The Rams - Not the 49er's -Will be our Toughest Division Foe

[savvyman]

I liked how the Rams finished up last year. In week 12 the went into San Francisco and spent the entire first quarter fighting with the 49er's after every play had ended. Then the Rams repeated their road warriors approach four weeks later when they played the Hawks in Seattle for the season finale - except this time they fought with the Hawks throughout the first 3 quarters after every play had ended.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/ ... s-practice


I like the Rams a lot - especially with the recent draft upgrades.

I think that the 49er's will not be the Hawks biggest threat next year for the division title - I believe the toughest competition will come from the Rams.

What do you think?

[kalibane]

Not until the Rams get decent QB play

[Futureite]

I respect the Rams. They could have a great D with their additions and I like Stacey. I also like Bradford, but I understand a lot of people don't. 14 tds 3 ints before he was hurt if I am not mistaken. Big question for them is Oline. If they cannot fix that they have no realistc chance though. If they do fix their Oline, they have the potential for 10 wins or more.

We beat the Rams by double digits each time we played them last yr, the worst of which was without Aldon and Willis. So, I feel confident playing them again this yr. They do worry me though nonetheless. They are going to put it all together one of these yrs.

[NorthHawk]

The Cards might be tougher than the Rams at least regarding total wins, but it's going to be a battle to win this division for any team.
My vote is for the 49ers being the toughest team for us again this year. They've added some much needed WR talent and they are as deep as us at most positions and better along the OL.

[c_hawkbob]

The Lambs ain't better than the Niners yet ...

[HumanCockroach]

Not entirely sure the Rams are better than the Cards yet ( though losing their LB's certainly won't help Arizona). Not sold on Bradford, or his receivers.

[savvyman]

Sorry 49er's fans...... Father Time will be paying a visit to the 49er's locker room this year...... and he will be there to collect.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/

(sort by age if the link does not do this automatically)

[savvyman]

Regarding Rams QB Sam Bradford:

>>>>>Bradford finished 2013 with 1,687 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions with a completion percentage of 60.7 in seven games. As Fisher points out, over the course of a full season those numbers would project among the best in the league. <<<<<<<

Bradford put up these numbers last year with one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/ ... -with-rams


Regarding the Ram's Offensive Line - They graded out a lot higher than the Seahawks OLine did last year and only a few spots lower than San Francisco's offensive line.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2 ... ankings/3/

Add to this is the Rams drafted the best Offensive Lineman available in the draft with the 2nd overall pick in the recent draft.

If Bradford stays healthy - - Look out for the Rams Next year.

[Eaglehawk]

If there is any year that the Niners will slide its this year .What happened to A. Curry after his big signing? He stopped playing hard. (His own admission by the way).
Now not everyone is like him, but I wonder if Kaep will play the same or take his money to the bank and cash it in. It's a question for our resident semi-troll Future who will disagree with me of course.
But that being said, I think Savvy is right. If there is any step backwards in the play of the Niners, I look for it to be this year.

1. Front Office-Coach tension
2. Older team(not by much but still)
3. They may have new talent, I doubt their coaches can coach these kids up in the toxic environment. From all that I have read, the team appears divided a bit. Maybe I am wrong, just my impression.
Nuff said.

[Futureite]

Regarding Rams QB Sam Bradford:

>>>>>Bradford finished 2013 with 1,687 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions with a completion percentage of 60.7 in seven games. As Fisher points out, over the course of a full season those numbers would project among the best in the league. <<<<<<<

Bradford put up these numbers last year with one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/ ... -with-rams


Regarding the Ram's Offensive Line - They graded out a lot higher than the Seahawks OLine did last year and only a few spots lower than San Francisco's offensive line.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2 ... ankings/3/

Add to this is the Rams drafted the best Offensive Lineman available in the draft with the 2nd overall pick in the recent draft.

If Bradford stays healthy - - Look out for the Rams Next year.

Those are good points, but I am not buying their O-line. They were thoroughly dominated upfront in several games, including when we played them in ST Louis. Bradford gets hit way too much and it's really hurt his development (not to mention his body). I don't know Saffold's status, but they were shuffling guys all yr and they do not have a lot of depth at O-line.

And father time may come knocking - on one or two of our players. J. Smith, Gore or Boldin. Can you honestly name any other player. None of the three worry me. Boldin and Smith bade their game on being physical and playing with technique. They are not going to fall off a cliff production wise. Last yr Our D-line rotated more than it ever had in the Fangio era. If anything we have too many young D-linemen now and someone (or a couple) very good ones will be cut.

I have heard that Gore is getting old literally every yr since 2008. Again, he is not a guy like LT that relies on speed and slahing. He has great vision, power and ability to find the hole and grind (sexual reference unintended lol). His endurance will probably slow, and his carries will lesson. I guarantee he will still be effective when he is in the game though. We have been preparing for this for yrs and have a ton of depth behind him. Our run game is actually one area I am most excited to see. I am curious how good these young guys are (if at all).

Farher time is undefeated! But he's not knocking on many doors here! .

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

That's the hope of 49ers fans, I'm sure. Y'all maybe rotating the d-line, but Justin Smith is absolutely crucial to the success of that front 7, even more so with the likely suspension of A. Smith and the half-season absence of Bowman. Maybe J. Smith will continue to defy the odds, but he's 35 in September; that's crazy long in the tooth for a d-linemen.

In 2008, Gore was 25 years old. You may have kept hearing it, but it will eventually be true. 31 years old with 2,187 career carries (also 331 receptions). He's getting to the limit. I personally think this is he and Lynch's last years on their teams. They've really been taking a beating.

[RiverDog]

Last season, I lost a beer bet, my bet being that the Rams would make the playoffs. I thought that this would be Bradford's break out season. Not only did they not make the playoffs, they finished dead last in the conference. I am $5 poorer because of those damn Rams.

But I do think they get better this season, but I don't think they quite get past the Niners. This could be the year we see three teams from the NFCW make the playoffs. Even though they haven't beaten us in awhile, they sure seem to give us fits and I worry more about our matchup against them than I do the Niners.

[Zorn76]

49ers.

And it's not even close.

[kalibane]

If you think Bradford's stat line means they have a QB you're welcome to that belief. Despite the stats I thought Kellen Clemons was actually better at managing the game. I've never seen a game where I thought Bradford actually hurt the opposing defense and the fact that they decided to stick with him instead of finding another QB in the offseason actually made me happy.

As long as Bradford is their QB they don't worry me.

[savvyman]

If you think Bradford's stat line means they have a QB you're welcome to that belief. Despite the stats I thought Kellen Clemons was actually better at managing the game. I've never seen a game where I thought Bradford actually hurt the opposing defense and the fact that they decided to stick with him instead of finding another QB in the offseason actually made me happy.

As long as Bradford is their QB they don't worry me.

Bradford is one of the most accurate passers in the NFL. He arm strength is excellent too as he can make any throw from sideline to sideline and go deep with ease.

Bradford compiled those stats in seven games (before he was injured) with arguably the worst receiving corp in the NFL. Furthermore there were several games where he was sacked 4 or more times and even with all that pressure only threw one interception in those games. Also, Bradford had no running game to work with either. Zac Stacy did not get on the field until week 6. For 5 of the 7 games that Bradford compiled his stats last year, the Rams had no running game to speak of. Only when Zac Stacy emerged in Game 6 did the Rams start to effectively move the rock on the ground for the first time last season.

Keep disrespecting the Rams and Bradford at your own risk.....

[kalibane]

Yeah yeah yeah... we've been hearing that for four years. Somehow the Rams keep drafting in the top half of the draft thought. Can you point to one game in his entire career where Bradford won the game for the Rams? I sure can't. You may believe in Bradford. I don't until he proves it. It's way to easy to rattle him.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

I think caution about Bradford has some merit. We've seen some mediocre QBs give us a run for our money over the last two years. Ryan Tannehill, Mike Glennon, Carson Palmer, and Kellen Clemmens come to mind. Not saying anybody on here believes we can underestimate Bradford, or any opposing quarterback and their team, but Bradford can make you pay if you let him.

[RiverDog]

Yeah yeah yeah... we've been hearing that for four years. Somehow the Rams keep drafting in the top half of the draft thought. Can you point to one game in his entire career where Bradford won the game for the Rams? I sure can't. You may believe in Bradford. I don't until he proves it. It's way to easy to rattle him.

Bradford hasn't developed like many felt he should of, but he's had injuries and a lack of receiving weapons to deal with. The Rams had a couple of chances in the past two drafts to part ways with him, but they've chosen to stick it out. There must be something that's justifying their confidence in him that he's their man.

Mack is correct, we've had some pretty mediocre quarterbacks give us trouble in past years. Heck, Matt Schuab was having a career day against us last season before Richard Sherman put an end to his career. We can bottle up the best quarterbacks in the league (Manning, Brees, Brady) yet some of the most pedestrian quarterbacks can give us fits. We match up very poorly with the Rams, mainly in that their strength, their DL, way out plays our biggest weakness, our OL. They may not be a threat to the rest of the league, but they dang sure are to us.

[kalibane]

I'm not talking about how we match up head to head. I'm talking about how they match up within the division and I still think Sam Bradford prohibits them from competing for the division title. Thus the Niners are still the biggest rival. The Rams are just a potential spoiler.

[HumanCockroach]

How do the Rams win the division by giving Seattle trouble? Last I checked, the division wasn't won in two games ( even if they were able to win both times, which I simply don't see happening in the foreseeable future). The Rams could become a threat, but claiming they are because they play us tough, is the same as people in Baltimore or Pittsburgh fretting over Cleveland each and every season.

[RiverDog]

How do the Rams win the division by giving Seattle trouble? Last I checked, the division wasn't won in two games ( even if they were able to win both times, which I simply don't see happening in the foreseeable future). The Rams could become a threat, but claiming they are because they play us tough, is the same as people in Baltimore or Pittsburgh fretting over Cleveland each and every season.

I never said they'd win the division. I think they are the third best team in the division... maybe...and I voted for the Niners as being our biggest divisional challenge in 2014. I am merely using the opportunity to point out how much of a threat the Rams are to us in particular. If they were to sweep us, something that is not an 'extreme' concept, I can't see us winning the division, let alone the SB.

[Eaglehawk]

Definitely I worry about the Rams. Not to the point of losing sleep, but if Bradford steps up his game a bit, it will be interesting to see our match-up.

With our new weapons on offense, I think any drop off from our defense should be compensated for. And any step up in the Rams defense should be addressed via our new weapons. As someone posted we have made pedestrian qb's look like little Johnny Unitases. And bottled up the big names in a box.

Weird.

[Hawktawk]

Rams had us in St Lois. It was amazing Seattle won that game it was so lopsided an arse whooping everywhere but the final score. I respect Jeff Fisher immensely. I also respect Bruce Arians. If he had a real QB instead of turnover machine Carson Palmer they would be deadly. IMO 9ers are the biggest candidate for a swan dive into the slag heap. Kap being an idiot off the field. VD threatening a holdout and demanding a new contract to protect and enhance "his brand". Hairball not responding to the FO regarding an extension following the rumors of a near trade to Cleveland. Aldon Smith being well...Aldon. And its nothing to root for but its hard to see how Navarro Bowman will ever be the same after the gruesome knee injury.

I dunno I think they are going down. I sure hope so. 10 wins for the whiners over the next decade would suit me just fine.

[RiverDog]

Rams had us in St Lois. It was amazing Seattle won that game it was so lopsided an arse whooping everywhere but the final score. I respect Jeff Fisher immensely. I also respect Bruce Arians. If he had a real QB instead of turnover machine Carson Palmer they would be deadly. IMO 9ers are the biggest candidate for a swan dive into the slag heap. Kap being an idiot off the field. VD threatening a holdout and demanding a new contract to protect and enhance "his brand". Hairball not responding to the FO regarding an extension following the rumors of a near trade to Cleveland. Aldon Smith being well...Aldon. And its nothing to root for but its hard to see how Navarro Bowman will ever be the same after the gruesome knee injury.

I dunno I think they are going down. I sure hope so. 10 wins for the whiners over the next decade would suit me just fine.

Nice post, and I agree. The Niners have implosion written all over them.

But I'm stubborn. I still think the Niners are going to be one of the toughest teams in the league.

[NorthHawk]

I'll believe implosion when I see it.
Until then, I think they are one of the top handful of teams in the league with as much chance to be NFC West champions and eventual Super Bowl champions as us.

[Eaglehawk]

Rams had us in St Lois. It was amazing Seattle won that game it was so lopsided an arse whooping everywhere but the final score. I respect Jeff Fisher immensely. I also respect Bruce Arians. If he had a real QB instead of turnover machine Carson Palmer they would be deadly. IMO 9ers are the biggest candidate for a swan dive into the slag heap. Kap being an idiot off the field. VD threatening a holdout and demanding a new contract to protect and enhance "his brand". Hairball not responding to the FO regarding an extension following the rumors of a near trade to Cleveland. Aldon Smith being well...Aldon. And its nothing to root for but its hard to see how Navarro Bowman will ever be the same after the gruesome knee injury.

I dunno I think they are going down. I sure hope so. 10 wins for the whiners over the next decade would suit me just fine.

Nice post, and I agree. The Niners have implosion written all over them.

But I'm stubborn. I still think the Niners are going to be one of the toughest teams in the league.

Yea, I can say nothing except that you are probably right. I voted Rams because of how they played us last year, and because Jeff Fisher knows his stuff and because the 49ers may take a step back this season due to the aforementioned problems. But then after their miserable start, I thought it was over for them last season until they rattled off victory after victory and met us in the Championship game.

[PasadenaHawk]

I voted 49ers but agree with most, they could implode at any time. I don't know why but I'm thinking they have one more good/great year left before that happens.

Maybe I put too much stock into one game, but our last game with the Rams was jaw dropping. I can't recall a game in recent history where one team was so dysfunctional and unprofessional as that Rams team. Even though the score didn't reflect a complete humiliation like the previous season's beat down of the Cardinals, where some sportscaster guessed the Cards kept the bus engines running, but talk about meltdown on the field! Seems the rams have some mental issues they need to fix before they can fully right that ship.

[NorthHawk]

One thing I can agree with about the Rams possibly being tougher is the unknown with Williams as their DC.
He brings a slightly different element to their Defense from last year and although his style is more gambling, it presents a new challenge for opposing Offenses.
It remains to be seen if his coaching will be successful or if they will take a step back, but it's a change every team facing them will have to adjust to.

[Futureite]

I voted 49ers but agree with most, they could implode at any time. I don't know why but I'm thinking they have one more good/great year left before that happens.

Maybe I put too much stock into one game, but our last game with the Rams was jaw dropping. I can't recall a game in recent history where one team was so dysfunctional and unprofessional as that Rams team. Even though the score didn't reflect a complete humiliation like the previous season's beat down of the Cardinals, where some sportscaster guessed the Cards kept the bus engines running, but talk about meltdown on the field! Seems the rams have some mental issues they need to fix before they can fully right that ship.

Lol we are going to implode based upon the theory that Justin Smith and Frank Gore are the shoe strings that are holding the whole team together. Which is ridiculous. It's not going to happen.

[burrrton]

I'll believe implosion when I see it.

This. They've been tough as nails the last few years and they have their important parts back (mostly). No reason for me to think they're going anywhere yet.

[kalibane]

It really seems like an increasingly large percentage of the 49er posts are based on wishful thinking. You guys do realize that they have like 12 draft choices every year to reload with right?

[RiverDog]

I voted 49ers but agree with most, they could implode at any time. I don't know why but I'm thinking they have one more good/great year left before that happens.

Maybe I put too much stock into one game, but our last game with the Rams was jaw dropping. I can't recall a game in recent history where one team was so dysfunctional and unprofessional as that Rams team. Even though the score didn't reflect a complete humiliation like the previous season's beat down of the Cardinals, where some sportscaster guessed the Cards kept the bus engines running, but talk about meltdown on the field! Seems the rams have some mental issues they need to fix before they can fully right that ship.

Lol we are going to implode based upon the theory that Justin Smith and Frank Gore are the shoe strings that are holding the whole team together. Which is ridiculous. It's not going to happen.

It's more than just J. Smith and Gore. Boldin ain't no spring chicken, and you guys have another significant player by the name of Smith that gets sentenced sometime around the start of training camp with Goodell's hammer to follow. You have a pretty tough schedule, with 7 games against playoff teams, and you're playing in the league's toughest division.

I'm not subscribing to the implosion theory, but I'm not dismissing it like you are.

[HumanCockroach]

I don't adhere to the implosion theory either, but cracks in the foundation? Yeah, quite a few of them actually.

[Futureite]

I voted 49ers but agree with most, they could implode at any time. I don't know why but I'm thinking they have one more good/great year left before that happens.

Maybe I put too much stock into one game, but our last game with the Rams was jaw dropping. I can't recall a game in recent history where one team was so dysfunctional and unprofessional as that Rams team. Even though the score didn't reflect a complete humiliation like the previous season's beat down of the Cardinals, where some sportscaster guessed the Cards kept the bus engines running, but talk about meltdown on the field! Seems the rams have some mental issues they need to fix before they can fully right that ship.

Lol we are going to implode based upon the theory that Justin Smith and Frank Gore are the shoe strings that are holding the whole team together. Which is ridiculous. It's not going to happen.

It's more than just J. Smith and Gore. Boldin ain't no spring chicken, and you guys have another significant player by the name of Smith that gets sentenced sometime around the start of training camp with Goodell's hammer to follow. You have a pretty tough schedule, with 7 games against playoff teams, and you're playing in the league's toughest division.

I'm not subscribing to the implosion theory, but I'm not dismissing it like you are.

True, Boldin is older. But we just signed Stevie Johnson. If we were ever going to implode it would've come last yr at 1-2 with Aldon sidelined in a sea of turmoil, Crab out and Willis down for a couple games. I agree we have some challenges and a tough schedule, but we also have a whole slew of young talent this yr. I could see a dogfight for the division, but not an implosion. As much as I'd like to see a Seattle implosion (and Niner fans often profess the same), if both fanbases stepped back and looked at it logically they'd probably admit both teams will be good for the forseeable future.

[kalibane]

I think the 49ers are in as good as shape as anyone in the NFL (including the Seahawks) but that's assuming that the young players, namely Kaep, keep taking steps forward.

If Aldon doesn't get his life together and Justin Smith falls off, that's the one area where I don't think the 49ers have someone readily available to help balance out the loss. I'd be a little worried about the defense if I was a Niner fan (in the same way that I worry about the Offensive Line as a Seahawk fan).

It's like dominoes. If the job doesn't get done up front the subpar secondary will get exposed. But none of that would lead me to knock the 9ers out of the top 3 teams in the league or a legit superbowl contender. Mainly it would just be concerning in terms of how much it will hurt their ability to win a division with no easy games.

[Futureite]

I think the 49ers are in as good as shape as anyone in the NFL (including the Seahawks) but that's assuming that the young players, namely Kaep, keep taking steps forward.

If Aldon doesn't get his life together and Justin Smith falls off, that's the one area where I don't think the 49ers have someone readily available to help balance out the loss. I'd be a little worried about the defense if I was a Niner fan (in the same way that I worry about the Offensive Line as a Seahawk fan).

It's like dominoes. If the job doesn't get done up front the subpar secondary will get exposed. But none of that would lead me to knock the 9ers out of the top 3 teams in the league or a legit superbowl contender. Mainly it would just be concerning in terms of how much it will hurt their ability to win a division with no easy games.

I agree with your assessments. We have concerns. I overrated our WRs last yr too, and you were right in your assessment of them. I think our O will have to carry us the first part of the yr. The saving grace is that rhe tough games at rhe front of our schedule are teams that are heavy on O and light on D.

[briwas101]

Forty niners are still our toughest divisional opponent. I just dont see them declining enough and the rams or cards improving enough.

Maybe 2015 will be the year that someone else beats out the niners for #2, but I just dont see it yet.

[Eaglehawk]

Forty niners are still our toughest divisional opponent. I just dont see them declining enough and the rams or cards improving enough.

Maybe 2015 will be the year that someone else beats out the niners for #2, but I just dont see it yet.

I agree Briwas101, I too don't see it practically, so consider my vote more based on intuition. But I voted for the Rams in part, and only in part, because of the grief they gave us and how they manhandled us until the end of the game. But mostly, I voted for them because I think because of the problems INTERNALLY at the 49ers, I feel another team will step up this season. And that team could be the RAMS. Who the hell knows. But consider my vote an outlier and one that I think really could happen, in fact I think it will happen.

[savvyman]

Bump

I know it is only pre-season.

I look over to Santa Clara and I see the 49ers are getting their rear end handed to them by Denver at 17 - 0 at the half.

This gives me even more confidence in my call that the NFL team (that no one expects) that will have the greatest fall this year will be the 49ers.

And no I am not a 49er hater - after the 49ers received their second loss last year a majority of the PI board was writing the 49ers off for the season - I posted several times in response to the 49er grave dancing last year that the 49ers would be in the hunt for the Superbowl until the end.

This year though father time is calling and the 49ers cannot avoid this call any longer.

Our toughest division foe will be the Rams.

[Futureite]

Bump

I know it is only pre-season.

I look over to Santa Clara and I see the 49ers are getting their rear end handed to them by Denver at 17 - 0 at the half.

This gives me even more confidence in my call that the NFL team (that no one expects) that will have the greatest fall this year will be the 49ers.

And no I am not a 49er hater - after the 49ers received their second loss last year a majority of the PI board was writing the 49ers off for the season - I posted several times in response to the 49er grave dancing last year that the 49ers would be in the hunt for the Superbowl until the end.

This year though father time is calling and the 49ers cannot avoid this call any longer.

Our toughest division foe will be the Rams.

Lol you guys just cannot stop hating. I wish I knew the true genesis of it.