Second, on the positive side, Janoris Jenkins and Chris Givens will be back in the lineup after having been suspended for the first contest.  Both are coming off of big games against Arizona and will be riding a wave of confidence into this game.

Third, and this will be the biggest difference, is that Colin Kaepernick will be under center for the 49ers instead of Alex Smith.  The first time the teams met Kaepernick came into the game in the 2nd quarter and went 11-17 for 117 yards and 0 TDs or INTs for a passer rating of 84.7.  Fairly average numbers through the air, but he burned the Rams with 8 rushes for 66 yards and a TD on the ground.  To make matters worse for the Rams this time around, his confidence through the air is only gaining, with passer ratings of 133.1 and 90.6 in his next 2 outings.

The good news for the Rams is that they will be prepared this time around and won’t be caught off guard by his rushing ability and will also have a couple of games worth of film with which to scout him.

Jan 1, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn (10) warms up prior to the game against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

I don’t know if everyone is getting as tired of the Peyton Manning saga as I am, but it looks like he will have his decision made in the coming days. One of the finalists on his list is the San Francisco 49ers, who pretty much appeared out of nowhere in the last few days to get in the running. And while the Niners were sneaking their way onto the Manning list, another NFC West team struck on the quarterback front as well. The Seattle Seahawks signed Matt Flynn to a three-year deal that’s worth up to $26 million. And, after missing out on Flynn and Manning, the Miami Dolphins apparently are in talks with Alex Smith, who could need a team if Manning signs in San Fran. Confused yet? This version of “quarterback musical chairs” could just be getting started.

I’m not sure where I stand on the Flynn signing in Seattle just yet. As with most free agent signings that carry risk, if Flynn signed somewhere in the AFC I would say that he’s probably not going to be very good and the team made a mistake. However, I tend to get a little more nervous when a guy like this signs in our division. Is there a chance he could be a very good starter and be their QB for the next 8-10 years? I guess so. I don’t think anyone outside of Green Bay knows that much about him. Do I think it’s more likely that he’s the next Kevin Kolb? Absolutely. Still, the Seahawks having anyone under center other than Tarvaris Jackson is bad news for the Rams, but I guess we will just have to see.

As far as Manning and the Niners goes, I’m really sweating this one out bad. San Fran was one play away from going to the Super Bowl last season, and that was with Smith as their QB. Imagine if they added Manning. Manning at like 70% is light-years better than Smith, and his knowledge and leadership alone would probably be enough to get them a few more Super Bowl trophies. I think what Rams fans need to hope for is that Manning picks somewhere else like Denver, Smith goes to Miami and the Niners end up with Colin Kaepernick as their starter. I know that’s probably a long-shot, but until Manning is out of our division for certain it might just get me through the day.

Player I Was Most Impressed With: Ryan Mallett (Arkansas)

I know there are some legitimate question marks surrounding Mallett both on and off the field, but just going by what I saw at the Combine, he was extremely impressive. He looks like a quarterback is supposed to look physically, and he has a rocket launcher where his right arm is supposed to be. I found myself moving to the edge of my seat when he started to throw, and if he can get his stuff straightened out off the field, I think he can be a standout at the NFL level.

Honorable Mention: Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Colin Kaepernick, Josh Portis, Jeff Van Camp

There were plenty of guys who I thought were good, and this list could have been much longer, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Gabbert (Mizzou) should be the first QB off the board come April, and he did nothing at the Combine to make me think differently. He didn’t throw, but his measurables were outstanding and I’ve seen what he can do in game situations. Locker (Wash) is a guy who is still a bit of a project, but I still believe he is going to be a starting NFL QB. Kaepernick (Nevada) is a freak athlete with a rocket arm, but he will be more of a project for whichever team picks him. Portis (CALU) and Van Camp (FAU) are both small-school guys I hadn’t heard much about heading into this thing, but they both made me a believer. Portis was more refined in the throwing game than I expected, and Van Camp was really the breakout guy in this group for me.

Player I Was Most Disappointed In: Tyrod Taylor (Va Tech) and Cam Newton (Auburn)

This one was a tie, but for very different reasons. Let’s start with Newton. His measurables were outstanding, but he looked just awful throwing the ball. I have serious doubts about how good this guy can be at the next level, and the fact that he is shooting up draft boards with all of the question marks surrounding him really surprises me. I might be able to get on board if he really wows at his Pro Day, but I was less than impressed at the Combine. As for Taylor, this was a guy I really liked in college, but he just didn’t look like he came to play in Indy. He had a great 40 time, which I expected, but when it came to the drills, he looked either disinterested or too afraid to make a mistake. At one point I found myself shaking my head while I was watching him, and that’s never a good sign.

Dishonorable Mention: Pat Devlin, Scott Tolzien,  Nathan Enderle, Ryan Colburn

None of these guys were truly awful, but they were guys I expected more from. Colburn (Fresno St.) was the least impressive in this group, but I didn’t expect him to be great. Devlin (Del) was a guy I thought might be able to open some eyes, but he just kind of faded into the crowd. Tolzien (Wisc) is solid but unspectacular, and I just don’t know how much upside he has. Enderle (Idaho) was a guy I was excited to see, but like Devlin he did nothing to stand out from the crowd.

As far as the Rams go, I wouldn’t be shocked if they stick with what they had last season at the QB position, but there’s always a chance a guy comes out of nowhere to win the third QB job. As much as I like this class, there’s no Sam Bradford in it, which makes me even happier that we didn’t mess around last year.