Vin+ 3,121 Posted September 21, 2017 (edited) http://hosted.stats.com/fb/preview.asp?g=20170921025&home=25&vis=14 (TSX / STATS) -- The Los Angeles Rams travel north to take on their long-time NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers in this week's Thursday night game. This game should be a good test of two franchises that are in rebuilding modes. However, each team has some injury issues. San Francisco safety Eric Reid injured his knee and won't play against the Rams, and linebacker Reuben Foster is not expected to play because of an ankle injury. Rams tight end Gerald Everett suffered a thigh injury and cornerback Kayvon Webster (shoulder) did not play against Washington. Both teams have first-year head coaches: Sean McVay for the Rams and Kyle Shanahan for the 49ers. The Rams are 1-1 on the season and the 49ers are 0-2. But both teams are improved from 2016 and have shown growth under their new regimes, especially on offense. San Francisco running back Carlos Hyde has been impressive in each of the team's first two games and he will be a focal point against the Rams. Hyde is fourth in the league in rushing with 169 yards. What is more impressive is the fact he is averaging 7.0 yards a carry. The only issue with the 49ers' ground game is the lack of touchdowns by Hyde. He enters the Thursday night game with no rushing scores. "I've been pleased with Carlos in both games," Shanahan said Monday after having a chance to look at the game film. "He came to compete (Sunday), and it showed." The Rams' defense was poor against the Redskins in Week 2 and will need to shore up its tackling while matching up against an improving offensive line. San Francisco guard Laken Tomlinson, who spent the preseason with the Lions but was acquired in a trade, started in Week 2 and made a noticeable impact on the interior run game. This week he will be facing one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL, Aaron Donald. Donald did not play in Week 1 after a training camp holdout and looked sluggish in Week 2 against the Redskins. He finished with just one tackle and an assist. "I didn't win my one-on-ones," Donald said. "When I have one-on-ones, I usually win those. I was doing too much thinking. I keep trying to say, that's on me so I just have to play better." The Rams' running game appears markedly better than the team showed in 2016. Running back Todd Gurley, the 2015 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, is ranked eighth in the NFL with 128 yards. Though he is only averaging 3.7 yards a carry, Gurley had two rushing scores in the first two games and has added value as a pass catcher with eight receptions for 104 yards and another score. The Rams will need Gurley to continue to be that dual-threat player against the 49ers defense. Second-year quarterback Jared Goff has grown as a player under McVay. Though he threw a costly interception late in the game against the Redskins to halt the team's comeback, Goff has been poised in the pocket and has shown confidence in his arm and his receivers. Goff had a breakout game in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts and was solid in Week 2. Even though the Rams lost to the Redskins, Goff was pleased with the way the team battled to come from behind. He said he was impressed with "our ability to fight back that we now know we have. Knowing that we can go down 13-nothing, we probably could've even gone down 17-nothing and get a chance to fight back. We've got the weapons out there to make plays -- to make big plays and we get ourselves back in the game. I think it's drastically improved. We now know that we're never out of the fight and continue to keep going. As long as we execute and take care of the ball -- good things will happen." The 49ers' passing attack under quarterback Brian Hoyer has been dreadful. Hoyer passed for a mere 99 yards in Week 2, and the offense has yet to score a touchdown in 2017. While the offense has leaned on the rushing attack, Hoyer has been plagued by missed throws and critical drops. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin has dropped two potential game-changing plays in back-to-back weeks. If the 49ers expect to win at home on Thursday night, they will need more efficient offense out of Hoyer and the wide receivers. Edited September 21, 2017 by Vin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparty 110 Posted September 21, 2017 Probably the worst game in TNF history. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted September 21, 2017 I feel like some of our Jags TNF games have been worse. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparty 110 Posted September 21, 2017 I feel like some of our Jags TNF games have been worse. At least we used to get primetime games. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted September 22, 2017 49ers TE George Kittle (hip) is active for Week 3 against the Rams. SS Eric Reid (ankle) is inactive. Kittle has averaged four targets through his first two NFL contests. Joining Reid on the sideline are LB Reuben Foster, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, OL Erik Magnuson, WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Pita Taumoepenu and DL Xavier Cooper. Source: Matt Maiocco on Twitter Rams TE Gerald Everett (thigh) is active for Week 3 against the 49ers. Everett seems to have a leg up on Tyler Higbee as Jared Goff's preferred seam stretcher. Inactive for the Rams are RB Malcolm Brown, QB Brandon Allen, CB Kayvon Webster, S Marqui Christian, OLB Ejuan Price, OT Andrew Donnal and OT Cornelius Lucas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Packers Dynasty 2010 116 Posted September 22, 2017 Probably the worst game in TNF history. So much for that. Pretty entertaining game that went down to the wire. Gurley is back and Donald is a beast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparty 110 Posted September 22, 2017 So much for that. Pretty entertaining game that went down to the wire. Gurley is back and Donald is a beast. Both those teams just proved they have really bad defenses. Yeah, such a great game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BwareDWare94 723 Posted September 22, 2017 It was certainly better than two horrible offenses like the week before. Also, you got to watch Carlos Hyde, hands down the most underrated back in football, and Todd Gurley, not to mention Goff dropping dimes all damn night. That throw back across his body while rolling left into a tiny window? Amazing. Last week we got to watch Andy Dalton fellate the Texans defense and Deshaun Watson represent the undercooked chicken of NFL QBs. So raw. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge+ 3,436 Posted September 22, 2017 Jared Goof is no more. Man, Fisher was ASS, Goff looked nothing like this last year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Packers Dynasty 2010 116 Posted September 22, 2017 Both those teams just proved they have really bad defenses. Yeah, such a great game. Compared to how so many NFCW games have gone in the past 3 or 4 years, this was pretty exciting. I'll take this over 12-9 or a tie game at 13-13. There were some great plays made all around, Garcon making some great catches says nothing about the defense. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted September 22, 2017 I honestly think the Rams are going to win the West this year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted September 22, 2017 Is the NFC West back to being a shit division? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piggly Wiggly 960 Posted September 22, 2017 I honestly think the Rams are going to win the West this year. The Rams are going in a good direction, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Still Seattle's division... don't really care that they've looked like dog shit to start the season... Seattle has looked like garbage coming out of the gate each of the past 3 seasons. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites