49ers vs. Rams Week 8: Game Preview and Prediction
Week 8 is the second and final time the 49ers will face the Rams.
Not unless the two sides meet again in the playoffs. San Francisco heads to SoFi Stadium for the first time since their heartbreaking loss in the NFC Championship. They will need to remind themselves of that heartbreak as the 49ers are in "must win" territory against the Rams.
Currently sitting with a 3-4 record, the 49ers have to avoid replicating their 2021 start of a 3-5 record. Last year, it took Deebo Samuel going ballistic to pull them out of the gutter. The 49ers mustn't count on him or even newly acquired running back Christian McCaffrey to be that savior. They have to win this game. And after suffering an embarrassing loss at home to the Chiefs, they should have all the motivation in the world to beat down the Rams before they head into their Bye week.
Much like with every matchup between the 49ers and Rams, this game will be predicated on what the offense of the 49ers can do. Defensively I expect the 49ers to bounceback with a mighty fury after being dismantled by the Chiefs. The Rams have been an average unit on offense, so the 49ers should have them bottled up defensively. Scoring 20 points should be enough by the offense, but the 49ers must not be content with that.
It is time for them to start challenging themselves with putting up points. Time is running out to get the offense to find a niche. It does not matter if the NFC is weak, the 49ers have to get ahead as soon as possible and it starts with getting the offense on track with a win over the Rams.
However, scoring over 20 points is going to be tough with Samuel missing. McCaffrey is set to have the full playbook available to him, so this game has all the makings of a breakout game for him. It was just a couple weeks ago that McCaffrey gashed the Rams defense with the Panthers.
He should be poised to do it again in a new system and with better players around him. But ultimately, this game will dwindle down to Kyle Shanahan. Can he finally call an offense that is efficient outside of the opening game script? He needs to figure that aspect of his game out or the acquisition of McCaffrey will be moot. Shanahan has to bring his best for this one.
The Rams are not simply going to lie down. They're coming off their Bye week and will definitely be locked in for the 49ers after getting crushed on Monday Night Football. This will be a tight game that the 49ers should emerge victorious from. They just cannot go into their Bye week on a loss. Something encouraging has to come from this game along with a win and needs to be from the offense.
Otherwise, they might just be at an impasse soon.
49ers 24 Rams 17
