49ers May Be Forced Into Risky Strategy Against Rams

They might not have a choice.

Nov 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia is finally here for the San Francisco 49ers. From the very beginning, they've been approaching this as a must-win game.

And rightfully so. Flying 16-plus hours just to lose would be horrible. It's also a divisional game, which adds fuel to it being a must-win.

The 49ers have placed themselves in a nice position to defeat the Rams, but it's still easier said than done. Los Angeles will be a fierce opponent, even without Aaron Donald.

Their offense will be tough for the 49ers' defense, led by NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. As usual, getting pressure will be the key to disrupting him, especially since he's a statue.

However, the 49ers might not have an effective pass rush. Nick Bosa could be a shell of himself, and if he isn't, it's difficult to envision anyone else stepping up aside from Osa Odighizuwa.

If the 49ers can't get pressure by rushing four, it'll force Raheem Morris to dial up the blitz. Last season, he called a blitz at the second-highest rate (37.4%) with the Atlanta Falcons.

He's fond of doing it and will have no issue if the 49ers can't generate pressure. But it's a very risky strategy to utilize against Stafford and the Rams.

Stafford scoffs at the blitz. He led the league with 33 passing touchdowns against the blitz, a mark nearly double that of the next-closest quarterback (Caleb Williams, 17) last season, per Next Gen Stats.

Not to mention, he has the seventh-quickest time to throw (2.58 seconds) and the sixth-lowest pressure-to-sack conversion rate (10.9%). Blitzing him will likely be moot.

Morris will have to be very wise about the timing of when he calls them. He'll be leaving his defensive backs on their own against Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

He'll need to have ultimate trust that if the blitz can't get there, his defensive backs will hold up fine in coverage. That's a tall task.

Calling a blitz could allow big plays, or worse, a score. But if the 49ers can't get to him with their defensive front alone, he'll feel forced to do it.

It's an extremely difficult call to make. I don't think Morris will call the blitz a bunch, even if the pass rush is struggling to get to Stafford.

He'll probably be more inclined to play it safer and force Stafford into a mistake with disguised coverage. At least that won't lead to a ton of big plays.

In any case, I don't like the 49ers' chances on defense. If they perform well, it will show how elite their preparation was for this game.

Unless the pass rush surprisingly has a solid outing.