In Week 18, the Los Angeles Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers. With both Matthew Stafford and Brock Purdy out, the game between the two division rivals will have a preseason feel to it. That leaves Carson Wentz to face up against Sam Darnold. However, that does not mean the Rams will not try to win. Here are five keys to beating the 49ers.
1. Run the Offense Efficiently
On the offensive side of the field, the Rams will rest Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Kyrie Williams. This will be a huge opportunity for players such as Carson Wentz, Zach Evans, and Royce Freeman. While the Rams will rest key starters, the offensive line appears to be in action. On Friday, Sean McVay stated,
“Carson (Wentz) obviously gets to play behind our offensive line and then I think it’ll offer an opportunity for those running backs to get more chances than what they would otherwise if Kyren was going. It’ll also offer an opportunity for our tight ends with Higbee being out, okay, let’s see how Davis Allen continues to do. Then from the receiver position, Puka (Nacua) and Demarcus Robinson, we’ll get Tutu more opportunities.”
Except for Stafford, Kupp, and Williams, the Rams offense will be at full strength. Wentz has spent nearly half of the season in Los Angeles. Is he capable of running the offense? Freeman and Evans will get an opportunity to show off their rushing abilities. If Wentz demonstrates his ability to run the offense, he might earn a backup spot behind Stafford next season.
2. Play Opportunistic on Defense
On offense, the 49ers will rest Brock Purdy, putting Sam Darnold at the helm. Darnold is a quarterback that puts the ball in danger or tries to do too much, which leads to a lot of turnovers and poor plays. Even with the absence of Donald and Jones, the defense must be opportunistic in order to create opportunities for the offense.
There should be opportunities for the Rams to get a ball or make a game-changing play in this game. It will be critical to be ready for that moment and make a play. This season, the Rams defense has only forced 14 turnovers, ranking them 30th in the NFL. This must alter as the postseason approaches.
3. Sound tackling in the Second
When it comes to playing the 49ers, it always comes down to tackling in the secondary. Whenever these two teams play, San Francisco’s big plays tend to come when there are missed tackles from the Rams on the backend of the defense. That was the case earlier in the season on touchdowns from Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey.
Outside of Donald and Jones, it will be the Rams starting defense on the field. Quentin Lake has played well in the back half of the season and Ahkello Witherspoon is a physical presence at cornerback. The Rams defensive backs have to show that they are willing to tackle because the 49ers will test them.
4. Get out of the Game Healthy
The Rams’ purpose in sitting key starters in this game is clear: to stay healthy as they enter the postseason. While a win is important for seeding and bragging rights against a division opponent, it doesn’t appear to be a priority for the Rams this week. This week, McVay stated,
“There are a couple layers to it and when you look at it, what we’ve just felt like was this approach is the best one for our team. You want to see guys go compete and do well, but that was what we felt like…I know what could occur…everything occurs, and you think you know and you just don’t, right? Taking all that into consideration didn’t really feel like the other side of it to try to do something to maintain the sixth or know you could be the seventh was best for our team.”
The Rams’ goal for this game is to stay healthy for the postseason. We already know some of the inactives, but it will be interesting to watch how the Rams handle other crucial players like Rob Havenstein, who would be a big loss if he is unable to participate in the postseason. A
5. Hope For a Bears win Against Packers
While the Rams aren’t directly competing for the sixth spot, that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. Six seeds are 4-2 since the current playoff format was implemented, with the Rams winning as a six seed in 2020. A seven seed, on the other hand, has never won a playoff game. If the Rams are the seventh seed, they would most likely face the Dallas Cowboys. The second round versus the Cowboys would be different from the first. Rob Havenstein and Kyren Williams would be in the lineup this time. Having saying that, the Rams do not do well against the Cowboys.
The Rams can lose and still finish sixth. It does, however, mean that the Chicago Bears must win at Lambeau Field for the first time since 2015. The Bears have been on a roll recently, but are they a squad to be trusted? The Rams would most likely be sent to Detroit as the sixth seed. Aside from the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s the game that Los Angeles will want…storylines and all.
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