SF 49ers vs. LA Rams: 3 ways Niners frustrate Jared Goff

The SF 49ers will look to make LA Rams quarterback Jared Goff’s life tough in Week 12, and here’s how they go about doing it.

There is no shortage of similarities between the SF 49ers and LA Rams, who just so happen to square off against each other in a crucial Week 12 bout at SoFI Stadium, one which could determine the final outcome of the Niners’ 2020 playoff push.

At 4-6, the injury-riddled 49ers are going through a lot of the post-Super Bowl pains the Rams went through a year ago after losing their last Super Bowl. Head coaches Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay both stem from the same coaching tree, and one can easily see the similarities in both their offensive systems: run-heavy schemes utilizing bootlegs, rollouts, play-action passes, etc.

Both teams employ quarterbacks of the same ilk, too, although San Francisco is likely to be without its starter, Jimmy Garoppolo, for a lengthy period of time. Perhaps the rest of the season, as he’s on the mend with a high-ankle sprain.

But Los Angeles’ starting quarterback, Jared Goff, will be on the field in Week 12.

And it’ll be up to the SF 49ers to make his life tough.

Despite all the issues the Niners have faced this year, they still own the league’s fourth-best defense against the pass, having given up just 2,089 yards through the air. That bodes well against Goff, who struggled in the LA Rams’ 24-16 loss to San Francisco back in Week 6 where he went 19-of-38 for 198 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a 72.0 passer rating.

Yes, Goff and the Rams are coming off a major Week 11 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to improve to 7-3 on the season.

But if the SF 49ers can do these three things to frustrate Goff, it might be the Niners who come away with the Week 12 win.