play on a whole different level against NFC West rivals, and it's unlikely that intensity will disappear simply because San Francisco is an inferior opponent.
Between a St. Louis defense that's looking more and more like an elite unit, combined with the seemingly unstoppable threat of Gurley on offense, it's hard to argue that the 49ers have any advantage.
As usual, it's important to remember that St. Louis is a two-faced team, so a letdown is certainly a possibility. But on paper, there's no reason for St. Louis to lose this game.
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