5 Keys to Victory – Revisited: St. Louis Rams At San Francisco 49ers

Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

1.) Get the O-line solidified

LG Greg Robinson took over at left tackle and G Davin Joseph filled in next to him. The unit played very well considering their recent injury woes. They only allowed QB Austin Davis to get sacked once. Earlier this year the 49ers took down Davis five times in their 31-17 win.

2.) Step up for WR Brian Quick

The wideout corps didn’t produce much, but WR Kenny Britt caught a key 21 yards touchdown pass in the second quarter. New signee WR Damian Williams suited up and played on special teams but was not incorporated into the offense yet.

3.) Contain QB Colin Kaepernick

Kaepernick struggled to find a rhythm all game long. The Rams generated their best pass rush of the season and ended the day with eight sacks. Kaepernick rushed five times for 14 yards and was contained well by DE’s Robert Quinn, William Hayes and Eugene Sims.

4.) Focus on WR Anquan Boldin

Boldin caught a 27 yard touchdown on third down in the second quarter on a busted coverage. He finished with six receptions for 93 yards and one score. A Ram killer, Boldin got open and made plays all day for the 49ers. CB Trumaine Johnson looked relatively rusty his first game back from his injury and he will look to get back to midseason form when he is faced with a talented receiving corps against Arizona next week.

5.) Offensive consistency

Davis killed two drives with interceptions and finished with only 105 yards passing. The rushing attack averaged 3.4 yards per carry with no touchdowns. The Rams defense won this game, as the offense struggled to do much of anything save for Britt’s score in the second quarter. Next up is a tenacious Arizona defense that will look to get after Davis and stop the running game.

Check back with us next week before the game to see our Keys to Victory when the Rams battle the Cardinals.