5 key matchups to watch in Rams vs. 49ers on Monday

[theramswire.usatoday.com] 5 key matchups to watch in Rams vs. 49ers on Monday


Skyler Carlin
September 30, 2022 11:00 am PT

The Los Angeles Rams are set to square off against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4 on Monday Night Football. It will be the second consecutive divisional matchup for the Rams after they defeated the Arizona Cardinals 20-12 in Week 3.

Los Angeles has sole possession of the lead in the NFC West at 2-1 while San Francisco fell to 1-2 on the season following a loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 3. Despite the 49ers having a losing record to begin the season, they’ve had the advantage over the Rams in recent years besides last season’s NFC title game.


Ahead of the showdown between the Rams and the 49ers, here are 5 key matchups to watch for on Monday night.

Joe Noteboom vs. Nick Bosa
Whenever Andrew Whitworth retired, the All-Pro offensive tackle iterated that he won’t miss having to block Nick Bosa off of the edge every season. With Whitworth no longer protecting the blindside of Matthew Stafford, it will be Joe Noteboom who will be tasked with trying to contain Bosa on Monday.

Noteboom got off to a slow start this season, but he’s put together two straight solid performances for the Rams. Meanwhile, Bosa has gotten off to a blazing start this season with 11 combined tackles, 11 quarterback hits, four tackles for loss, and four sacks.

If the Rams hope to have success offensively, they’ll need Noteboom to perform well against Bosa.

Jalen Ramsey vs. Deebo Samuel
It was a rough start to the season for Jalen Ramsey after the passing attack of the Buffalo Bills had no issues airing the ball in Week 1. However, the All-Pro cornerback has been dominant in the previous two weeks and is prepared to face the 49ers.

The Rams haven’t asked Ramsey to handle a shadow-coverage role full-time against any opponent, but we should expect him to see a fair share of Deebo Samuel on Monday night. San Francisco deploys Samuel in a variety of ways, so it’s tough to have the veteran cornerback follow him around the field the entire game.

That being said, the Rams have struggled against the versatile wideout in recent years, so whenever Ramsey is on him, he’ll need to prevent any big plays.


Leonard Floyd vs. Colton McKivitz
The 49ers had a rough outing versus the Broncos in Week 3 and it got even worse when they lost Trent Williams to an injury. Williams suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Broncos and he’s expected to miss multiple weeks, meaning that Colton McKivitz will start at left tackle for San Francisco on Monday night.

With McKivitz likely drawing the start, the Rams will likely line up Leonard Floyd across from him for the majority of the game. Floyd has yet to record a sack this season, so this would be a perfect week for the former first-round pick to get into the sack column.


Cooper Kupp vs. Samuel Womack
Even after Cooper Kupp was limited to four receptions for 44 yards on six targets in Week 3, he’s still totaled 28 receptions, 280 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns. The All-Pro wideout also scored his first career rushing touchdown against the Cardinals last week to aid the Rams in the win.

Out of Kupp’s 174 offensive snaps this season, 98 of them have come out of the slot. Given Kupp’s usage out of the slot, he’ll likely see a decent bit of Samuel Womack on the 49ers.

Womack is the nickel cornerback for San Francisco and he currently boasts an 88.4 PFF grade in the first three weeks, though, he hasn’t faced a wide receiver like Kupp yet.


Tyler Higbee vs. Tashaun Gipson
The Rams recently placed Van Jefferson on injured reserve, which means they’ll need plenty of production from Kupp and Allen Robinson at the wide receiver position until he returns. Amid Jefferson’s absence to begin the season, Tyler Higbee has been the de facto No. 3 option in the passing game.

In the first three games of the season, Higbee has hauled in 16 of his 24 targets for 171 yards. With Stafford’s rapport with Robinson still needing work, the veteran signal-caller has looked in the direction of Higbee quite often.

There’s a good chance that Higbee will see a decent amount of Tashaun Gipson in coverage on Monday night.