5 Matchups to watch in the 49ers' Week 2 clash with the Rams
The 49ers will be widely expected to improve to 2-0 when they face the Rams in their Week 2 clash on Sunday. San Francisco is heavily favored for their first NFC West contest of the season despite Los Angeles pulling off a surprise win over the Seahawks on the road in Week 1. The Niners […]
The 49ers will be widely expected to improve to 2-0 when they face the Rams in their Week 2 clash on Sunday.
San Francisco is heavily favored for their first NFC West contest of the season despite Los Angeles pulling off a surprise win over the Seahawks on the road in Week 1.
The Niners are seeking a ninth successive regular-season win over the Rams, though it would be their first with Brock Purdy as quarterback.
Kyle Shanahan's team have a distinct edge over the Rams in terms of talent, but them capitalizing on that gulf is partly contingent on the Niners winning these key matchups.
Deommodore Lenoir vs. Tutu Atwell
The 49ers mixed and matched their slot corners in Week 1, with Isaiah Oliver playing more snaps than Lenoir, whose importance has increased as he has added nickel to his responsibilities beyond starting on the outside.
This week, the matchup will likely dictate Lenoir spending more time at inside corner. Los Angeles' starting slot receiver Tutu Atwell gashed the Seahawks in the Rams' surprise season-opening win, going off for 119 yards.
His speed makes him a potential mismatch for the larger Oliver, who is more reliant on his frame and physicality.
As such, expect Lenoir to be the man the 49ers turn to for most of the game at nickel, and he will need to be up to test of keeping the speedster in check. The Rams' hopes of an upset will likely be greatly reduced if he succeeds.
Colton McKivitz vs. Byron Young and Aaron Donald
49ers starting right tackle Colton McKivitz endured a nightmare outing in the season opener, giving up three sacks to T.J. Watt.
He won't be playing one of premier edge rushers in the NFL this week, but he will almost certainly be the offensive lineman the Rams look to target to stymie the 49er passing attack.
The two players he may see the most of are Aaron Donald and Byron Young.
Donald will obviously consistently attack the interior of the offensive line, but he also played 25 snaps at defensive end last week, 16 on the right side and nine on the left. It's unlikely the Rams will want to waste snaps putting Donald against Trent Williams, so when Donald does line up outside it will predominantly be as the left defensive end against McKivitz.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year can be just as devastating off the edge as he is as an interior rusher, and rookie edge Young also poses a significant challenge as a rusher who can use his speed to quickly put tackles in jeopardy.
Young had five pressures against the Seahawks and already looks to be the best pure edge rusher of a young group. He predominantly rushed from the right side against Seattle, but it would make sense for the Rams to funnel him towards McKivitz this week.
McKivitz will have to deal with markedly contrasting challenges from Donald and Young, and how he handles them could define how productive the 49er offense is in Week 2.
49ers pass-catchers vs. Cobie Durant
One of the most experienced players on this extremely young Rams defense is slot corner Cobie Durant.
He was not tested during the comfortable win over the Seahawks. That is unlikely to be the case against San Francisco.
The 49ers pass-catchers were targeted 11 times from the slot against the Steelers. Those targets resulted in nine catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Between Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, each of the 49ers' top four offensive weapons can do significant damage from the slot.
Durant is arguably the biggest strength in the Rams' secondary, but the 49ers have the talent to attack him successfully and turn him into a weakness. It will be another highly productive day for the passing game if they do so.
Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead vs. Joe Noteboom and Steve Avila
The matchup between Nick Bosa and both Rams offensive tackles will be worthy of close attention as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year gets back to a full workload having operated on a pitch count in Week 1.
Yet the key to the 49ers' near constant pressure on Kenny Pickett last week was the play of the interior defensive line, with the starting duo of Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead beginning their partnership in disruptive fashion.
They will be anticipated to thrive again in a matchup with a Rams offensive line that should skew heavily in the favor of the 49ers. Yet Los Angeles' starting guards Joe Noteboom and Steve Avila gave up only one pressure between them versus Seattle.
Armstead and Hargrave's ability to continually push the pocket forced Pickett into the path of the 49ers' edge rushers, helping Drake Jackson record a three-sack game.
With Bosa primed to reprise his usual role, the pressure numbers could once again be hugely impressive, provided Armstead and Hargrave issue an emphatic reminder the 49er defensive front is on another level to that of Seattle and bring an inexperienced Rams O-Line back down to earth.
Christian McCaffrey vs. Ernest Jones
In case you missed it, McCaffrey was spectacular against the Steelers, exploding for 152 rushing yards, including a 65-yard rushing touchdown.
His lone meeting with the Rams last season was also something to behold, as McCaffrey threw for a touchdown, caught another and recorded an extremely rare hat-trick when he plunged in for a rushing score.
It's tough to see him reproducing that historic performance, but McCaffrey will once again be a focal point for a 49ers attack that is in large part built around his diverse skillset.
Among those hoping to slow him down will be Rams middle linebacker Ernest Jones, who had a team-high three defensive stops in the run game that constituted a failure for the offense against Seattle, according to Pro Football Focus.
It is their matchup in the pass game that could be more compelling, however. McCaffrey had eight receptions against the Rams last year and, with Donald hoping to use his significant pass-rushing prowess to derail the passing game, Purdy may regularly look to his running back on quick passes to negate the threat of pressure.
Jones will frequently match up with McCaffrey and look to snuff out such passes but if the 49ers' running back wins their battle and once again has huge influence on both facets of the offense, it will be tough to see any outcome other than a San Francisco triumph.
49ers 2024 draft prospect: BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia
He could represent a succession plan at tackle.
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