49ers' Key Matchups to Beat Rams in NFC Championship

All that's left between the San Francisco 49ers and a trip to Super Bowl 56 is a familiar foe: the Los Angeles Rams. 

The Rams have stood in the way of the Niners' goals already this season. Heading into Week 18, San Francisco needed a win over L.A. or a New Orleans Saints loss to get into the playoffs. It ended up taking care of itself with a 27-24 win in overtime. 

It not only propelled the Niners into the playoffs but also gave them a perfect sweep of their division rivals. 

So, with the possibility of winning the championship courtesy of a 3-0 sweep of the Rams ahead of them, it's a huge deal that they know they have the personnel to get the job done. 

Here are three key matchups to the Niners getting the perfect sweep and playing for the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 13. 

Dontae Johnson vs. Odell Beckham Jr.

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If there's an element to the Rams offense that was neutralized in their most recent matchup but could play a bigger role in this one, it's Odell Beckham Jr. 

The Rams' midseason addition has proved to be an important asset in the playoffs.

In the regular-season finale, Beckham was held to just two catches for 18 yards. In the Wild Card Round, he caught all four of his targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. He was even bigger against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday with six catches for 69 yards on eight targets. 

The Niners haven't had much success stopping Cooper Kupp. He's been the NFL's most prolific receiver this year and has gone over 100 yards in each of his games against San Francisco this season. 

The problem is that he still requires a lot of extra attention, which could leave Beckham on an island. And with the 29-year-old starting to catch fire, that's bad news. 

The Rams will likely look for ways to go after cornerback Dontae Johnson, who gave up five catches on five targets for 74 yards in their last matchup, per PFF. Stepping in for Ambry Thomas, he gave up five of six targets for 109 yards. 

If Thomas can't go again, quarterback Matthew Stafford is likely to be looking for Johnson against OBJ. 

Arik Armstead vs. Austin Corbett

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The battle in the trenches is going to be key in this game. The 49ers' most assured path to victory is for this contest to be about who is more physical up front. 

One matchup that can help them establish that tone is Arik Armstead teeing off on Austin Corbett, which was a defining pairing in the regular-season finale. 

Armstead played one of his best games of the year in that game. According to PFF, he accounted for a team-high eight pressures (with 2.5 sacks), while Corbett was guilty of giving up a team-high five pressures. 

The Rams did a decent job of keeping Stafford clean last week against the Bucs. It's worth noting they were only able to run the ball for 2.4 yards per carry and both sacks came from the interior, with Vita Vea getting one and Ndamukong Suh splitting one with Jason Pierre-Paul. 

Armstead could dominate this matchup again and have a big impact on the game. 

Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Rams Secondary

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Jimmy Garoppolo is putting a lot of people's assumptions to the test.

Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen's play has supported the notion you have to have an elite quarterback to advance in the playoffs. Garoppolo's play so far could best be described as good enough. 

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has largely taken the ball out of the 30-year-old's hands. In the two playoff games, he's averaging 13.5 completions on 22 attempts for 151.5 yards. He's yet to throw a touchdown in this postseason but has thrown a pick in each game. 

Fortunately, the running game, Deebo Samuel and defense have been enough to cover for Garoppolo's deficiencies as a quarterback. 

Eventually, that won't be enough, though. The Eastern Illinois product is going to be called upon to make some big throws.

If Garoppolo is able to rise to the occasion, the 49ers are much more likely to be meeting the AFC champion at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13; if he doesn't, it's going to be tough to continue this surprising run.