Two teams pushed into must-win situations because of losses last week go prime time Saturday night when the Los Angeles Rams visit the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers (11-3) used a suffocating defensive effort to win 20-7 at Los Angeles in Week 6, sacking Jared Goff four times and limiting the Rams to 48 net yards of passing.
San Francisco has gone on to clinch a playoff berth, but it needs a win Saturday to be assured of going into next week’s showdown with the Seattle Seahawks (11-3) no worse than tied for the division lead.
The NFC West winner has a good shot at a first-round playoff bye and home field for a conference semifinal game. The runner-up already is assured of a wild-card entry into the postseason, where it likely will open on the road against the NFC East champion.
While a 29-22 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week knocked his team out of sole possession of first place in the West, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan quickly reminded his guys this week that they’re nonetheless just two wins away from accomplishing their goal of winning the division title.
“(It was nice) getting that realization back in our mind that we do control our own destiny and if we handle business we’ll be in a good spot,” San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo told reporters earlier this week. “We’ve just got to take it one day at a time, though, start with the Rams and we’ll take it from there.”
Garoppolo had almost as much impact as a runner (1-yard touchdown) as he did as a passer (243 yards with no TDs) in the earlier win over the Rams.
After giving up an early score, the 49ers used ball control to complement their stingy defense, running up a 22-10 edge in first downs and a 38:52-21:08 dominance in time of possession.
Like the 49ers, the Rams (8-6) have gone just 3-3 after a promising start. It’s dropped them to the edge of playoff elimination one year after reaching the Super Bowl.
Los Angeles needs a win over the 49ers on Saturday night, then a loss by the Minnesota Vikings (10-4) to the Green Bay Packers on Monday to retain any hope of making the playoffs entering its Week 17 regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
“We’ve had our share of ups and downs this year,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “I do like the way our team has bounced back after some of our setbacks.”
Both teams are crossing their fingers that a shorter-than-usual week of preparation won’t prevent a couple of key players from returning from injuries.
The 49ers were without standout cornerback Richard Sherman (partially torn hamstring) when they were stunned by Atlanta’s last-second touchdown pass. However, the veteran returned to practice this week and is expected to play Saturday.
Likewise, the Rams were missing right tackle Rob Havenstein (knee) for a fifth consecutive game when he sat out last week’s 44-21 debacle against the Dallas Cowboys. Like Sherman, the offensive line anchor has been practicing this week in anticipation of ending his absence Saturday.
The Rams have won three of their past five meetings with the 49ers, including each trip north the past two seasons. Goff, a San Francisco Bay Area native who starred at the University of California, has prevailed in his two homecomings as a starter, throwing five touchdown passes without an interception.