Rams vs. 49ers Live Stream: How to Watch, TV Channel, Start Time

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Playoff implications at different levels factor heavily for both the San Francisco 49ers and defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams as the division rivals collide Saturday night in the Bay Area.

How to Watch:

When: Saturday, Dec. 21

Time: 8:15 p.m. ET

TV: NFL Network

Live Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

The 49ers (11-3) have already clinched a playoff berth and need a victory to set up a winner-take-all showdown in Seattle next weekend for the NFC West title and a potential bye into the divisional round of the playoffs. San Francisco, Seattle, Green Bay and New Orleans all are 11-3 entering the final two games of the season, while Minnesota currently occupies the second wild card slot at 10-4.

That is where the Rams (8-6) come into play, needing victories in this game and their season finale at home vs. Arizona, while also hoping the Vikings lose their last two contests at home vs. Green Bay and against Chicago. Los Angeles put itself on the brink of elimination with a disheartening 44-21 loss at Dallas on Sunday, again plagued by the inconsistencies which have shadowed the Rams all season since losing to New England in the Super Bowl.

Sean McVay’s team allowed three second quarter touchdowns in an 11:21 span after Todd Gurley’s 2-yard scoring catch tied the game at 7. The Rams defense allowed the Cowboys to roll up 172 yards on the two scoring drives before Jared Goff threw a back-breaking interception late in the half that the Cowboys turned into a touchdown and insurmountable 28-7 lead at intermission.

Goff finished with 284 yards and two touchdowns, but it mattered little because Dallas made the Rams' offense one dimensional by stifling the running game. Los Angeles finished with just 22 rushing yards on 14 carries, as Gurley accounted for 20 of them on 11 rushes.

The inability of both Goff and Gurley to match their 2018 totals across the board, but especially in touchdowns, has contributed to the malaise Los Angeles has endured this season. Goff is four yards shy of his second-straight season with 4,000 yards, but his 17 TD passes are well off his 32 from last season.

Gurley has been an enigma all season, totaling 741 yards and 10 TDs compared to 1,251 yards and 17 scores from a year ago. He also has just 19 runs of 10 or more yards in contrast to the 35 he racked up in 2018.

The 49ers nearly escaped vs. Atlanta last Sunday following their wild Week 14 victory at New Orleans, but wound up on the short end of a 29-22 home loss to the Falcons. San Francisco led 19-10 with 10:07 to play and 22-17 with 1:48 left after Robbie Gould kicked a 43-yard field goal, but the defense could not hold up and gave up the go-ahead touchdown with two seconds remaining.

A fumble recovery for a touchdown as the 49ers tried to lateral accounted for the final margin, as San Francisco’s inability to convert on third down also played a role in the loss. The 49ers were 4-for-12, well off their season success rate of 45.1 percent that ranks sixth in the NFL.

The 49ers recorded a 20-7 win at Los Angeles in Week 6. San Francisco had a solid mix offensively, converting 8 of 17 on third down, while maintaining possession for nearly 39 minutes. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 243 yards and ran for a touchdown, while Goff was held to 78 yards passing and was sacked four times.