The Los Angeles Rams enter Sunday's NFC Conference Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers with revenge on their minds. After losing two games this year and six straight overall to their biggest NFL rivals, the Rams are out to prove that Kyle Shanahan and company do not have their number. With Super Bowl 56 set to take place in Los Angeles, the Rams have their destiny in their own hands and do not have to leave the comforts of home to do it. So, how can the Rams take down a team that they have seemed utterly inept at beating? Well, they can start by doing these three key things…
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Rams keys to winning NFC Conference Championship and making Super Bowl 56
3. Load the box
In every single one of Jimmy Garoppolo's playoff wins, he has had less than 180 yards passing. The team is playing well when Jimmy G is not asked to do too much because they are able to run the ball. While no team can truly stop the 49ers' potent rushing attack, the Rams can at least be prepared. As much as Deebo Samuel has helped the rushing attack, it has actually been rookie Elijah Mitchell that has been the offense's sparkplug. The 49ers are undefeated in 2021 when Mitchell has at least 65 rushing yards (10-0) and just 2-7 when he either sits the game out or fails to hit 65 yards. The Rams need to load the box as much as possible to encourage the 49ers to stray from the run and instead get pass-heavy.
2. Put Jalen Ramsey on Deebo Samuel for the ENTIRE game
Samuel has had a nice three-game run, starting in the Week 18 matchup with the Rams. If Los Angeles is going to come out on top this weekend, they need to pull a “Craig from Friday” and knock Deebo the **** out”…figuratively, of course. They do that by placing All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey on Samuel for the game's entirety, something they have failed to do in the first two matchups this year. Ramsey does not really “shadow” opposing number one's, instead deferring to the Rams' scheme under defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. This week that needs to change, though, because the Rams cannot afford to let Samuel start to make plays and get his team juiced up.
1. Keep Matthew Stafford off the turf
In the Rams wins in 2021, they are averaging just under 1.5 sacks per game, and in their losses that number shoots all the way up to 3.0. If the Rams are able to keep Stafford closer to the 1.5 number on Sunday, it will give them perhaps the biggest edge that they can gain. With the 49ers starting left tackle Trent Williams hurting and the Rams' defensive line rounding into Super Bowl form this past month, that is a bad combination for the 49ers. If one team is sacking the quarterback and the other one is not, the quarterback that is able to stay on his feet more is going to win the game 99 percent of the time.
Obviously, there will be many more reasons that the Rams either win or lose the NFC Conference Championship, but these are the three that stick out like a sore thumb as determining factors in their success this year. What are your three keys to a Rams victory? How about for the 49ers? Let us know on Twitter @ClutchPointsApp and/or @JbellSportsTalk.
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