By DaVince “Dino” Wright
NFC West at a Glance
Last season the NFC West was one of the best divisions in football. Keep in mind that the Rams won the Super Bowl a few years ago before the Chiefs got the title and has held it hostage as of late. Seattle is sitting in first place in the NFC West with an 8-5 record and has been there for the last 6 weeks followed by Rams at 7-6, Arizona at 6-7 and in last place are the 49ers at 6-7. The division is really tight. Last season the 49ers went to the NFC championship. Here is the importance of this game: Both teams need a win, and the loser of this game might be out of the hunt for the playoffs this season.
Injury Report
The Injury Report will play a huge factor in this game. Both teams have players listed as questionable and inactive for this game. The Rams have 5 players listed as inactive with a return date of 12/12: RB Cody Schrader, C Dylan McMahon, OT Warren McClendon Jr, LB Brennan Jackson and CB Emmanuel Forbes, Jr. The 49ers have: Questionable: RB Isaac Guerendo and G Ben Bartch while QB Joshua Dobbs, LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and CB Rock Ya-Sin are listed as questionable.
Game Info
Los Angeles Rams vs San Francisco 49ers
Thursday – December 12- 7:15 p.m.
TV: Prime Video
Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, CA
Los Angeles Rams (7-6, 3-3 Away)
The Rams are on a 2-game winning streak with wins over New Orleans and Buffalo. This team is peaking right now and poised to make a solid playoff run. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is getting the ball into the end one and making it look easy. In their last game, Stafford went for 23-30, 320 yards with 3 touchdowns in a 42-44 win against the Bills in a shootout. He will be the x-factor for this game. Players to watch: RB Kyren Williams, WR Puka Nacua, WR Cooper Kupp, LB Christian Rozeboom and S Jaylen McCollough.
San Francisco 49ers (6-7, 4-3 Home)
The 49ers looked as if they were dead in the water this season with injuries to key players. The team looked lost at times. The team is sitting in the perfect place to make a run. In their last 5 games, the 49ers are 2-3 with wins over Tampa Bay and Chicago. The key for this team will be the play of their quarterback Brock Purdy. His passing is what’s needed to get the ball down field and neutralize the Rams defensive front. Players to watch: RB Jordan Mason, TE George Kittle, LB Fred Warner, RB Christian McCaffrey and PK Jake Moody.
Prediction
ESPN has the 49ers with a 60.6% chance of winning at home and closing the gap in the NFC West. A win for the 49ers and a loss for Arizona will allow the 49ers to get into 2nd place and tied with the Rams. I’m taking the Rams by 3 points.
Final Score
Rams – 32
49ers – 29
