Niners Nation
The 49ers will look to complete a season sweep of the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday when they host their NFC West rivals at Levi’s Stadium.
With the 49ers 3-0 in the division, victory in this battle of six-win teams would serve as a huge step towards San Francisco making the playoffs and potentially recapturing the division title.
But still beset by injuries on both sides of the ball, the 49ers are the underdogs, just as they were in Week 5 when they stunned Los Angeles on the road.
What has changed for the red-hot Rams since then, I checked in with Evan Craig of Turf Show Times to get the latest on the Niners’ in-state foe.
1.) The Rams were stunned by the 49ers at SoFi Stadium back in Week 5, but Los Angeles has been on a tear since then. What’s been the most noticeable improvement over the last three games?
The first matchup was just a case of the Rams starting out slow and paying for it in the end. It was something I had predicted for weeks leading up to the game, and sure enough, I wound up being correct. For someone who is typically not right about a lot of things, that was enough to warrant a mini victory dance in the confines of my own home with the curtains drawn.
The game in Baltimore was more of the same in the first half, before the Rams went on a 14-0 run after halftime to defeat a bad Ravens team. In the past two wins over the Jaguars and Saints, L.A. scored first in both games, while also managing to build up a double-digit lead early. That was unusual because they’ve started slow in every game, except the one in Philly–and look how that one turned out for them. Both the Jacksonville and New Orleans wins were dominant, as the Rams had figured out how to play a complete game. Sometimes, it’s not always how you start but rather how you finish, and perhaps the Rams have finally figured that second part out.
2.) Matthew Stafford is having an outstanding season. Where does he fit in the MVP conversation for you?
First off, no one over here predicted Matthew Stafford to have the season he’s been having so far. With the way most pundits were talking about him this offseason, you’d think Stafford’s production had fallen off a cliff. It was understandable for analysts and fans to be nervous given his back injury entering the season, but there was too much doom and gloom for my liking, even if I’m not exactly the most optimistic person on the planet.
Stafford right now should be at least in the top three for MVP consideration. Jonathan Taylor is at the top of my list at the moment, with Stafford just behind him. The Colts’ loss last week didn’t do much to sway my opinion otherwise. However, Taylor is a running back, so his chances of winning MVP,...
