Week 8: Rams vs. 49ers quick hits

The St. Louis Rams will play host to the San Francisco 49ers Sunday afternoon in a Week 8 matchup were one team will look to stay undefeated in the division, and the other still searching for their first division win.

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The Rams fought their way back to a .500 record (3-3) last week with a big win against the Cleveland Browns last week while the niners were on the wrong end of a 17-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

2015 has been the year of the defense for St. Louis as they rank second in sacks (23), and 10th in total defense. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald has led the way with 4.5 sacks and continues to find himself in the back field pressuring quarterbacks. The Rams entire defensive line has been the bright spot on this years team, as was expected. James Laurinaitis leads the team in tackles with 45 and cornerback Janoris Jenkins is having a career year with two interceptions and six passes defended.

On the other side of the ball, the Rams have seen their fair share of struggles. The recent emergence of rookie running back Todd Gurley has helped cover up many of their deficiencies, but make no mistake this offensive line is not good. Quarterback Nick Foles has been under pressure all year long and his number show it. Foles has thrown for 1,119 yard on 96 completions, good enough for 29th in the league. His six touchdowns and five interceptions aren’t exactly lighting up the skies either.

Oct 25, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Travis Benjamin (11) fumbles after being hit by St. Louis Rams strong safety Mark Barron (26) and strong safety T.J. McDonald (25) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis defeated Cleveland 24-6. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

A better effort from the offensive line would serve Foles, Gurley and the teams receiving core a whole lot better. But injuries to Rodger Saffold will see him miss yet another week, and the rookies Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown haven’t quite meshed just yet. Greg Robinson, now in his second year, has also struggled at left tackle, but is progressing. Center Tim Barnes has also played well, but it’s a group effort up front and they’re just not getting it done.

Across the field, San Francisco has been everything they were expected to be this year, and that’s not very good. At 2-5 on the season, and 0-3 in the division, rumors are swirling about the possibility of cutting Colin Kaepernick, or attempting to move him. Kaepernick has thrown for just over 1,400 yards and his six touchdowns and five interceptions match Foles in the mediocrity department.

49ers running back Carlos Hyde started the year 168-yard, two touchdown performance but has dropped in production significantly. On the year, Hyde has 470-yards through the teams seven games. In comparison, Gurley has 442-yards through just four games. The niners struggle from the same issues up front the Rams do, an inconsistent offensive line.

Oct 22, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) passes the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Levi

Notable Injuries:

SF – Questionable -LB NaVorro Bowman (shoulder), WR Anquan Boldin (hamstring)

SF – Probable – RB Carlos Hyde (foot)

STL – Questionable – RB Tre Mason (ankle), LB James Laurinaitis (elbow)

Team Stats:

PPG – SF 14.7 / STL 18.0

PAPG – SF 25.7 / STL 19.8

Passing Yards – SF 207.6 / STL 189.8

Rushing Yards – SF 110.1 / STL 121.2

Yards Allowed – SF 421.0 / STL 370.5

Schedule