To get you ready for week 2, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the St. Louis Rams/San Francisco 49ers preview.2007 Records:
St. Louis Rams: 0-1 (t-4th in NFC West)
San Francisco 49ers: 1-0 (t-1st in NFC West)
Last Meeting: Rams 20, 49ers 17
When the Rams have the ball: Last week was pretty much a disaster for the Rams offense. Not only did they do nothing of any substance against the Panthers, they lost two key members of their offensive line for extended periods of time. Not the way any team wants to start the season.
That could haunt them a lot this week. The 49ers switched to a 3-4 defense this offseason, and if last week's game was any indication, they're going to blitz. A lot. They sent 4+ blitzers more often than any other team in the season's opening week.
The 49ers face a much tougher test tomorrow in Steven Jackson (provided, of course, he can hold onto the ball), but they dominated a pretty dangerous Cardinals passing attack. Marc Bulger is a ball-control quarterback, but he's going to be under a lot of pressure, and the 49ers have two very Pro Bowl-worthy corners waiting.
When the 49ers have the ball: If Alex Smith is to break out as expected this year, he'll have to play much better than he did against Arizona. Luckily, this is the type of defense to gain some confidence against. The Rams are playing without their top two cornerbacks, Tye Hill (injury) and Fakhir Brown (suspension). And they've never been good at stopping the run. Ashley Lelie might fool fantasy owners into picking him up with a couple of big catches, as the Rams struggle with speedy receivers, and Frank Gore could very well run for 200 yards, especially with outside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa out.
The Edge: Injuries. This Rams team is just missing way too much talent at positions they can ill afford them. The defense was mediocre enough before losing three key components, and nobody wants to have to shuffle an offensive line. The 49ers didn't look great against the Cardinals, but they played when it mattered and they're healthy. San Francisco's defense also played like a cohesive unit, whereas the Rams just look like a team with some scattered, nebulous talent.
Keep an eye on:
Frank Gore - This is just a recipe for St. Louis disaster. A historically weak run defense, particularly up the middle, with a rookie tackle and down a starting linebacker against one of the most powerful inside runners in the league. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Gore goes wild, but I'd go so far as to keep an eye on the single-game rushing record.
Steven Jackson vs. Patrick Willis - Wills looked real -- really real -- in his first pro game, collecting nine tackles, forcing a fumble, and helping to hold Edgerrin James to just 3.5 yards per carry. Jackson looked rusty after barely seeing the field in the preseason, fumbling twice and collecting just 58 yards. Can Willis disrupt the Rams' chaotic offensive line and hold Jackson back again?
Randy McMichael & Brian Leonard - Both players suffered under Scott Linehan's too-conservative playcalling last week, but each are excellent checkdown options who can turn a short pass into major yards after the catch. If the 49ers force Bulger to throw early, he should look to these two to make plays.
