SPORTS: 49ers to unveil ‘The Catch’ monument honoring the 1994 Super Bowl-winning team.
Rams are 6-0 and present a tough challenge for the 49ers
SANTA CLARA >> Nostalgia will swirl through Levi’s Stadium today, from the 49ers unveiling “The Catch” monument to honoring their last Super Bowl-winning team from the 1994 season.
Look for the all-white throwback jerseys. Look for 49ers icons from 1994 and other eras. Then look out for what this year’s team must face.
While that 1994 team may be the NFL’s last from California to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, the undefeated Los Angeles Rams (60) arrive as favorites to win this season’s Super Bowl.
“They’re undefeated right now but they’re not unbeatable,” left tackle Joe Staley said. “No one’s invincible. The ’72 Dolphins are the only team to do it. If we play the way we’re capable, we have all the confidence we can get the ‘W.’ ”
The 49ers (1-5) are on a fourgame losing streak, and with Jimmy Garoppolo fresh off knee surgery, they’re the reason this matchup got flexed out of NBC’s prime-time slot and into a sunsplashed kickoff.
“I don’t care what their record says. This is a really, really good football team that has great, sound
systems,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of the 49ers on a conference call with Bay Area media.
“They have tough, competitive players. There’s a level of detail and precision with how they operate in all three phases,” McVay added. “It’s going to be a phenomenal challenge for us.”
Whoa, whoa, whoa. No need to oversell a 49ers team that’s lost squarely on their lack of precision in all three phases, especially defense.
The Rams are looking for their first 7-0 start since 1985. Looking farther ahead, they could win the franchise’s first Super Bowl while based in Los Angeles; their lone title came from the 1999 St. Louis Rams.
Here are three areas where the 49ers must thrive to upset the Rams and allow the 1972 Dolphins to again celebrate:
1. CLUTCH UP >> Sure, the 49ers have been competitive, like McVay says. But an obvious trend in the fourgame losing streak is how things fall apart in the final minutes. To wit:
• Week 3 at Kansas City Chiefs: Garoppolo sustains a season-ending knee injury with 5:27 remaining.
• Week 4 at Los Angeles Chargers: C.J. Beathard sees safety Derwin James blitz too late and an interception ensues with 2:31 to go.
• Week 5 vs. Arizona Cardinals: Beathard’s stripsack fumble is returned for a Cardinals TD with 4:33 left, and Beathard follows by throwing an interception 45 seconds later.
• Week 6 at Green Bay Packers: Beathard, in the face of an all-out blitz from the Packers’ 46, unloads a pass that is intercepted at the 10 with 1:07 remaining, enough time for Aaron Rodgers to produce a game-winning drive in a 33-30 stunner.
“We’ve started slow, then throughout the game we’ll be doing really well, then we won’t finish well,” defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. “We’ve got to play four quarters instead of just a half or three quarters of a game.”
2. MAKE BIG PLAYS >> Defensively, with only three takeaways and far more blown coverages, the 49ers obviously have room for improvement and anything would help to slow the Rams.
Offensively, the 49ers actually have routinely pulled off explosive plays, just not in crunch time. Their offense is averaging almost eight “big plays” per game, and they’ve hit on nine in three of their past four games. (A big play is a run of 10 yards or more or a pass of 20 yards or more.)
Running back Matt Breida has provided the most: 14 runs of at least 10 yards and delivering one such run every 4.5 carries. Breida’s ankle injury and thus cut-back ability was impacted by Green Bay’s 33-degree wind chill, as he had only one run over 10 yards.
Tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk have provided four apiece to make up for wide receivers’ lack of big plays, although Marquise Goodwin returned from injury last game and had 67- and 30-yard touchdown receptions.
McVay said of Goodwin’s impact: “When you’ve got somebody that can take the top-shelf off the coverage, it opens up everything. … The most important thing is it gives you a dynamic playmaker that can create explosiveness.”
A tip for the 49ers: Don’t make this a third straight week in which an openingdrive touchdown by them is immediately erased by an opponents’ first-drive score.
3. PLAY BALLHOG >> Nothing is more obvious about these 49ers than their penchant for turnovers. They’ve committed 14, including five interceptions in Beathard’s three starts, plus two fumbles he lost in their last home game (a 28-18 loss to Arizona).
So how do they keep the ball out of the Rams’ hands beyond eliminating turnovers? By moving the chains, and their running game could be the answer to that.
“We hang our hats on being able to run the ball,” Staley said. “Especially with the high-powered offense they have coming in here, we’ve got to control the tempo, control the clock and stay on the field.”
Hence, the 49ers need Matt Breida plus backups Raheem Mostert and Alfred Morris to get more carries than the Rams’ Todd Gurley, who’s merely the NFL’s leading rusher.
The Broncos only managed 60 rushing yards Sunday against the Rams, who knew they needed to rebound in that area after allowing 190 rushing yards the previous week in a 3331 victory at Seattle.
“Usually most games that you run the ball well in, you get 30-something carries, it’s usually because you end up getting a lead and you win,” Shanahan said. “... The main thing is scoring. So, you need to score and you need to not turn the ball over and you need to get turnovers.”
The Rams lead the league at 32.7 points per game. The 49ers clock in at 24.7 points per game. Last time they met here, the Rams won 41-39. But last time, it was in prime time.
• QB Tom Savage got waived Saturday, having signed Tuesday to help on scout-team and warmup reps at practice, which he likely can be re-signed to do next week. He would have been inactive today behind quarterbacks Beathard and Nick Mullens.
Savage’s roster spot was used to bring defensive back Tyvis Powell back from the practice squad, presumably to help on special teams and add depth. Jimmie Ward (hamstring) isn’t expected to play and fellow cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon spent the week in concussion protocol.