49ers vs. Rams: 5 vital matchups to watch in Week 4 on Monday night
By Peter Panacy
49ers vs. Rams matchup No. 4: Matthew Stafford vs. Niners pass defense
The Niners defense was dominant in Week 2’s win over the Seattle Seahawks, and it essentially allowed only nine of the Broncos’ 11 points scored in Week 3.
So, if San Francisco wants to pull off the win over the Rams, it’ll likely have to be the defense shouldering the bulk of the load.
That means making Matthew Stafford’s life that much more difficult. And despite Staffing proving to be a key difference for Los Angeles’ Super Bowl run a season ago, he’s having plenty of his own challenges thus far in 2022.
A banged-up offensive line, paired with a meager rushing attack, has influenced Stafford to toss only four touchdowns this season against five interceptions, while his nine sacks taken suggest the 49ers’ vaunted pass rush could manage some success over the course of Monday’s game.
During the NFC Championship game a year ago, Stafford began to pick apart the Niners secondary after the first half.
That might not be as easy a proposition in Week 4, though, as San Francisco now leads the entire NFL with a mere 445 yards surrendered through the air.
And if the 49ers can focus their efforts on Stafford’s favorite target, they’ll be that much better off.