The last time the Rams saw their NFC West Division rival San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium they were playing for the division championship and had an opportunity to eliminate the Niners from the post season tournament.
A sea of Niners fans plastered the seats at SoFi, the Rams blew a 17 point lead as the Niners came from behind 27-24 for a victory, capping their sixth consecutive win against the Rams while planting an ocean of doubt in the mans for the local faithful.
As the Rams backed into the division title and dropped from a two seed to a four in the NFC, the Niners roared into the postseason and went on the road to Dallas and then Green Bay to advance to the NFC Championship Game on Sunday Jan.30 at SoFi Stadium.
In the meanwhile, the Rams rolled the Arizona Cardinals in a Super Wild Card Monday Night confrontation and then avoided a meltdown of historical ramifications to eke out a win against the Tom Brady led Tampa Buccaneers 30-27 at Raymond James Stadium.
Which Rams team will we see in the NFC title tilt?
We can assume the Niners are going to bring the juke box and the defensive unit anchored by Nick Bosa.
Bosa, the younger brother of the Chargers Joey, is closing in on a 49ers playoff record.
Following his two-sack performance in the divisional playoffs against Green Bay, the former No. 2 overall pick now has 6.5 playoff sacks in his career. That leaves him 1.0 behind Charles Haley for the team’s all-time playoff record.
Offensively, this team will go as far as Deebo Samuel can take them.
He has handed the Rams their lunch in ever meeting, Samuel has 29 catches for 345 yards and has scored 4 touchdowns in 5 games versus the Rams in his career.
Although a 3.5 dog, the Niners have also dominated the Rams in the coaching department.
In the 10 matchups of the Kyle Shanahan- Sean McVay era, the 49ers have won seven, including six in a row.
Those are the hard numbers going into a game in which the Rams can advance to the Super Bowl.
While numbers don’t lie, they can sometimes be a bit deceiving.
The 49ers defense is ranked tops in the NFL, has allowed 3,510 yards, 25 touchdowns and has 9 interceptions
The Rams with the best player in the world Aaron Donald on their side is ranked 25th giving up 4,109 yards, 17 TDs, with 19 INTs.
Although the Niners have contained Donald, he has still be a wrecking ball amassing 84 tackles, 46 assist and 12.5 sacks on the season.
Offensively, Matthew Safford, whose wife was instrumental in calling out the Rams fans for allowing the Niners fans to take over SoFi, has been on point.
Stafford passed for 4,886 yards during the regular season and 41 touchdown passes.
The Rams traded for Stafford in the offseason and then continued during the season to assemble a star-laden cast around him was for him to be a quarterback who could produce in the biggest moments, who could help the Rams realize their lofty aspirations of making a run very, very deep into the NFL postseason.
At Raymond James Stadium Stafford made the throws in crunchtime send home Brady and made him contemplate retirement.
Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Year as part of the 52nd annual 101 Awards, the Committee of 101, it was announced Tuesday.
Kupp finished the 2021 season – the first of the league’s 17-game era – as the NFL’s fourth receiving triple crown winner since 1970 after leading the league in receptions with 145, receiving yards with 1,947 and receiving touchdowns with 16. He was five receptions shy of breaking Michael Thomas’ NFL single-season record in that category and 18 yards shy of breaking Calvin Johnson’s NFL single-season record in that category.
Kupp also broke Isaac Bruce’s franchise single-season receptions and receiving yards records, both of which had stood since 1995.
A first-time Pro Bowl selection and unanimous First Team All-Pro choice, Kupp adds this recognition to being named to the PFWA’s 2021 All-NFL and All-NFC teams on Monday.
The 101 Awards have been annually presented to the top players and coaches in the NFL since the 1969 campaign and are selected by a committee of 101 national media members. The honorees will be presented with their awards at the 52nd Annual 101 Awards Gala, scheduled for Thursday, March 10, 2022 in Kansas City.
When Robert Woods went down with a season ending injury, somebody had to fill in and the acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr. filled the bill.
Beckham has caught 27 passes for 305 yards and 5 touchdowns and has been a difference maker since signing after the Browns let him go.
When Rams owner Stan Kroenke brought the team back to Los Angeles he did so with this opportunity in mind.
Don’t Blow it!