Rams vs. 49ers: Bold Predictions for Conference Championship Weekend

Here are three bold predictions ahead of the Rams vs. 49ers NFC Championship game.

Author:
Nicholas Cothrel
Publish date:
Jan 29, 2022 1:00 PM EST

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Sunday's NFC Championship matchup will mark the third meeting between the Rams and 49ers this season with the two NFC West rivals already having a well-documented familiarity with each other. Just three weeks ago when these two divisional foes squared off, the game was forced into overtime, which punched San Francisco's ticket into the playoffs.

Now, after the Rams find themselves scorching hot offensively, averaging 32 points per game in the postseason, they’ll look to get revenge on a team they've notably struggled against in recent contests.

With the stakes taken up a notch in this go-around, here are three bold predictions ahead of the Rams and 49ers win-or-go-home showdown:

1. Matthew Stafford continues riding his hot streak

Stafford has struggled against the 49ers this season, tossing four interceptions across his two regular-season meetings against his in-state rival. But Stafford in the playoffs has reverted back into being the passer he displayed through the first two months of the season, where his name was tossed around the early-MVP conversations.

Stafford's riding high coming off two playoff wins in which he's completed 75% of his throws for 568 yards, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. In his third meeting against the 49ers this season, I foresee Stafford maintaining his high level of play in the playoffs, giving the Rams a chance to defeat San Francisco for the first time since 2018.

2. Von Miller records two sacks

The Rams' pass rush is one of the league's best, finishing the regular season with 50 sacks. It was already a formidable group up front with Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd striking fear in opponents. But the Rams upped the ante once more, bringing Miller abroad via trade from the Denver Broncos at the midpoint this season.

Miller is playing some of the best football he's delivered in three seasons. Across his last six games, Miller has registered seven sacks. Last week in the Divisional Round in Tampa Bay, he logged 10 quarterback pressures to go along with four tackles and a strip-sack, recovering the fumble. His week 18 efforts against San Francisco saw him log one sack while tacking on two quarterback hits on Jimmy Garoppolo. With Miller's recent productivity reaching elite levels, I'm putting him down for two sacks on Sunday.

3. Deebo Samuel breaks loose for another big day against the Rams

The 49ers use Samuel, their versatile weapon, in more ways than one, giving him the ball as a running back and throwing him the ball as a pass-catcher. Opponents this season haven't had any answers for slowing him down and the same could be said for the Rams. Samuel has produced games of over 130 yards in each outing and three total touchdowns against L.A. this season.

Samuel lines up all over the field, making it hard to gameplan for him due to the abundance of ways he's deployed by coach Kyle Shanahan. With the Rams' secondary department hampered a bit with injuries, I could see Samuel producing a similar stat-line to those that he registered in Week 10 and 18.

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