The Los Angeles Rams have had a bit of an up-and-down season so far. They haven't been able to string together more than two wins and have lost two of their last three games. Entering Week 8, they hope to get a “revenge win” over state rivals the San Francisco 49ers at home. A win here would give them a bit of distance from the bottom half teams in the NFC West. Here are our Los Angeles Rams Week 8 predictions as they take on the 49ers.
Following their bye week, the Rams return to the field against the 49ers here. They won their previous game, a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. That gave them time to see if it was the start of brighter things to come or just a momentary respite from the team's recent losing tendencies.
Meanwhile, the 49ers are attempting to recover from a 44-23 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week. That was despite the addition of running back Christian McCaffrey.
With all these in mind, here are our four bold predictions for the Los Angeles Rams in their Week 8 game against the 49ers.
📍 SoFi Stadium
🗓 October 30
⏰ 1:25 PM PT
📺 @NFLonFOXMore on how to watch our Week 8 matchup. ⤵️
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 27, 2022
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4. Getting some healthy guys back will help
Van Jefferson, a steady and explosive No. 3 wide receiver who can stretch the field, will be back in action this week. Center Brian Allen is also slated to return. In the long run, running back Kyren Williams is likely to be activated within the next few weeks, while guard Coleman Shelton is also slated to return later in the season.
In the short term, Jefferson may take a second for him to get his game legs under him. Recall that he missed the entirety of training camp as he recovered from the second of two off-season knee surgeries. Jefferson is a large top-end-speed target who isn't hesitant to do the hard work in the center of the field. He's a potential difference-maker for this inconsistent offense.
Having all these warm bodies back on the field should really help the Rams' chances in Week 8.
3. That Rams run game will need to be creative
The Rams are figuring out how to add more solidity to their run game. Keep in mind that QB Matthew Stafford poses no danger whatsoever as a runner, so they'll have to be extra creative.
In a Week 6 triumph over a good Panthers defense, the Rams recognized that there was a chance to exploit the pass rush's overeagerness. So they started handing the ball off to receivers on sweeps (four wideouts, in fact, including a touchdown). They also aligned a receiver next to a running back in the backfield and handed off or got a quick game going off a short route. They tried moving the ball horizontally.
This was the kind of creativity the Rams needed. It aided in setting up their play-action downfield passing game in the same way that a typical run game might. Interestingly enough, what was working for the Rams in the run game was receiver Ben Skowronek playing fullback. That kind of formation had some good outcomes in Week 6. They could try something similar again here against a confident and stout 49ers defense.
2. Matthew Stafford has another sub-80 pass rating
Rams QB Matthew Stafford has struggled against the 49ers in three regular-season meetings with the Rams. He's averaging 245 yards a game with four touchdowns, five interceptions, and a lost fumble in that time. He has also been sacked 14 times.
In his last outing against the 49ers, Stafford was 32-of-48, had no touchdowns, and was sacked SEVEN times. He also threw one INT and had a passer rating of just 71.0. We don't really see him improving those numbers here in Week 8.
The 49ers will be all too happy to pressure and sack him a handful of times again. That will lead to more rushed reads and decisions for Stafford, who just hasn't looked sharp this season. We have him easily recording another sub-80 pass rating performance.
1. Rams won't get revenge in Week 8
This week marks the second meeting between the 49ers and the Rams this season. The two teams played in Week 4, with San Francisco winning at home. Unfortunately for Rams supporters, we will probably have a similar outcome in Week 8.
While the 49ers have struggled in previous weeks, we expect a stronger performance now that McCaffrey has gotten more practice time with the club. The dual-threat RB is a game-changer in every sense of the term. Remember that he has 367 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in two career meetings with the Rams.
Besides, Los Angeles still has a lot of challenges ahead of it. QB Matthew Stafford has the second-most interceptions this season, and the backfield is a shambles now that Cam Akers is on his way out. With the Rams' solitary victory in October coming against the lowly Panthers, there's no reason to be optimistic about the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Yes, sure, Cooper Kupp will still be solid. Count on him for 100+ yards and maybe a touchdown, but that's about the brightest spot the Rams will have in this meeting.
