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Last week, I said that the NFC West still had some unknown depth ahead of the Seahawks defeating the Cardinals 23-20 on “Thursday Night Football.”
Fast forward to the following Amazon spotlight, and a margin of one game still separates the entire division. This could be a marathon, but if you’ve watched enough of the Rams, it’s still hard not to feel like this is their division to lose.
Enough upside exists for that prophecy to manifest at SoFi Stadium against a banged-up 49ers team that’s on short rest.
Talk about a rebuild on the fly, the Rams never really completely vanished since their Super Bowl win in 2022, but Sean McVay is back to controlling game tempo by way of a disruptive defense and explosive attack.
Los Angeles responded to a devastating Week 3 fall to the undefeated Eagles — which ended in a walk-off blocked field goal return — by executing a comprehensively dominant performance against the surging Colts. The Rams outgained by 129 total yards while running 14 more plays that averaged 0.7 more yards per.
They pressured Daniel Jones into three turnovers while Matthew Stafford showcased a vintage version of himself. The seasoned vet spun 375 yards for three touchdowns to remain a top-five quarterback in both departments (278.5 ypg and eight touchdowns).
And even with all this passing volume, he has thrown just two interceptions — an edge only amplified against a 49ers secondary that hasn’t recorded a single pick in 11 straight games.
Much of this production is thanks to the unmatched chemistry he has found with wide receiver Puka Nacua, who leads the NFL in receptions, targets, and yards per game (ypg).
His sharp routes and deceptive pacing have rewarded McVay’s motion-heavy, timing-based offense as he and Stafford are on the money in high-leverage situations.
On the other hand, Brock Purdy’s absence to a nagging toe injury gives signal-calling duties back to Mac Jones. It’s not to say that Jones has been horrible — in fact, he’s been quite adequate, averaging 281.5 yards with a 4:1 TD:INT ratio in two starts.
Let’s keep in mind that those games were against the lowly Saints, who the Niners beat by the skin of their teeth, and the Cardinals, a final score that totaled 31 points.
The Rams should keep their feet pressed on the gas with pressure against Jones; they are tied for the second-most sacks in the NFL, as Byron Young leads the league with five.
Betting on the NFL?
San Francisco’s pass rush is without Nick Bosa, and even though the defense still ranks top-five in yards per play allowed, we just watched it struggle to generate turnovers against the Jaguars.
The Niners’ injuries, which also include wideouts Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, have pushed this line from 3.5 all the way to 7. Both the handle and ticket count lean toward Los Angeles, and while I usually am skeptical of public love, how much can Christian McCaffrey realistically compensate for?
Against a Rams operation that’s outgained every opponent it’s faced so far and holds an NFL-best 10-3-1 ATS record in their last 14 games, I’m willing to fade the Niners at a steep number.
THE PLAY: Rams -7.5 (-120, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
