Rams vs. 49ers: Full Week 16 preview, analysis and breakdown

Rams vs. 49ers: Week 16 Matchups to Watch

Kyle Shanahan versus Sean McVay has turned into a nice coaching rivalry amid the now-tough NFC West, so that will be a fun aspect to watch in a game with plenty of playoff implications on the line.

Stopping running back Todd Gurley will be an essential part of San Francisco’s defensive game plan, of course, made easier by the fact he’s averaging only 3.9 yards per carry this season.

49ers Pass Rush vs. Jared Goff

Football Outsiders ranks the Rams offensive line second in pass protection this season, although Jared Goff handling pressure hasn’t resulted in good results for 2018.

As such, the Niners will look to get pass-rushers Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, who have a combined 19 sacks on the season, into full pressure mode on Saturday night in an attempt to force Goff to make some ill-advised throws.

K’Waun Williams vs. Cooper Kupp

Unlike the Falcons, who almost exclusively used wide receiver Julio Jones to torch the 49ers secondary, the Rams can count on three wide receivers — Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp — to make a difference.

Kupp is Goff’s favorite target, boasting 83 catches for over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns, although his production has sloughed off a lot since a massive 200-yard game in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Primary coverage on Kupp will fall upon the shoulders of K’Waun Williams this Saturday.

Ben Garland vs. Aaron Donald

While he might not be coming close to his league-leading 20.5 sacks from a year ago, defensive tackle Aaron Donald is still a wrecking ball up front and boasts a team-leading 11 sacks for Los Angeles’ defense.

Stopping his interior pass-rush abilities will primarily fall on No. 2 center Ben Garland, who had some of his own issues in relief of the injured Weston Richburg in Week 15 against Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.