Tavon Austin scores two touchdowns; St. Louis Rams defeat 49ers 27-6

The St. Louis Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley continued his impressive season, by rushing for 133 yards on 20 carries, along with a touchdown. Gurley would also add 13 receiving yards as well. However it wasn’t all about Gurley today, as Tavon Austin came to play. Austin had four catches for 98 yards along with 3 rushing carries for 21 yards. Austin finished off the day with two total touchdowns, one receiving and another on the ground. It was nice to see a duel threat of offense for the first time in a while. The Rams ground and pass game was in sync and took time away from the San Francisco 49ers offense.

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First, the Rams running game was in sweet tone as they totaled 197 rushing yards on 41 carries, with a total of two touchdowns. Gurley exploded in the 2nd quarter with excellent blocking from his offensive line for a 71 yard rushing touchdown to start the Rams celebration of offensive big plays. Gurley would continue to attack the ground game, as the Rams could slowly develop the passing game. With the Rams rushing game in full swing, the sweep play for Austin was perfect for a red zone opportunity for the Rams. St. Louis would put together the longest scoring drive of the game, with a 7 play 80 yard drive that was capped off with a sweep play from Austin; touchdown.

Nick Foles and the offense were finally in sync as they had a much-needed lead at the end of halftime 20-6. Jeff Fisher looks to have found his own momentum in this Rams team, as after halftime, Coach Fisher was on the sideline getting his team fired up. It’s the first time I have ever seen Fisher fired up and showing passion with this team. This St. Louis Rams team could be something special after their performance today. As the Rams entered the last quarters of the game, Fisher controlled the game. The Rams finally got more time of possession than their opponents for the first time this season. The Rams had about 32 minutes of offensive plays, as for the 49ers, they had 28 minutes. Big improvement for the Rams offense.

Nov 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) celebrates with teammates after scoring a 66 yard touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

With the amount of time and focus on the running game, quick passes lead to huge plays for the Rams. Austin has the ability to turn a screen pass into something special, and it showed in the fourth quarter when Foles and Austin connected on a 66 yard short/screen pass that put the nail in the coffin with the score of 27-6. Foles had himself an average day, as the run game is becoming the sole focus on this offense. Foles completed 14 out of 23 passes for 191 yards along with a touchdown. No mistakes, a great day for Foles, but could always be better. An even better result than Foles having himself a day, was Foles not pressured as much. Foles was not sacked at all, and the offensive line looked to be the strongest all season long. St. Louis totaled 388 yards on offense, along with 16 first downs. However there was one problem on the offense they dealt with all game, 3rd downs.

The Rams were 1-12 on 3rd downs, yet Fisher looked to keep the ground game going, and would run three straight times. Tre Mason got some time to show his skills in the 4th, as Gurley’s day ended early as the game was put away and no need to put any hits on the superstar rookie. Mason rushed for 46 yards on 15 carries. Great day for the offense, but 3rd downs are going to be a problem down the road if Fisher continues to just run every single play.

Nov 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis (55) celebrates after a tackle during the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Besides the offense finally starting to click today, the defense was lights out as usual. The Mob Squad got to 49er quarterback Collin Kaepernick three times, and made him rush throws all day long. Kaepernick completed only 20 passes out of 41 attempts. Kaepernick only totaled 162 yards through the air as well, Rams defense kept him in checked. For the 49ers rushing game, it was no where to be found, because of the rush defense from Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, and company. The Rams held the 49ers to their best yet only 38 rushing yards. The 49er rushing and passing game was not working at all today. The Rams have only allowed two touchdowns at home, personal best, and have only allowed eight total touchdowns, the best in the league. Once again, the defensive specialist Mark Barron had the most tackles on the team with 10 total, and 7 solo. He also had two tackles for losses. Barron and company made the 49ers punt the ball 10 times, also got a safety, and stopped them on 4th down in their own territory. Janoris Jenkins, kept the wide receivers in check, while Michael Brockers was a key player today as he was the one who broke free and tackled Mike Davis in the end zone for the Safety. Once the Rams defense got the safety, everything started to click for the Rams in the right way.

The Rams move to 4-3 with the win, and remain at 3-0 in the division. They will travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings next week and will continue to push for the playoffs. The Vikings currently hold a record of 5-2, and will be a great test for the Rams. Rams are currently 1-2 away from the dome, and need a huge road win to keep the momentum going. Rams have a 2 game winning streak, let’s keep it going.

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