The Los Angeles Rams came into this season with a number of injuries and looking to fill the hole left by the retirement of defensive lineman Aaron Donald. The combination proved lethal to their won and loss record.
Sean McVay’s team lost four of their first five games before their bye week arrived just at the right time for the squad to regroup. Since their Week Five bye, the Rams have gotten back into the playoff hunt with six wins in eight games including an impressive home victory last Sunday over the Buffalo Bills.
Now, remember their season start, four losses in five games, well that lone Rams victory was over, wait for it, the team they meet tonight, the San Francisco 49ers. In a pattern that became common for the 49ers though much of this season, the defense just wasn’t able to hold a late lead, and the Rams came away with a 27-24 victory over their NFC West Division rivals on September 22.
The 49ers return to action after their bye week had an opposite effect as that of the Rams. While Los Angeles caught fire, the 49ers lost three of four contests coming out of their November 3rd week off and four straight losses against the point spread.
Are the Niners toast?
Is this just not their year and with the loss of Christian McCaffrey to another season ending injury send the San Francisco brass to the scouting room to start planning for the draft?
Hardly.
Fortunately for Kyle Shanahan’s team the 49ers play out of the NFC West Division which has had no team run away from the pack. The Seahawks have won four in a row, including a pair of victories over the Arizona Cardinals, who as recently as a couple weeks ago held the top spot in the NFC West. The surge to the top of the division race for the Seahawks began with a win four weeks ago over the 49ers.
Still, despite the Seahawks recent surge, they are just one game ahead of the Rams in the division race and two up on the Cardinals and 49ers. On Sunday, the Seahawks are underdogs when they host the Green Bay Packers, and if they lose that game, the two teams playing tonight either have a chance to catch them or pull to within one game.
In other words, one of these two Thursday night combatants needs this game more, and it is the home team that may have regained their stride last week with a convincing victory over the Chicago Bears, 38-13.
Coverage of that game in the Athletic had a headline that proclaimed the 49ers finally found what was needed to win … desperation.
No kidding.
That’s not news. I have made a living on teams that win when their prospects are in dire straits.
Like tonight, when San Francisco takes advantage of a Rams team following their dramatic home win last Sunday over the Bills.
Qoxhi Picks: San Francisco 49ers (-2½) over Los Angeles Rams