Preview for San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams host the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football in a battle for first place in the NFC West.
Both teams have playoff aspirations for 2025, but it is the Rams who look much better place to contend to go all the way, with terrible injury luck continuing to severely hamper the 49ers as it did during the 2024 season, when they slumped to a 6-11 record after going within a play of winning the Super Bowl in the prior campaign.
San Francisco won nine successive regular-season games against the Rams from 2019 to 2023. That run was finally ended in Week 18 of the 2023 season, when both teams were resting starters.
The Rams reversed the tide last season, though, claiming key narrow home and away wins over the 49ers en route to winning the NFC West, and they are the clear favourites to prevail at home in this one given the injuries affecting San Francisco.
Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers won their first three games of the season despite quarterback Brock Purdy missing two of them with a turf toe injury sustained in their season-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks.
However, the loss of defensive end Nick Bosa to a season-ending torn ACL, combined with an error-strewn performance from Purdy and the offense on his return to the line-up proved too much for the 49ers as thew were beaten 26-21 by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4.
With Purdy missing practice on Tuesday because of a toe soreness, the 49ers may be forced to turn to backup Mac Jones once again.
Jones performed admirably in helping the 49ers to wins in Weeks 2 and 3, but the 2021 first-round pick could be without two key weapons in receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle, rib), potentially further limiting the skill-position options further for an offense already missing All-Pro tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and long-term absentee Brandon Aiyuk (knee).
That is desperate situation for Jones to be in against a ferocious Rams defensive front that has already racked up 14 sacks, tied for the second-most in the NFL.
The Rams bounced back from their Week 3 collapse against the Philadelphia Eagles by ending the Indianapolis Colts’ unbeaten start to the season with a 27-20 victory last Sunday.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua went for 170 receiving yards and a touchdown in that contest. Nacua leads the NFL in receiving yards with 503, having amassed 100 in three games.
He and Davante Adams form one of the most fearsome wide receiver duos in the league, giving an embarrassment of riches to a quarterback in Matthew Stafford who has emphatically alleviated offseason concerns around a back problem.
It is an ominous matchup for a San Francisco defense that did not even register a quarterback hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence last week, yet the 49ers will likely have the majority of the crowd behind them in Los Angeles.
Niners fans have traditionally packed out SoFi Stadium for matchups between the two, to such an extent that they have taken to calling the Rams’ home ‘Levi’s South’, a reference to San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium.
But Rams head coach McVay is hoping the Rams fans will turn up in big numbers for the latest edition of the rivalry.
“I think they’ve obviously got a great fan base,” McVay said. “I blame my grandpa [former 49ers GM John McVay] for that, a lot of the success they had in their early years.
“But I’ve loved the home atmospheres we’ve had this year. I look at the Texans and yesterday’s game [against the Colts]I certainly felt our crowd. I thought it was an advantage and an edge to us and I’m looking forward to seeing as many Rams fans come out and support us on Thursday night.
“The 49ers always travel well, but I’m hopeful and optimistic.”
Prediction for San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
The 49ers have an excellent record at SoFi Stadium over the years but, with their injuries, they look very overmatched for this one.
With the 49ers losing Bosa and the difference in firepower on offense, it’s difficult to see anything other than a Los Angeles victory.
Prediction: San Francisco 49ers 16 – 24 Los Angeles Rams
