SF 49ers: 4 players who light up Week 12 vs. LA Rams
By Peter Panacy
The SF 49ers have an uphill fight in Week 12 against the LA Rams, but these four Niners players could stand out in a big way.
If the SF 49ers want to keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive this season, they’ll need to figure out a way to pull off an upset over the NFC West-leading LA Rams in Week 12.
Currently, according to The Action Network, the 7-3 Rams are 6.5-point favorites over the visiting Niners, who suffered a three-game losing streak just ahead of their Week 11 bye. Los Angeles, coming off a back-and-forth Monday Night Football win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is beset by the travel and short week.
But with LA boasting an offense ranked fifth best in total yards gained (3,973) and the No. 1 ranked defense in terms of yards allowed (2,919), it’s not hard to see why the 4-6 SF 49ers wind up suffering another loss in this matchup.
Yet matchups can be determined by standout players, and San Francisco still doesn’t have a shortage of those on the field.
If the SF 49ers do pull off a win, these players going off in Week 12 will be a primary reason why.
No. 4: SF 49ers Fullback Kyle Juszczyk
It’s something of a mystery why head coach Kyle Shanahan hasn’t put fullback Kyle Juszczyk into the team’s pass plans more this season.
To date, Juszczyk has been targeted just 16 times for 10 receptions and 118 yards, translating into an impressive 11.8 yards per catch.
Getting Juszczyk involved in the passing game sets up two things. First, it’ll create mismatches within the Rams defense, as he effectively acts as a second receiving tight end on the field to complement the starter here, Jordan Reed.
Second, with quarterback Nick Mullens struggling as of late, Juszczyk serves as a nice safety valve who often finds himself uncovered in those intermediate areas of the field.
If the Niners want to pull off a win in Week 12, Juszczyk needs to have more than his one-catch-per-game average.