It may only be Week 4, but this is as pivotal a division matchup as you’re likely to see.
The San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams both have gotten off to disappointing starts to the season and enter Thursday night’s game with a record of 1-2.
The 49ers opened the season with an impressive win over the Green Bay Packers, but have been dominated by the Seahawks and the Colts in the two games since.
The Niners’ once-feared defence has allowed more than 170 yards rushing in each of the last two games and Colin Kaepernick has thrown four interceptions and no touchdowns during that span.
The Rams have also been underwhelming, including in their slim week one victory over the Cardinals. St. Louis’ defence, which was expected to be one of the top units in the NFC, has allowed at least 390 yards in all three games. Meanwhile, Sam Bradford has once again been asked to do all the work on offence, as the team is averaging just 57 yards a game on the ground and has yet to score a rushing touchdown.
Programming alert: Be sure to watch as the St. Louis Rams host the San Francisco live on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West & Pacific Thursday starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT | TV schedule
The result of Thursday’s NFC West division clash has big implications for the both teams.
The winner will move to .500 and will get a second chance to catch the Seahawks atop the division, while the loser will drop to 1-3 and would have to go on quite a steak to get back into the race.
STAT PACK
Gore and Boldin may bust out vs. Rams
Frank Gore and Anquan Boldin haven’t been very productive in the 49ers’ losses this season, but they thrive against the Rams.
Gore has 13 rushing touchdowns in his past 12 games against St. Louis, while Boldin has recorded six 100-yard games in his career against St. Louis.
The Rams need Bradford to be efficient
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is a polarizing pivot in the NFL. The former No. 1 pick hasn’t broken out the way many have expected him to.
But when he plays well, St. Louis wins.
When Bradford has a quarterback rating of 100 of more, the Rams are 6-1-1. Bradford has eclipsed that QB rating in three of his past five division games and is 5-1-1 in his last seven against the NFC West, including a 1-0-1 record against San Francisco last season.
FANTASY TIPS
START ‘EM
Antonio Brown, WR, PIT: The Pittsburgh Steelers are off to their worst start in a long time, but that doesn’t mean their players don’t have fantasy value. In Pittsburgh’s loss to Chicago Sunday night, Brown had nine catches for 196 yards and two scores. Believe it or not, he could have more this Sunday as the Steelers face off against the despicable Vikings secondary that gave up more than 320 yards and three touchdowns to Brian Hoyer. Brown is a must-start this week.
Ben Tate, RB, HOU: Don’t expect anything amazing against the Seahawks-they stifle running backs as well as any team in the league-but now’s not a bad time to make a move on Tate. Perhaps it will take a run-in with a nasty D to fully illustrate the difference between Tate and starter Arian Foster this season. Tate’s run harder, cut quicker and clocked 6.8 yards per carry to Foster’s 3.9.
Torrey Smith, WR, BAL: He’s not being treated as a top-20 fantasy receiver because he hasn’t reached the end zone yet, but Smith is running a full route tree for the first time in his career and is quietly on pace for career highs in catches and receiving yards. He’s easily the No. 1 option for Joe Flacco and to top it off he gets the banged-up secondary of the Buffalo Bills this week.
Bilal Powell, RB, NYJ: The Jets aren’t exactly an offensive powerhouse, but they’ve generated surprisingly solid fantasy production over the first three weeks. Injured running back Chris Ivory is almost certain to miss the game against Tennessee so the Jets will bank on Powell to carry the load. He ran for 149 yards on 29 carries last week and should see similar work against a decent Titans front. He’s always been a fairly productive player on a team that loves to run the ball.
SIT ‘EM
Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead, RB, STL: Sure, the 49ers defence have given up more than 340 yards rushing in the last two games…but the Rams rushing game has been even more wretched. In the three games St. Louis has played in the post-Steven Jackson era, they’re averaging 3.2 yards a carry and have yet to record a touchdown on the ground. Steer clear.
Vincent Jackson, WR, TB: You probably can’t afford to sit him, but if it’s possible, consider three points: 1. Jackson is coming off a rib injury that has had him sitting out practice most of the week. 2. If he does suit up, he’ll likely be checked by the Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson, one of the better defensive backs in man coverage in the NFL. 3. He’ll also be welcoming a new quarterback in Mike Glennon-and while it may be hard to get worse than Josh Freeman, there will also likely be an adjustment period.
Russell Wilson, QB, SEA: Wilson is a much better player in real life than he is in fantasy football. The Seahawks throw the ball less than any other team in the league and Wilson’s value is far too predicated on touchdowns. Against Houston, Wilson may be in tough as the Seahawks go up against J.J. Watt with several injuries on their offensive line, including Pro Bowl left tackle Russell Okung. Don’t expect the same numbers Wilson put up against Jacksonville this week.
