Three Keys To Victory: Week Eight
The San Francisco 49ers will face their rival Los Angeles Rams for the final time this regular season in SoFi Stadium this Sunday. The Niners are looking to avoid falling to 3-5 for the second consecutive season. The goal is to be 4-4 heading into the bye week. Here are three keys to doing just that.
Make The Running Game The Offensive Focus
The 49ers have caught themselves in an identity crisis this season by not running the football nearly as much as they should be in some of their games so far. For instance, against the Atlanta Falcons, the Niners only ran the ball 16 times and three of those were quarterback sneaks. The 49ers only scored 14 points in that game.
Shanahan’s offense has struggled this season and it’s largely because of an inconsistent rushing attack. This offense is supposed to be won in the trenches and by running the football to keep the chains moving, not by having Jimmy Garoppolo throw the ball nearly 40 times in a game. Getting back to their identity on offense is not only a key for this game, but a key for the rest of the season.
When the 49ers faced the Rams earlier this year the defense was healthier and only allowed nine points. The defense also had a pick-six in the 24-9 victory. However, the offense still only managed 17 points and they ran the ball only 18 times. The 49ers also only ran the ball 19 times against the Broncos in a loss where they only scored 10 points and as stated earlier, 16 rushing attempts for 14 points in Atlanta. See the pattern?
The 49ers struggle to score points because of their inability so far to be consistently running the football. They need to take the ball out of Garoppolo’s hands as much as possible. This should be much easier as Christian McCaffrey should see an increased workload as the newest member of the team.
Relentless 49ers Pass Rush
The 49ers have one of the best defensive players in football when it comes to Nick Bosa. He needs to have a good game against LA along with the rest of the defensive line. The interior defensive line is depleted due to injuries to Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw, so everybody needs to step up. Luckily, the Rams’ offensive line is not very good, so they should be able to apply pressure. This is going to be important because this matchup consists of a different defense compared to the first matchup.
This time around there is no Emmanuel Moseley, which makes a big difference for the cornerback position. Jason Verrett was activated this week, but we are not sure yet if he will start. If he does, we can hope he returns to his 2020 self, but we are just not sure how he will look coming off his ACL tear. The nickel position sounds like it may end up being Jimmie Ward once again as it doesn’t sound like the Niners have much confidence in the young corners.
Because the secondary will have a different look and we may not know what to expect from some of them in an effort to contain Cooper Kupp, the pass rush can disguise any missteps they may have. Forcing Stafford to think quickly and possibly force him into mistakes, which doesn’t take forcing into anyways when it comes to him, can make life much easier for the secondary this Sunday. Bosa and the 49ers’ defensive front must take advantage of the Rams’ lack of talent on the offensive line.
Play A Clean Game
Another one of the biggest problems for the 49ers this season has been self-inflicted wounds. Costly turnovers, penalties and terrible execution on special teams have cost the Niners games. Last week, the 49ers were poor in all three areas. Against the Chiefs, the Niners committed three turnovers and ten penalties for 80 yards. They were also terrible in coverage during kickoffs. These kinds of errors are simply a lack of discipline.
If the 49ers want to avoid starting 3-5 for the second consecutive season, they need to play a clean game. If they don’t, the previous two keys to victory may not even matter in the result. And to be honest, this team is way too talented to be 3-5 with the schedule they have had so far. They shouldn’t even be 4-4, but here they are after weeks of undisciplined football. The 49ers need this win on Sunday, and it would be nice to once again complete a season sweep of the LA Rams in Levi’s South.