3 Things We Learned in 49ers 20-7 Victory vs. Rams
Who could have foreseen the San Francisco 49ers opening the season at 5-0? To be able to defeat the Los Angeles Rams on the road given all of the setbacks the 49ers faced is extremely impressive. What supposed to be an offensive explosion turned out to be a defensive battle.
The defense of the 49ers absolutely smothered the offense of the Rams that they had the Rams grasping for air on every drive.There is no doubt now that this team has a strong chance at making the playoffs, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves.
For now, enjoying this win should be the focus because it cannot be overstated about how impressive it was. This game showed us a lot about the 49ers and the Rams. In fact, there were three things we learned in their 20-7 victory against their division rivals.
Once again, the 49ers prove they are legit
Every dominating win that the 49ers have had just continues to prove to us how legitimate they are. Each week it feels like they are being doubted and questioned about it, but they once again show us why those doubts are unwarranted. The 49ers just beat an established elite team at their house. A team that was just in the Super Bowl and had an extra time to prepare, whereas the 49ers were on a short week due to Monday Night Football.
This is by far the 49ers most impressive win given the circumstances of the preparation and being without so many key players. The 49ers overcame all of that on the road against the Rams and outright dominated them from the kickoff. If people are still doubting the San Francisco 49ers after this win, then we can assume how oblivious they are.
Whatever excuses people will try to make about this team, they are just reaching beyond measure. "Pretenders" do not win five games in a row and would have folded in this game given the losses to key players. But that just isn't in this teams D.N.A. No matter what the naysayers will come up with, the 49ers have proven they are legit.
The NFC west is the 49ers to lose
Now that the Los Angeles Rams are on a three game skid and the 49ers are undefeated, the NFC west is the 49ers to lose. The Rams are in a funk that I don't know if they can get out of. Meanwhile, the 49ers are just casually stacking wins in convincing fashion. San Francisco is by far the best team in this division. The only real threat to the 49ers is the Seattle Seahawks who continue to win. Seattle is 5-1 after a close win against the Cleveland Browns yesterday.
The Seahawks will be a tough matchup for the 49ers because Russell Wilson has been on another level. However, Wilson has to shoulder so much of the burden for the Seahawks, while the 49ers are winning collectively. There isn't sole player that is responsible for their success. That is why with the way the NFC west is looking right now, it is the 49ers to lose. They will face off against some average teams in the next few weeks in the Redskins, Panthers and Cardinals.
The red and gold can easily be 8-0 and have themselves with a strong grasp over the division. At some point, Seattle is not going to be able to have Russell Wilson bail them out. They barely escaped Cleveland with a win and Wilson is playing at an MVP level. The 49ers control their own destiny and must continue to keep their high level of play so that they can become the division champions.
Kyle Shanahan is a better head coach than Sean McVay
Some may call this a hot or bold take, but it really isn't. The Rams had extra time to rest and prepare for the 49ers who had a short week to do the same. Not to mention the 49ers were missing their starting offensive tackles and their second best offensive player in Kyle Juszczyk. Kyle Shanahan really was in a tough situation that was going to require his utmost best.
And that is exactly what we got. Sean McVay is phenomenal head coach, but Kyle Shanahan is better. How is it that the 49ers were missing their regular offensive tackles, yet had an exponentially better passing day than the Rams who had their regulars? You really would have thought it was the Rams who had the backup offensive tackles playing.
I understand that the 49ers defensive line is deeper, but it was just revealing to see McVay use short and quick passes for the majority of the days. He just couldn't figure out a way to get around the pass rush of the 49ers, whereas Shanahan made it a quite day for the pass rush of the Rams. With this win over the Rams, Kyle Shanahan should start being mentioned as a coach of the year.
