Bottom line here is McVay has had a problem with his team losing in the trenches to these clowns going way back. But I think for many reasons this is going to be the game that we get right and maybe find a way to send them home for the offseason.
Trench play really factors in here first off. This team is the best I have seen in the trenches for a McVay roster in the entirety of his time with us. Better than 2018 for sure. That year we had a brief run following the addition of CJ but the size of the holes we are getting behind this OL has been something to watch. Running the ball on that very stout Ravens front to the tune of a 3.9 yard per carry average for Michel was impressive. This is not the same team the 9ers saw earlier this year on either side. Defensively with Gaines in there doing his thing plus the way Robinson is coming on (he had a fantastic game vs Baltimore) plus Von empowering that edge opposite Floyd we have one of the top lines right now in the league on that side of the ball. There is no defensive front playing better than ours in both run/pass right now.
Secondary play, which plagued us in the first half of the season, has really turned around. Rams are now making QBs hold the ball an extra beat and we're seeing the effect. They're getting into more favorable looks on third down. They're getting off the field. Yeah they still tend to give up more yards than I want to see. But in this game I guarantee SF is going to need to hold it a bit more than they did in that first game this year. Which means pressure and pressure means mistakes.
Playing for a #2 overall seed is a big deal. Personally I don't care if the Rams are on the road or not. I think they play better as an underdog. But the Rams do care and this means this game is going to get full roster focus and preparation. McVay's gameplanning is going to be to the hilt here.
Being at home all I can say is I hope the fans show up big. And lately they have been doing that. So I expect we'll get a big and hostile crowd to punish the 9ers ability to hear their calls.
Good chance it's going to be the kid QB. If so he's gonna have the bright lights of SoFi, the crowd hammering his comms, he's gonna be holding onto that ball when reads 1 and 2 are covered at the snap and knowing this DL is coming for him.
So yeah maybe I'm just souped up on kool-aid from the five game win streak. But I see an alignment of things here that makes me think the 9ers are about to walk into a buzzsaw.
