No rest for weary as Rams aim for NFC West title
LOS ANGELES — The sun had already started to set as the Rams (7-6) walked off the practice field on Tuesday, having finished their two walkthroughs for the day. Some players in the locker room wondered aloud which day of the week it was as they sat down, two days away from a Thursday night game against the San Francisco 49ers (6-7).
“It feels like I want my first meal in the last 24 hours,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said, “but hey, it’s life in the league.”
And at Week 15, the games still matter for the Rams.
With four left to play, the Rams are one game behind the Seattle Seahawks (8-5) in the NFC West standings. But the Rams fully control their destiny, playing all three division foes one more time before the end of the season, starting Thursday at Levi’s Stadium.
The Rams rallied to win their first game against the 49ers in September, but both teams have evolved a lot since that meeting. The Rams have gotten healthier, while San Francisco has gone the opposite direction as its bad luck has compounded as the season has progressed.
But the 49ers are still a proud and dangerous team, as evidenced by the ease with which they dispatched of the Chicago Bears, 38-13, on Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak. And they, like the Rams, are still in the hunt.
“Obviously, when you’re playing meaningful football in December, it’s a great thing,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “Week to week, we just know they mean a lot. Go out there and do everything you can to try to win the game.”
When the Rams have the ball
In the two weeks when the Rams have had a full complement of offensive linemen available to them, the group has taken major strides forward. First, the team put together its best running performance of the season against the New Orleans Saints. Then, the group became the first team to hold the Buffalo Bills without a sack this season.
Building on that success in a short week against the 49ers’ defensive front isn’t an easy task, but the offensive line is peaking just as the Rams need them to in the divisional race.
“I know me personally, I have a lot of expectations for that group because I know how talented they are and I know what kind of group they can be,” LaFleur said. “With continuity not just on Sundays, but with what they’ve been able to do Wednesday through Fridays and just starting to get used to hitting combinations together, passing off games together, being in the huddle together, and not being in the training room all day like they kind of were during the first part of the year battling their injuries. It’s good to have them back and again.”
When the 49ers have the ball
The Rams will be without starting cornerback Cobie Durant (chest), which will leave them to experiment with a variety of backups in his spot.
Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon and rookie Charles Woods are the two with the most experience in the Rams’ system, but new addition Emmanuel Forbes could get a look, too. The former first-round draft pick who was claimed off waivers from Washington last week figures to be active this week in Durant’s absence, and coaches have been pleased with his progress since joining the team.
“He’s a guy that has really picked it up above the neck. He’s very smart,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “This week you can tell he’s even grown a little more. We haven’t practiced yet but just throwing them in there in the walkthroughs, you can tell football makes sense to him. We’re going to do whatever suits the game plan best and maybe we’ll see him out there.”
The 49ers are in a similar situation with their running backs room. Christian McCaffery and Jordan Mason are on injured reserve. Rookie Isaac Guerendo (foot) is questionable to play after rushing 15 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns last weekend.
If Guerendo can’t play, Patrick Taylor figures to be the next man up for an offense that always seems to be able to run the ball no matter who receives the handoff.
“They’ve always been one of the most efficient teams in the league on early downs. It’s their scheme. Their players are bought in up front and it’s really all 11 of them,” Shula said. “They get guys that fit their scheme and they always do a great job scheming in the run game.”
RAMS (7-6) at 49ERS (6-7)
When: Thursday, 5:15 p.m.
Where: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara)
TV/radio: Amazon Prime, Ch. 11/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius