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October 30, 2014 at 3:50 pm #10841
RamBillParticipantJeff Fisher not expecting to face Aldon Smith this week
By Nick WagonerEARTH CITY, Mo. — The San Francisco 49ers enter Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Rams with the inherent advantage of coming off a bye week and a number of players returning to health.
The Rams, meanwhile, head toward that meeting with 13 players on their injury report, eight of whom were listed as non-participants in Wednesday’s walk-through. They are also coming off a 34-7 drubbing at Kansas City in the middle of a three-game road stretch.
Needless to say, the 49ers don’t need any more advantages, whether real or perceived. So as rumors swirl about the potential early return of 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith from his original nine-game suspension, Rams coach Jeff Fisher made it clear Wednesday that he doesn’t expect Smith to be available this week.
More to the point, Fisher believes if the NFL was going to make Smith available this late in the week, it should have done so earlier since the game-planning that his team has already done hasn’t accounted for Smith.
“He’s a good football player,” Fisher said. “I would expect it to be unlikely this late. I think I would have liked to have known about it earlier in the week from a game-planning standpoint, but we can’t control what happens at the league office. If he’s reinstated and plays, we’re going to have to block him. So we’ll just wait and see.”
Smith has two games left on the nine-game suspension he received before the season for violations of the league’s personal conduct policy and substance abuse program. The rumor mill has indicated a possible reduction in that suspension based on apparent good behavior.
So far, nothing has come from those rumors and it doesn’t appear a reduction is imminent. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen, as the league has made similar unexpected decisions on such matters before.
Even without Smith, the 49ers sacked Rams quarterback Austin Davis five times in the first meeting on Oct. 13. Adding Smith, who has 42 sacks in 43 regular-season games, would make things tougher on a Rams team that will give rookie Greg Robinson his first start at left tackle Sunday.
“I’ve got a pretty good left tackle out there right now that’s going to get better and better,” Fisher said. “So we’ll see.”
October 31, 2014 at 1:12 am #10864RamBillParticipantKaepernick provides a unique challenge
• By Joe LyonsLess than three weeks ago, San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick rallied the 49ers in a 31-17 victory over the Rams at the Edward Jones Dome.
Overcoming an early 14-0 deficit, Kaepernick completed 22 of 35 passes for a season-best 343 yards while hooking up TDs with ex-Ram Brandon Lloyd (80 yards), Anquan Boldin (11 yards) and Michael Crabtree (32 yards) to become the first 49er quarterback to win his first four Monday Night Football starts.
That night, Kaepernick faced a Rams squad that was relatively healthy. Sunday, when the Rams (2-5) take on the 49ers (4-3) at 3:05 p.m. in their first trip to Levi’s Stadium, St. Louis will be anything but 100 percent physically.
But that won’t change the approach for Kaepernick.
“They have players that still perform well. I don’t think it matters necessarily, that they’re young or haven’t been playing,” the 26-year-old QB told the Post-Dispatch earlier this week. “A lot of people have come in and played well for them. So, we have to be ready.
“It’s always tougher playing division opponents (because) you know each other well. We have to come out and execute, which is the biggest thing.”
49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh agreed: “They’re a salty opponent, they always have been. (We) strive to play good football because that’s what it’s going to take. It’s going to take us being at our best, and that’s really where our expectations are for today: to have a great practice and have great meetings.”
Since facing the Rams, San Francisco was blasted 42-17 by the Broncos in Denver and then had its bye week. Off to its slowest start in Harbaugh’s four seasons, the 49ers are rested, starting to get healthy and looking forward to a strong second half.
“The guys are excited for football,” said Harbaugh, whose schedule after the Rams includes New Orleans (4-4), the New York Giants (3-4), Washington (3-5), Seattle (4-3) and Oakland (0-7).
If the 49ers are going to make a run toward a fourth consecutive playoff appearance, it’ll start with the Rams.
“They have a great front seven,” Kaepernick said. “They do a lot of things well, play hard and play fast.”
It was the Rams who helped created Kaepernick’s first starting opportunity back in 2012 when a couple of big hits knocked then-starter Alex Smith from the game with a concussion. A second-round draft pick in 2011, Kaepernick took over and helped get San Francisco to the Super Bowl, where it fell 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens.
The 49ers shipped Smith to Kansas City that offseason, and Kaepernick has improved steadily since taking over. A year ago, he threw for better than 3,000 yards while accounting for 25 touchdowns as the 49ers lost in the NFC title game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Kaepernick is off to the best start in his young career, completing 63.8 percent of his passes for 1,719 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.
“I love the way he competes,” Harbaugh said. “I love his talent, love the effort he brings every single day. He’s executing at a very high level, at the highest level, from my vantage point.”
With a late first-half touchdown pass to Stevie Johnson against the Broncos, Kaepernick has thrown a scoring pass in 14 consecutive games; only Steve Young (17) and Jeff Garcia (15) have had longer streaks with the 49ers.
Another key to Kaepernick’s game is his running. In his first postseason, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound University of Nevada product ran for 181 yards and set an NFL single-game record (regular season and playoffs) against the Green Bay Packers. In his career, he’s run for nearly 1,200 yards, averaging 5.8 a carry with nine rushing TDs.
“It’s different, for sure, because he’s such a unique player,” Rams safety T.J. McDonald said. “You’re focused on your job at the back end, covering guys, but you also have to be aware because when (Kaepernick) takes off, he’s like another running back.
“Rush and coverage have to work together. We have to give those big boys up front a few seconds to create hesitation for them to get to him and for them to create pressure to maybe hurry a throw to give us a chance to make a play on the ball.”
But, as the Rams’ James Laurinaitis pointed out, Kaepernick’s game continues to evolve.
“I think he’s gotten a lot better at not just looking at one read and going,” the veteran middle linebacker said. “Gosh, last year it seemed like he’d look one way and if it wasn’t there, (he was) running. Can’t really buy on that anymore. He’ll look one way, then look another. I’m not sure he’ll go all five reads on a play, but he’s very good at diagnosing coverage. … He knows where the weaknesses are now, and that’s just experience.
“We know the rush plan that works _ we’ve seen him plenty of times _ but again, it’s execution. You have to be very disciplined in your rush plan all game. He didn’t really hurt us (as a runner) in that first game this season, but this is definitely a huge challenge.”
October 31, 2014 at 2:14 am #10895
znModerator49ers: Breaking down the St. Louis Rams
http://www.contracostatimes.com/49ers/ci_26830669/49ers-breaking-down-st-louis-rams
The skinny
The Rams have lost five of their past six games. However, the one win came against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Injuries have ravaged the Rams starting lineup, with quarterback Sam Bradford suffering a season-ending knee injury before the regular season even started. Last Sunday, the Rams lost starting left offensive tackle Jake Long and leading wide receiver Brian Quick for the season. As the Rams showed two weeks ago and a few years ago against the 49ers, they aren’t shy about pulling out trick plays at any time in the game, from anywhere on the field. So, the 49ers have to be prepared for anything, especially now that the Rams don’t have much to lose.
Players to fear/Offense
QB Austin Davis. He has done an admirable job replacing Bradford, with twice as many touchdown passes as interceptions and a 65.2 completion percentage.
RB Tre Mason. He has emerged as the flavor-of-month at running back after Zac Stacy and Benjamin Cunningham failed to nail down the lead role.
TE Jared Cook. He leads the Rams with 27 receptions, as well as being targeted far more than any other receiver. He presents a matchup difficulty for most defenses.
Players to fear/Defense
LB James Laurinaitis. He has 44 tackles, tied for second-most on the Rams. He also has become one of the most respected players on the team, especially with so many other veterans out with injuries.
DE Robert Quinn. He has only three sacks this season, whereas he had 19 last season. However, all three of those came within the past two games.
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar. He gets overshadowed by the likes of Quinn and Laurinaitis, yet he tends to play well against the 49ers.
Key numbers
144.7 — Average yards rushing allowed per game, 31st in the league.
22 — Times Davis has been sacked through seven games.
6 — Number of sacks through seven games. Last season, they amassed 53 in 16 games.
-3 — takeaway-giveaway differential, worse than all but seven teams.
Injury report
S Cody Davis (concussion), DT Aaron Donald (shoulder), LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar (toe), DE William Hayes (foot), CB Janoris Jenkins (knee), S Rodney McLeod (knee), T Rodger Saffold (shoulder), C Scott Wells (elbow), C Tim Barnes (shoulder), WR Kenny Britt (hip), CB Trumaine Johnson (knee), S Lamarcus Joyner (hip) and CB Marcus Roberson (ankle).
Vegas says
49ers by 10.
What others are saying
All 13 of the so-called ESPN experts who predict the outcome of games each week have the 49ers beating the Rams.
October 31, 2014 at 9:50 am #10900RamBillParticipantPete Prisco and Pat Kirwan preview the NFL Week 9 matchup between the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers. Both Kirwan and Prisco pick the Niners by double digits.
http://www.rams-news.com/kirwanpriscos-rams-at-49ers-preview-video/
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ESPN’s NFL Live crew make their picks for St. Louis at San Francisco. Both Mark Schlereth and Damien Woody pick the Niners.
http://www.rams-news.com/espns-nfl-live-prediction-rams-49ers-video/
October 31, 2014 at 11:47 pm #10929RamBillParticipantKey to Victory in San Francisco? Keep 49ers Guessing
By D’Marco Farrhttp://www.101sports.com/2014/10/30/key-victory-san-francisco-keep-49ers-guessing/
This is when I really wish Sam Bradford were healthy and at the helm of the Rams’ offense. Or, at least, a well-established veteran at quarterback who has tremendous chemistry with his offensive coordinator.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to throw a wrinkle at San Francisco this Sunday by sliding into a no-huddle offense – midway through a series? How surprised do you think the 49ers would be if the Rams suddenly went away from the West Coast power attack (play-action, short-to-intermediate route tree, with the power running game drawing the defense in) and ran the offense from the shotgun? It could throw San Fran off balance and perhaps negate some of that speed on defense. It’s hard to run as fast as you can when you’re confused.
austin davisAustin Davis
For how long, well, that is debatable. The 49ers’ defense adapts quickly and has the gift for varying the style of attack depending on the offense it’s facing on game day. They like to force the offense into changing its attack just to stop what they’re doing.
From a scheming standpoint, it all starts at the top. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is the architect of a unit allowing the second-fewest total yards per game (306) in the NFL. The 49ers are downright brilliant when it comes to identifying weaknesses and exploiting the matchup to their advantage, especially when it comes to stopping the run. They allow under 85 yards per game rushing, fourth in the league. The low number of sacks – just 12 – is misleading because when you factor in the high volume of quarterback hits (66) and QB pressures (107), you realize this team can get after just about anyone upfront.
Keeping the Niners off balance and guessing would slow down that process to a degree, but I’m not sure if Austin Davis is ready to read a defense while out from under center. Heck, his ability to sit in the pocket and advance through his progressions in Kansas City (when he wasn’t under siege) left a lot to be desired. I simply don’t think he’s ready to sling it just yet.
Let’s face it: The Rams are going to be shorthanded, and on the road, and in a hostile environment, vs. a superior opponent coming off a bye. The margin for error is thin. Costly. Left tackle Jake Long and wide receiver Brian Quick are done for the year. Barrett Jones will probably get his uniform dirty this week. Mike Person and Davin Joseph go from seat fillers to the front row.
It’s going to be difficult for offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to play to his players’ strengths when he doesn’t know exactly what they are up against. It will be interesting to see how the Rams plan to attack the field on Sunday. Will they be able to generate enough effective play-action to throw the football beyond 15 yards? What other options do you have available at this point?
Controlling tempo could level the field – slightly – so it wouldn’t appear as if the Rams’ offense is playing against the slope of the field for four quarters.
October 31, 2014 at 11:58 pm #10931RamBillParticipantRams stagger into San Francisco
• By Jeff GordonJeff Gordon previews the game between the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara (3:05 p.m., KTVI Channel 2):
THE MATCH-UP
The 49ers (4-3) are looking for a big bounce-back game. They lost to the Denver Broncos 42-17, then used their bye week to regroup. The likely return of LB Patrick Willis (toe) and CB Jimmy Ward (quadriceps) should help.
Meanwhile, the battered Rams (2-5) stagger into the game with an injury-depleted team. Rookie Greg Robinson must play left tackle with Jake Long eradicated by a knee injury. The demise of WR Brian Quick deprives QB Austin Davis of his favorite target.
This could get ugly. The Rams haven’t won at San Francisco since 2007.
COACHSPEAK
Rams coach Jeff Fisher discussed Sunday’s matchup after practice sessions at Rams Park. Here were some highlights, as provided by the Rams staff:
On trying to turn the season around: “We’re going to bounce back this week and go out and we’re going to play as hard as we possibly can against a good football team that we had a chance to beat here but we let slip away. I’m not blaming anything on the injuries or anything. We’ll have some people come back as the week goes on.”
On facing the 49ers for the second time in three weeks: “When you play an opponent twice in three weeks, you run the risk of taking for granted, ‘Oh, we’re familiar with them. We played them a couple weeks ago.’ We’ve got to get to know them even better right now. That’s our focus. That’s their challenge. Learn from the mistakes that happened in that ballgame. Carry a respect in for your opponent and go play hard. That’s our focus right now.”
On facing the 49ers with so many injuries: “Our guys are healing up. If we’ve got guys that can’t play because of injury, someone else is going to step up and play. Everybody’s dealing with injuries. We’ve probably got a little more than most, especially last week. You can’t consume yourself with that. We’re not going to be thinking about who’s hurt and who’s not at 1 on Sunday.”
On which players will be able to dress at San Francisco: “I can’t say with precision who could play right now and who can’t. We may even have some pregame warm-up decisions to make early Sunday.”
On the need to play better in the second half: “We stress it. We have to come out and have a good drive, whether we start on offense or whether they go on defense. Defense is a three-and-out and offense should be at least a field position change and/or a score. Those are very, very important drives. We understand where our issues are, where our problems are and we’ve got to fix it.”
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
QB Colin Kaepernick loves facing the Rams. He completed 22 of 35 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns earlier this season in a 31-17 victory at the Edward Jones Dome. In four starts against the Rams he has completed 65.3 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Rams didn’t take him to “Sack City” earlier this season. And now Kaepernick can take aim at an injury-depleted secondary featuring raw cornerbacks and safeties with coverage limitations.
Look for the 49ers to re-establish their power running game Sunday. RB Frank Gore loves facing the Rams.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
The Rams must reorganize their offensive line after losing Long at left tackle. With right guard Rodger Saffold suffering another shoulder injury, the Rams could see lots of Mike Person and Davin Joseph on the interior line.
This won’t make it any easier for the running back committee — which inexplicably includes WR Tavon Austin — to get much done against the 49ers. But the Rams need to establish the run to give QB Austin Davis any chance to get into his play-action passing game.
Newcomer Mark Barron could jump right in at safety, given the secondary injuries. Naturally the 49ers will want to target him.
INJURY REPORT
Saffold (shoulder), CB Janoris Jenkins (knee), DT Aaron Donald (shoulder), and S Cody Davis (concussion) missed practice time for the Rams this week, along with DE William Hayes (foot), C Scott Wells (elbow), S Rodney McLeod (knee) and OLB Jo-Lonn Dunbar (toe).
As for the 49ers, CB Tramaine Brock (toe), Patrick Willis (toe) and S Jimmie Ward (quad) missed some time this week.
November 1, 2014 at 10:48 am #10960RamBillParticipantJoin Steve Savard, D’Marco Farr, and Will Witherspoon as they break down the Rams keys to victory vs. the San Francisco 49ers. Some of the keys talked about: big plays on both sides of the ball, stop Frank Gore, win on 1st Down, capitalize on opportunities, and getting big plays on special teams.
http://www.rams-news.com/rams-keys-to-victory-vs-the-niners-video/
November 1, 2014 at 4:38 pm #10971RamBillParticipantRams-49ers: Matchup breakdown
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13205/rams-49ers-matchup-breakdown-3
EARTH CITY, Mo. — A look at three individual matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers meet at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Rams defensive end Robert Quinn vs. 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley
Quinn has dominated plenty of left tackles in his time in the league, but if you ask him who his most difficult matchup is he’s usually quick to point to Staley. That’s no surprise considering how well Staley has normally fared against Quinn.
The Rams have now played San Francisco seven times since Quinn entered the league in 2011 and in those meetings, Quinn has played 296 snaps. He has two and a half sacks in those chances, including one in last year’s loss in San Francisco. Staley has had some bumps and bruises along the way this season but is still considered one of the best in the league.
After a slow start, Quinn has gotten it rolling a bit with three sacks in the past two weeks. But the Rams need even more from him this week if they are to pull off the upset.
Rams left tackle Greg Robinson vs. 49ers linebacker Dan Skuta
Robinson is making his first start at left tackle after spending the past three games at left guard. He’s played all of 21 NFL snaps at that position, all of those coming last week against the Chiefs. The good news for Robinson is that he’ll almost certainly get to avoid playing Aldon Smith. The bad news is that Robinson will be facing Skuta.
That isn’t to say Skuta is on Smith’s level. But based on his performances against the Rams, Skuta creates plenty of problems on his own. In the first meeting earlier this season, Skuta posted three tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. For perspective, Skuta had a half sack before that since entering the league in 2009.
There’s little doubt that Robinson will have his growing pains as he adjusts to pass protecting in the NFL, but the Rams need him to be as consistent as possible considering the potential for musical chairs caused by injury at other spots on the line.
Rams receiver/running back Tavon Austin vs. 49ers defense
It’s hard to really peg an individual matchup for Austin so we’re going to cheat a bit to simply get him a mention here. Look, Austin’s production in his second season has been disappointing at best. The Rams don’t even seem sure what to do with him, as he’s had almost as many carries as a running back (15) as receiving targets (16). The few touches he’s had have resulted in a whopping 311 yards from scrimmage. That’s not exactly what you want from last year’s No. 8 overall pick.
Austin’s importance to the offense takes on greater meaning this week with receiver Brian Quick now lost for the season. Jeff Fisher has said Stedman Bailey and Chris Givens will pick up much of the slack left behind by Quick, but this would be an ideal time to get Austin more involved. It doesn’t matter how they do it, whether in the backfield, the slot, split out wide, whatever … the Rams need to get something out of Austin now more than ever.
November 1, 2014 at 5:09 pm #10977RamBillParticipantW2W4: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13201/w2w4-st-louis-rams-12
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers kick off Week 9 on Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. ET on regional FOX coverage.
Here are three things to watch from the Rams’ perspective:
1. Who’s healthy?: At this point, we really still don’t even know who the Rams are going to have available in this game. They listed 13 players on their injury report, most of whom are key contributors. They also already placed tackle Jake Long and receiver Brian Quick on injured reserve. Clearly, they’re going to have a number of players unavailable and others will have to play at less than 100 percent. The good news is they are playing a familiar team and many of the injured players made progress as the week went on. The bad news is that the team is the 49ers, as physical a group as there is in the NFL and one that won’t relent just because the Rams are a little injured. It’s worth watching not only who the Rams have available this week but who is able to contribute and make it through the game with their health intact.
2. Line dancing: Without Long available, we already know that rookie Greg Robinson will make his first NFL start at left tackle. He made his first NFL start at left guard in the first meeting against the 49ers and held up pretty well. In fact, Robinson went toe to toe with Justin Smith and mostly held his own. Things will be a little different now as he’s going to have to pass protect more out on the edge and will have his share of hiccups along the way. Of course, the Rams can help Robinson out by having the rest of the line in place with center Scott Wells and guard Rodger Saffold available. It appears that both will be available, leaving only Davin Joseph, who struggled when he started earlier in the year, as a “new” addition to the lineup at right guard.
3. Secondary the first priority: While the offensive line is the area that comes with the most questions on offense entering this game, it’s the secondary with similar issues on the other side of the ball. Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson are working their way back from knee injuries. Jenkins didn’t practice all week but Johnson is probable. Starting safety Rodney McLeod is questionable after being limited in practice and backup Cody Davis is coming back from a concussion. New addition Mark Barron is still getting accustomed to his new surroundings and his role is also up in the air. The Rams started three rookies last week and though they didn’t give up much in terms of yards, they did allow 24 of 28 passes to be completed. Colin Kaepernick threw for 343 yards in the first meeting and with so many moving parts in the secondary this week, Kaepernick looks poised for another big outing.
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