Injury-battered 49ers and Rams face off in Los Angeles; 3 keys to victory

The last time the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers met, head coaches Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan were without some starters. That was Week 18 of the 2023 season, and both teams had already clinched playoff berths. Guys like Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, George Kittle, and Cooper Kupp all sat out with the postseason in their sights.

This time, star players will be absent yet again. Injuries will keep Kupp, Puka Nacua, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey out. On Saturday we found out George Kittle will also miss action with a hamstring injury.

The Rams are 0-2 to begin the year. Only six teams have made the playoffs after beginning the year 0-3 since 1979. The Rams will come out with everything they have to keep their season alive.

The Niners fell to 1-1 last week after losing to the Minnesota Vikings. With the Seattle Seahawks starting 2-0 and the Arizona Cardinals looking like a more competent team than a year ago, the 49ers getting a division win against an equally hurt Rams squad is of the utmost importance. Here are three keys to a win in Week 3.

A Golden Brockortunity 

I don't see Brock Purdy as the type who wakes up and races to his television to hear guys like Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless scream on television, but it's hard to imagine that the outside noise never creeps in. There is a constant stream of hot takes said about Purdy just about every week.

Despite getting the 49ers to a Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game in his first two years, there are still many critics who don't believe in Mr. Irrelevant. The chief complaint is the players who surround Purdy. He has an All-Pro at running back, wide receiver and tight end. His left tackle might be the greatest to ever play.

Without Samuel, McCaffrey, and possibly Kittle, this could be an extremely important game to get that narrative off of Purdy's back. The Niners QB1 leads the league in passing yards, but he's thrown just a single touchdown and his QBR is more than 10 points lower than last season.

Kyler Murray passed for 266 yards last week and tossed three scores. Purdy would love a similar performance. It wouldn't just be a key to a win, but a key to shut up a lot of the haters. 

Get After Matthew Stafford  

36 years old is young in human years, but old in quarterback years. Matthew Stafford is nearly considered a quarterback mummy, and it's not helping that he's been sacked seven times through two games. 

Nick Bosa would like to increase that number. He had two sacks last week against Sam Darnold. He didn't have at least two sacks in 2023 until Week 6. Bosa is just getting warmed up as he eyes down the 18.5 sack season he had back in 2022. 

This week could be a stat padder for him, as the Rams rank dead last in pass block protection through the first two weeks, according to Pro Football Focus. Without Kupp and Nacua, the 49ers should have an easier time preventing separation, making Stafford hold onto the ball longer than he would like. Bosa will be the big winner if that's the case. 

Not Broken? Don't Fix It 

I'm referencing the 49ers current starting running back Jordan Mason who has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in two straight weeks. Sure, he is not the pass catcher that Christian McCaffrey is and he doesn't demand attention from defenses like CMC. But the 49ers really can't ask for much more after having the second-most rushing yards through two weeks.

The Rams have been gashed by the run so far this season. James Conner ran for 122 yards last week while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. The week before, it was David Montgomery who had a dominant overtime drive and averaged 5.4 a carry.

Mason jumped off the page in the first half last week, rushing for 72 yards on 12 carries. The entire offense was more limited in the second half. For the Niners to control this game, Mason should tempo the offense and open the passing game up for Purdy. 

Stat of the Week  

10-5. That's the record that Kyle Shanahan holds over Sean McVay. If you take away the 2023 Week 18 loss to the Rams where many bench players saw action, the 49ers had won nine straight regular-season games against Los Angeles. The two coaches spent time on the coaching staff in Washington years ago, when Mike Shanahan was the head coach. Maybe a handshake agreement was made then that McVay had to take it easy on him in the regular season, but the 49ers certainly have their number. 

Quote of the Week

Another star player will be absent, but it isn't because of an injury. Future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald retired this offseason, and it's a relief for the 49ers. Donald registered 12.5 sacks in 18 regular season games against San Francisco. Left tackle Trent Williams knows he won't miss The Terminator.

"It's going to be a lot more enjoyable," he said. "He's one of the best defensive players to ever walk this planet. Not having him there definitely makes a difference." 

Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday that Donald had occupied 99 percent of their brain power in these matchups for several years. 

In:
• Los Angeles Rams
• San Francisco 49ers
• Matthew Stafford
• Brock Purdy
• Kyle Shanahan