Rams’ defense ready to make Mac Jones regret what he wished for on TNF stage

The Los Angeles Rams must pivot and face one of their most bitter NFC West rivals on a short week. That’s right—Thursday Night Football in Week 5 features the San Francisco 49ers visiting SoFi Stadium in a primetime showdown for the national audience. But unlike a Broadway show or a Hollywood red carpet premiere, this one will star some understudies.

• OUT for Week 5
• QB Brock Purdy (toe)
• WR Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs)
• WR Ricky Pearsall (knee)
• WR Jordan Watkins (calf)
• DE Robert Beal (ankle)

That places the spotlight squarely on backup quarterback Mac Jones. But before fans start salivating and setting sky-high expectations, it’s worth noting Jones has been one of the better No. 2s in the league this season. He’s already guided San Francisco to wins over the winless New Orleans Saints and the 2-2 Arizona Cardinals. And he didn’t do it by hiding behind a dominant ground game — he came out firing. In two starts, he’s thrown for 563 yards, four touchdowns, and just one pick.

Mac Jones eager to test himself against Rams’ elite defense

As is the case for competitive players in rivalry games, the challenge of a high-stakes, pressure-packed matchup excites the combatants. Jones is no different, eager to test his mettle against one of the most feared defenses. If he can conquer this group, he knows he’ll have serious leverage in his next contract negotiations.

But it won’t be easy. The Horns field one of the stingiest defenses and are no pushovers. The team has supercharged a run-stuffing defensive front that complements a heated pass rush nicely. On top of that, they’re winning the all-important turnover battle, with a plus-3 turnover index after four games. Compare that to San Francisco’s minus-5, and you can see where the advantage lies.

The 49ers may also need to develop new offensive weapons on the fly. Jones has done remarkably well throwing to wideouts Ricky Pearsall (173 yards) and Jauan Jennings (89 yards) in two games. Now, he’ll need to look toward Kendrick Bourne (70 yards), Jake Tonges (52 yards), and even Christian McCaffrey (140 receiving yards).

It’s not exactly the ideal supporting cast for any quarterback, let alone one still fighting for respect. And the Rams’ defense isn’t about to roll out the red carpet to make this job any easier. This might be the most important game Los Angeles has played all season, and you can expect DC Chris Shula’s group to act accordingly.

In 2024, LA won the first contest despite Jennings burning the secondary for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Now he’s out, and the Rams’ secondary will face a new set of receivers. The thing is, it’s ready to do exactly that.

As always, thanks for reading.

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