Following their torrid start to the 2022 season, the Los Angeles Rams are heading into their Monday night matchup against the San Francisco 49ers with the wind at their back. Despite countless injuries and a particularly challenging schedule, the team has thrived so far this year, but one variable has tainted the narrative of their Week 4 primetime matchup; their abysmal record at Levi’s Stadium in recent seasons.
Los Angeles has lost their last three of their matchups against San Francisco on the road, in a streak that dates back to 2019. Head coach Sean Mcvay is acutely aware of the challenges presented when playing the 49ers on their home turf and told reporters on Monday about the reverence he has for the their roster and coaches, and what he knows what it will take to end the Rams’ losing stretch.
“I think the main thing is they’re a really good football team,” He explained of San Francisco. “They’ve done a good job [against us]. Which year do you want to talk about? We could talk about all those different games, but I think at the end of the day what it boils down to is they’ve played well, they’ve made the plays in crunch time… They’ve always been a good, tough, physical team that has great players, great coaches in all three phases and that’s why we’ve always had such respect for these guys.
“But we know that this game is going to be different than the other ones. We’ve got to be able to show up, play well in that three-hour window, or three and a half hours, however long it takes. That’s what our focus and concentration will be solely focused on. No different than when we had to play them for the third time last year.”
The 49ers might not be the Super Bowl caliber squad they were in 2020, but McVay’s comments made it clear that he does not see San Francisco as an easy target. Los Angeles will be forced to rely on a slew of relatively unproven players after sustaining a plethora of injuries the last two months, and their coaching staff will likely need to amend their gameplan to compensate for the team’s inexperience.
In primetime, and with their lead in the NFC West at stake, the Rams will rely on McVay’s creativity and savvy to win in San Francisco on Monday night. If those veterans who have remained unscathed can pick up whatever slack is left by the younger talent, Los Angeles should be able to put themselves in a position to pick up their third win of the season with the whole nation watching.
