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theramswire.usatoday.com] Jalen Ramsey explains what Rams must do to beat 49ers: 'We've got to be the tone-setters'
Cameron DaSilva
January 4, 2022 2:07 pm PT
Jalen Ramsey joined the Rams in a midseason trade back in 2019, and he’s accomplished a ton in his two-plus seasons in L.A. He’s made the Pro Bowl three times, been named an All-Pro and established himself as the best defensive back in football.
One thing that’s still missing: a win over the 49ers.
The Rams have lost five games in a row to San Francisco dating back to 2019, four since Ramsey arrived. Kyle Shanahan has owned Sean McVay in that span, proving to be the Rams’ toughest opponent.
But in a game that carries greater playoff implications than any other, the Rams have a chance to snap the losing streak and beat their division rivals, potentially knocking them out of playoff contention. After getting embarrassed by San Francisco in Week 10, 31-10, Ramsey isn’t afraid to admit the 49ers have had the Rams’ number. But he also knows what Los Angeles must do in order to win this critical game and is confident they can get it done.
“They have had our number. It’s OK to say. That’s the truth,” Ramsey told Rams Wire via phone Tuesday on behalf of Snickers. “They’ve played pretty good ball during those games that they’ve beat us. They’ve been physical during those games. We have to be super physical. We have to set the tone, not match the tone. We’ve got to be the tone-setters. We really do have to play good complementary football this week. Offense, defense and special teams. We have to limit turnovers on offense and we have to get some turnovers on defense, for sure. We fought through some adversity. We fought through losing turnover battles these last couple weeks. We fought through it, so we know we can do it. We know what we have in us, but it would be great to put it all together and end the season on a high note.”
In their Week 10 loss to the 49ers, the Rams turned it over twice and had just 278 yards of total offense. The defense didn’t take the ball away and despite only allowing 335 yards, Los Angeles still gave up 31 points – in part because one of Matthew Stafford’s two interceptions was a pick-six, and the other resulted in a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
Protecting the football is crucial against this 49ers team, which only ranks 13th in points scored. They don’t take the ball away often, forcing just 22 turnovers, but they found ways to turn takeaways into points last time they faced the Rams.
The Rams have lost the turnover battle in each of the last two weeks and still managed to win the game, but they’d rather not have to come from behind and overcome costly mistakes again on Sunday.
This season, Ramsey partnered with Snickers to reward a fan with tickets to the Super Bowl for submitting a video of a rookie mistake they’ve made. Ramsey hopes to be playing at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13 in front of the fan who wins the tickets.
“Me and Snickers partnered together for their initiative that they launched this year,” Ramsey said. “They’re rewarding a fan with two tickets to Super Bowl LVI for entries about what they consider a rookie mistake in their life.”
