After dominating the New York Jets in Week 1, it looked like the San Francisco 49ers were once again going to breeze to the best record in the NFC West, earn a comfortable matchup in the playoffs, and go on another deep playoff run in the pursuit of another Lombardi Trophy.
And yet, the Minnesota Vikings had other plans, and in their Week 2 matchup, the 49ers were outcoached by their underdog foes and dropped a stunner, with the Brock Purdy-led team doping the game 17-23 to his former backup, Sam Darnold.
Now, to some fans, it felt like the sky was falling; Kyle Shanahan's idiosyncrasies were exposed, the team's flaws were on full display, and even another huge passing game by Purdy wasn't enough to secure the win and keep the undefeated streak alive.
Fortunately, the 49ers have landed the ideal Week 3 foe to help make things right in the Los Angeles Rams, who are somehow 0-2 and might just be the most injured team in the entire NFL. Unless Sean McVay too can get Shanahan's goat, it would appear San Francisco might just be primed to return to their winning ways.
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1. Jordan Mason has another strong showing
When the 49ers placed Christian McCaffrey on IR, fans of the team openly wondered if San Francisco would still be able to move the ball effectively in 2024. Granted, the 49ers have a very crafty rushing attack, and they still have the best left tackle in the NFL in Trent Williams, but would they really be able to keep things moving with their RB3 running the show?
Yup, while Mason might not have played much with McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell at full strength, the 49ers certainly haven't lost a step with the Georgia Tech product running the ball, as he's run for triple digits against both the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings, and looks primed to do so again in Week 3 as the Rams simply haven't been a very good team against the run so far this season.
Facing off against the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals, a pair of above-average rushing teams but far from elite, in Weeks 1 and 2, the Rams allowed their opponents to run the ball 71 times for 394 yards and three touchdowns, good for the fifth, third, and seventh worst marks in the NFL, respectively.
Granted, some of that production may be ever so slightly inflated by David Montgomery's impressive efforts in Week 1 overtime in addition to the Cardinals looking to run out the clock in their blowout Week 2, but their 5.5 yards per attempt still ranked third in the NFL, so even those caveats don't fully absolve Chris Shula's defense of being downright bad against the run.
The 49ers, by contrast, rank 11th in rushing yards recorded versus 12th in rushing yards allowed, which is good, considering the Rams are also among the worst rushing teams in the NFL, having only picked up 136 yards through the first two weeks of the season despite having two very good rushers in Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. If the Rams and 49ers try to keep the clock rolling in this battle of the NFC injureds, San Francisco has a clear advantage in the match.
2. Matthew Stafford and Brock Purdy have a SoFi shoot-out
While the Rams are downright bad at the run, both doing it and defending it, they are a much better passing team, as Matthew Stafford is still one of the best passers in the NFL and has somehow amassed 496 yards through the air despite having his passing weapons and offensive line get worse by the week.
Sure, he'll be without a pair of Pro Bowl receivers in Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp and won't have two-fifths of his expected offensive line now that Jonah Jackson has joined Steve Avila and Joseph Noteboom, but that hasn't stopped Stafford from keeping the ball moving through the air to the likes of Tyler Johnson, Jordan Weighted, Demarcus Robinson, and Quintez Cephus, who just signed with the team's practice squad earlier this week.
Granted, the 49ers won't be at full strength either in Week 3, as Deebo Samuel is out, George Kittle is doubtful, and the duo of Ricky Pearsall and Christian McCaffrey haven't even made their season debuts yet, but they still have nine-figure man Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and the starting offensive line they probably wanted coming into the season. If this game turns into a shootout, expect the 49ers to have the edge overall, as even if Stafford ends up throwing for more yards than Purdy, San Francisco's effective rushing offense should be just enough to give the team the edge in that avenue, too.
3. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers leave SoCal 2-1
Alright, so if the 49ers have a better rushing attack, have at least a comparable passing game, and are healthier overall than their division rivals, it's safe to assume the 49ers will return to San Francisco from SoFi with a second win on their resume, right?
Yeah, unless Sean McVay has something seriously tricky up his sleeve to halt the Rams' slide toward a 0-3 record, an all-out assault of trick plays, gadget snaps, and overall coaching prowess, the 49ers should be able to pull this one out in the end, as they are just better off pretty much across the board when compared to the Rams.
… then again, most people would say the 49ers were better pretty much across the board when compared to the Vikings in Week 2, so hey, you never really know who will win any given game in the NFL.
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