49ers vs. Rams: 2 reasons why Niners win, 2 reasons why they lose

With the 49ers squaring off against the Rams on Monday Night Football, let’s contrast reasons why the Niners either win or lose their Week 4 game.

The San Francisco 49ers are either a disappointment through three games in 2022, or they’re off to a slow start.

In theory, they could be undefeated three weeks into the season, especially having lost very winnable games to the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos in Weeks 1 and 3, respectively.

But they didn’t. And with the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams coming to town for Monday Night Football in Week 4, head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad is looking at two possible outcomes: either getting back to the .500 mark with a win or falling to a dreadful 1-3 record at the first-quarter mark of the regular season.

In many ways, the Niners are a bit of an anomaly. Shanahan’s offense, presumed to be a strength of the team, is tied for fourth worst in scoring with a mere 47 points so far, while San Francisco’s defense is allowing a league-lowest 3.9 yards per play and ranks third best in points allowed (37).

However, while the defense has more or less done its job in all three games, it’s been the offense that has failed to muster enough prowess to win those games.

True, LA is also going through some offensive challenges early this season, which bodes well for the 49ers’ efforts to get back on track.

So, with all that as a backdrop, let’s look at specific reasons why the Niners pull off a victory on Monday night, contrasting those against why San Francisco ultimately loses.