How can the Rams upset the 49ers in Week 3?
The Los Angeles Rams enter what will be a must-win game in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers. While they are 0-2 and coming off of a 41-10 loss to the Cardinals, there is some reason for optimism heading into the home opener. Here are five keys to victory on Sunday for the Rams.
1. Stop Jordan Mason and 49ers Run Game
The 49ers will likely be without Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle. That will be a huge detriment to their passing game. However, Kyle Shanahan has proven time and time again that he is not afraid to run the ball 30 times in a game if he has to. This is the same head coach that threw 10 passes in the NFC Championship game back in 2019.
During the first two games of the season, the Rams are allowing a rushing success rate of 55.1 percent. If they give up those easy yards on the ground to the 49ers, Mason is more than capable and Shanahan is more than will to take those yards and grind out a win. The Rams defense must get the 49ers in passing situations.
2. Get Pressure on Brock Purdy
To start the season, the Rams defense has actually done a good job creating pressure. Jared Verse has nine pressures on the year with a win percentage of 25.3 percent. Kobie Turner ranks fifth in pressures and 20th in win percentage among defensive linemen. The Rams need the Braden Fiske from training camp to show up in this game and need more from Byron Young. Still, the Rams have been getting to the quarterback.
Since the #49ers acquired RB Christian McCaffrey in 2022, QB Brock Purdy has been under center for a total of 10 plays without all three of CMC, Deebo and Kittle.
On those plays, Purdy is 3-of-7 for 49 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Half of those plays (including…
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) September 20, 2024
While Purdy is mobile, he doesn’t have the same athleticism and isn’t as elusive as Kyler Murray. If the Rams can get pressure up the middle, they should be able to make Purdy uncomfortable and force him into mistakes. Purdy has been under center for a total of 10 plays without McCaffrey, Samuel, and Kittle. On those plays, the 49ers quarterback is 3-of-7 for 49 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. If the Rams can get pressure on him and make him uncomfortable, the opportunities should come.
3. Sean McVay Needs to Get Deep in His Bag of Tricks
At some point, head coach Sean McVay is going to have to realize that he can’t just run the offense the way that he wanted to coming into the year. The Rams have dealt with injuries to the offensive line and they will be without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp at wide receiver. This can no longer just be a drop back and pass offense with Matthew Stafford.
It’s time for McVay to get into his bag of tricks and bring out the smoke and mirrors. Whether it’s more play action, getting Stafford on the move, or utilizing more screens, the offense needs to do more.
4. Wrap Up and Tackle on Defense
Through two weeks, the Rams defense leads the NFL with 33 missed tackles. The next closest team is the Las Vegas Raiders with 23. To put that into perspective, the gap between the Rams at one and Raiders at two is the same as the Raiders at two and Bengals, Packers, and Chargers at 12.
When it comes to playing the 49ers, the Rams have seemingly always struggled to tackle and limit yards after the catch opportunities. The player that hurts them the most has typically been Samuel and he is out. The Rams need to be able to tackle in this game and limit any of those big plays after the catch.
5. Play Loose and With Nothing to Lose
To say the least, the Rams are not where they wanted to be to start the season. They are 0-2 and as 6.5 point underdogs, they are staring 0-3 right in the face for the first time since 2011. This 49ers team is also dealing with injuries and they are vulnerable after losing to the Minnesota Vikings last week.
All of that is to say that the Rams might as well play like they having nothing to lose. This Rams team is young, especially on defense. In some big moments, they have played tight this year which has led to big plays. At 0-2, they might as well play free and take the occasional calculated risk. If the Rams lose this game, it will be very difficult to recover. They might as well go down swinging.