Why the 49ers May Finally Breakthrough Running the Ball vs. the Rams

The Rams present a prime opportunity for the 49ers and Christian McCaffrey to finally break through running the ball.

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs the ball as Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton (52) defends during the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Having to face the Los Angeles Rams on a short week is going to be extremely difficult for the San Francisco 49ers.

To make matters worse, they’re dealing with a handful of injuries to key players. If the 49ers are going to overcome this adversity, they are going to have to play a nearly perfect game.

One way the 49ers can make it a perfect game is by finally getting the run game going. Through four games this season, the 49ers have struggled to run the ball effectively. 

It’s largely due to the inconsistencies with their run blocking. However, the Rams present a prime opportunity for them to have a breakthrough on the ground.

49ers may finally have success running the ball

Sep 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) carries the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Rams are the second-worst defense at stuffing the run (9.9 percent). Only the Carolina Panthers are worse than them (8.5 percent). On the flip side, the 49ers are the fourth-worst in team run stuffed rate (20.8%). One of these two sides has to give. 

This is a chance for the 49ers to get Christian McCaffrey going. Since the Rams aren’t successfully stuffing the run at or behind the line of scrimmage, the 49ers’ offensive line should be able to create more lanes than usual for McCaffrey.

Doing so will allow McCaffrey more chances at getting to the second level of the defense. This is where a true assessment of his skills to see if he’s declining or not will take place. 

If he can’t break runs of 10 yards or more despite being given adequate opportunities at the second level, he’s lost it. However, it won’t be easy for McCaffrey. 

The Rams can clean up runners when they pass the line of scrimmage. Los Angeles only allows 98.5 rushing yards per game, making them the 10th-best defense in that category. 

They also have only allowed 10 runs of 10 yards or more, which is the 11th-best. McCaffrey has only managed to generate five runs of 10 yards or more. His season average rushing success rate is 37.7 percent, which is close to the middle of the pack among qualified running backs. 

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) escapes a tackle from Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) during the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The statistics and analytics are not on McCaffrey's side. But this is a game where the 49ers' offensive line can finally find success with their run blocking. The Rams being poor at stuffing the run can indicate that they are a soft team. 

The 49ers typically have been a very physical team, which is why they have typically had success against the Rams on the ground. 

However, playing on a short week and after the workload McCaffrey got this past Sunday, you have to wonder if he’ll be too fatigued to get it going, especially as the game goes on.

Still, the Rams also have the same challenges after playing a drawn-out game in Week 4. The 49ers need to find success on the ground with McCaffrey against the Rams. 

They are susceptible to the run, and if they aren’t able to find any efficiency in this game, you have to start seriously doubting if they will ever find their footing running the ball this season.

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