LA Rams vs 49ers rivalry comes to a head in NFC Championship Game

The LA Rams have met the San Francisco 49ers 10 times since hiring Sean McVay to be the team’s head coach. Over the course of the series, the Rams actually had won three of the first four games before the 49ers got hot, and lucky, to win the final six contests. But are the 49ers really dominating the Rams as their players and fans love to claim on social media? Or is there just a bit of luck involved, luck that could swing back to the Rams favor in the NFC Championship Game?

The Rams offense has scored 249 points in those 10 games, while the defense has allowed 274 points.  By the scoring, the two teams have been relatively evenly matched. But when the margin of victory has been decided by three points or less? Well, fortune has smiled on the 49ers. the LA Rams have won just one game decided by a small margin, while the 49ers have won the last three games decided by three points or less.

Isn’t it time for luck to fall the other way? After all, in four of the 49ers’ last six wins over the LA Rams, they have only done so by 17 points. Most of the 49ers’ winning streak has been more about the mistakes, miscues, and miscommunications that the Rams have self-inflicted than simply running against the better team.

As much as this rivalry has been so painful and frustrating over the past few years, one thing seems obvious. The LA Rams needed the 49ers to upset the Green Bay Packers in order to have a meaningful chance of competing in Super Bowl LVI, just as the 49ers needed the Rams to upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to have a chance of competing for the Lombardi Trophy.