Week 10 Post Match Review: Rams at 49ers

By Scooter_McG

Prime time rivalry games can deliver some strange results and absorbing contests irrespective of the records of the two teams. In this one it was the reeling 49ers that played like Super Bowl contenders against a high flying Rams that played like the mistake-prone 49ers team we've seen through the opening 8 games of the season.

Shanahan is widely considered to be brilliant with the Xs and Os. However, he can sometimes be guilty of calling the game too much like a chess match, a battle of strategy. To some degree he is correct and strategy is a key aspect of the game. But it can also be part of Shanahan's problem.

After last weeks game I outlined how Shanahan abandoned the run early in the contest and that it contributed to the Cardinals early lead. Looking at the film, abandoning the run in that game made a certain kind of sense from a strategy point of view - the Cardinals were setting themselves up to stop the run at all cost and daring the 49ers to beat them through the air. But as I said after the game, even when that is the case the 49ers should never abandon the run as bad things seem to always happen when they do. 

The reason for that is pretty simple; the 49ers offense is built to run the football. It is their strength on offense. It is the most consistent and reliable aspect of their offense. And while Shanahan likes to outline that it is a reciprical and symbiotic relationship between the run and pass, throughout his tenure at the 49ers it has consistently been the run that sets up success in the passing game, not the other way around.  

Strategy is important, and taking advantage of what the defense gives you is a key aspect of the game. But there is another equally important aspect of the game. Football is also a contest of wills. About who wants it the most. About winning one-on-one matchups and imposing your will on an opponent. This is something Jim Harbaugh relished and was a cornerstone of his 49ers teams. The way the 49ers played against the Rams was almost reminiscent of those Harbaugh teams and it was great to see. 

Bar a kneel down to end the half, the 49ers only had two drives in the first half. But they dominated time of possession none-the-less as they ran it 21 times and passed it just 8 times on those two drives. Nearly a 3:1 ratio of run to pass. 

Shanahan was also very smart in the opening drive. They ran it down the Rams throat, but they mixed their personnel packages to keep the Rams guessing. Three runs came from Deebo at RB with Jeff Wilson playing FB - from a personnel perspective it was 11 personnel to get the Rams playing an extra DB and it gave the 49ers a distinct advantage running the ball. You can just imagine that was what Shanahan envisaged when they drafted Jalen Hurd, so it was somewhat ironic to see them using the package the week they released him. 

It was a signal of intent from the 49ers. This was a team that wanted to bring physicality. They wanted to be the bully. They wanted to impose their will on the Rams.

Before this weeks game I pointed out three things I was going to be keeping an eye on. First was pressuring Stafford into mistakes. While the pressure wasn't really there, Stafford obliged all the same with plenty of mistakes. He only turned the ball over twice (on the Rams first two possessions), but he also put the ball in harms way on many other occasions. 

Second, I outlined the turnover battle. This has been a constant thorn in the side of the 49ers over five seasons, and a major contributor to their win-loss record over that span. Today they played an efficient and clean game on offense, with just four incomplete passes, no INTs and no fumbles. On defense, as outlined above they came away with two Jimmie Ward INTs of which one was a pick-6. A little disappointingly they could easily have had more, but importantly they won the turnover battle and while not as emphatic as it could have been it was clearly superior performance from the team in the turnover battle.

Third, and most importantly, I outlined how I wanted to see the team play some "bully ball". To build some confidence by playing to their strength on offense (running the ball) and playing fast, aggressive football on defense. It was fantastic to see the team take exactly that mentality into the game and get the reward for it. And the team clearly gained considerable confidence as the game went on.

Now comes the tricky part - maintaining that mentality and confidence for the rest of the season.