The Los Angeles Rams (8-6) square-off against the San Francisco 49ers (11-3) in an NFC West showdown with playoff implications on the line. L.A. is looking to keep its postseason dreams alive, while the 49ers have another major test. San Francisco won the last matchup 20-7.
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Rams vs. 49ers
- When: Saturday, December 21
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- TV: NFL Network
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
Following a 28-12 victory two weeks ago against the Seahawks, the defending NFC Champion Rams fell 44-21 in Dallas last weekend. Jared Goff threw the ball 51 times for 248 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Tyler Higbee was his leading target with 12 catches for 112 yards, his third straight 100+ yard performance. The story was the lack of running game and the ability of the Dallas defense to stop Todd Gurley. Gurley had 11 carries for just 20 yards and one touchdown. The Rams will have to get him going against the 49ers defense, which is one of the best in the NFL. Last time these two teams met the Rams were 0-for-9 on third down and had possession for only 21 of the game’s 60 minutes.
Defensively, can the Rams stop the 49ers rushing attack? It wasn’t Dak Prescott or Amari Cooper who was a thorn in their side, but the Dallas running backs. The Cowboys rushed 45 times with Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott combining for 248 yards and three touchdowns. Los Angeles is ranked 23rd against the run with teams averaging 115.6 YPG.
The 49ers have had a difficult four-game stretch with games against the Packers, Ravens, Saints, and a Falcons team that turned the second half of their season around. San Francisco has also picked up two losses in that span, including a 29-22 defeat to Atlanta last weekend. In a game that came down to a wild ending, which included and a Matt Ryan touchdown drive in the final seconds of the game. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 22 of 34 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown. Raheem Mostert led the team with a modest 54 yards rushing and one score. George Kittle continued his fantastic season with 13 catches for 134 yards to bring his total to 888 for the season. San Francisco’s offensive plan has been to pound the rock and it shouldn’t stop Saturday night with three running backs who all have over 500 yards this year.
Championship teams have their ups and downs and the loss against the Falcons may have been a wake-up call for the 49ers. Julio Jones picked up over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns for the Falcons. If San Francisco wants that coveted No. 1 seed, it will have to win the next two games. The key to the 49ers success all season has been their defense, where they are second in total defense with opponents averaging 269 YPG and first in passing defense (154 YPG). Fred Warner had nine tackles last week and leads the team with 104, while San Francisco boasts one of the nastiest defensive lines in all of football. Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, and Dee Ford have a combined 32 sacks on the year.
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