After taking down the Cardinals in Week 3, the Rams have another NFC West opponent on their hands: the dreaded 49ers. Los Angeles will visit the 49ers in Week 4, a Monday night showdown at Levi’s Stadium.
No team has given the Rams more problems over the last four years than San Francisco, so this one means a little bit more for Los Angeles – even if those in the building don’t admit it.
Looking ahead to this marquee matchup, here are five stats and facts to know for Week 4.
1
Rams haven’t won on road vs. 49ers since 2018
Fans are very aware of the Rams’ struggles against the 49ers over the last few years. Before beating San Francisco in the NFC title game in January, the Rams had lost six games in a row to the 49ers.
They’ve been especially bad at Levi’s Stadium. Since 2017, the Rams are just 1-4 on the road against the 49ers, with their last win coming in 2018. Monday’s game will be on the road, so the Rams will try to snap their three-game losing streak at Levi’s Stadium.
2
Matthew Stafford is 2-5 vs. 49ers all-time, but he has good numbers
Stafford doesn’t have the best record against the 49ers. He’s just 2-5 in his career, including a 1-2 mark against them last season with the Rams. But it’s not as if he’s played that poorly against them.
In seven games, he has 14 touchdown passes and just six interceptions with a passer rating over 90. He’s been sacked at least twice in each of those games, totaling 20 sacks in seven meetings, but despite all that pressure, Stafford has managed to play well.
3
49ers have fourth-worst red zone defense
Opponents have only reached the red zone four times against the 49ers this season, but they’ve punched it into the end zone three times – a success rate of 75%. That ranks the 49ers 29th in the NFL in red zone defense, well below the eighth-ranked Rams (50%).
The 49ers haven’t been good offensively when they’ve gotten inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, either. They’re 27th in the league with a touchdown rate of 44%. If the Rams can hold the 49ers to short field goals instead of touchdowns, it’ll go a long way.
4
Rams have lowest pressure rate in NFL, 49ers have highest
Even with Aaron Donald in the middle of the defensive front, the Rams have struggled to generate much pressure on opposing quarterbacks. According to Pro Football Reference, the Rams have just 13 total pressures this season, which is a rate of 11.4%. That’s the lowest in the NFL, 1.6% lower than the next-closest team.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the 49ers lead the NFL with a pressure rate of 36.5%, even though they have just one more sack (8) than the Rams (7).
5
Rams lead NFL in average starting field position
The Rams’ average starting position is their own 33.3-yard line. That’s the best starting spot in the NFL, which shows A) the impact of the defense forcing seven turnovers and B) how deep the Rams have pinned opponents, thus forcing them to punt from near their own end zone.
For comparison, the 49ers’ average starting position is the 26.5-yard line, which is 21st in the NFL. So the Rams have worked with more short fields and average the 11th-most points per drive (2.1) in the league.
