Rams vs. 49ers Week 6 Preview

Quick-Hitters

• In a stark reversal of recent trends, the San Francisco 49ers are home underdogs this week against the Los Angeles Rams.

• Jimmy Garoppolo struggled last week against the Miami Dolphins and was ultimately benched, creating even more uncertainty about San Francisco’s quarterback situation. It's worth noting that the game was out of hand and Garoppolo was taking some hits.

• Garoppolo could return to the starting lineup this week, although he may not be at full strength coming off a high ankle sprain in Week 2.

• Amidst several injuries, the San Francisco defense is no longer the dominant force that it was last season.

• Los Angeles (-185) is favored by 3.5 points over San Francisco (+155) with the over/under set at 50.5 total runs. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE GAME ODDS!
  

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A Horrific Showing

The San Francisco 49ers being underdogs for the first time since last season’s Super Bowl is undoubtedly related to the benching of Jimmy Garoppolo last week. Garoppolo suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, but was deemed healthy enough to play in Week 5 after San Francisco went 1-1 without him. Garoppolo had what could have been the worst half of his career, completing 7-of-17 passes for 77 yards, throwing two picks, and getting sacked three times. With C.J. Beathard struggling against a mediocre Miami Dolphins defense, there are legitimate concerns about the San Francisco offense moving forward.

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Health Concerns

Despite the poor performance and health concerns, there's a chance that Garoppolo could play against the Los Angeles Rams this week. Kyle Shanahan explained that he benched the quarterback because Garoppolo’s ankle injury limits his mobility. With San Francisco being down 30-7 at half, they were forced into an obvious air attack, and Miami was likely to rack up some hits on him. Given the nature of high ankle sprains, Garoppolo isn’t likely to be at full strength if he plays in Week 6. That could lead to similar problems against Aaron Donald and a defense that’s averaging 4.0 sacks per game.

Home Dogs

The San Francisco defense is no longer the dominant unit that carried the 49ers to the Super Bowl last year. A slew of injuries to key players has taken a toll. The 49ers were able to overcome those injuries against challenged offensive teams like the New York Jets and New York Giants, but with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dolphins scoring enough points to beat San Francisco the last two weeks, there's skepticism. The Rams are averaging 27.2 points per game. The end result is the 49ers being a home underdog, a situation that would've been hard to believe before the season.