The San Francisco 49ers are sitting pretty at 1-0 and in first place in the NFC West after Week 1, thanks to a 27-7 thumping they handed the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday. While all the other NFC West teams pulled out a win this weekend, it was only the Rams who stumbled right out of the gate. A divisional win is always worth more, like a “game and a half” in value, and that kind of start can really help with those January tiebreakers. Yeah, I remember last year when those same 49ers beat our Hawks in Seattle, but still, seeing an early rival take a huge L? I’m here for it.
Niners Looking Crisp, But Battling the Injury Bug Early
Honestly, seeing the Rams get stomped 27-7, I’ll take that any day, even if it was the Niners doing the stomping. The 49ers looked seriously crisp and efficient, especially after all the offseason hype around the Rams. It gives a lot of folks a reason to be optimistic about what the 49ers could achieve, if they can just stay healthy, right? And speaking of health, they already got hit hard by the injury bug twice. Tight end Jake Tonges went down with an MCL-related injury that sounds “not good.” Then wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling got carted off the field with what’s rumored to be a grade 2 deltoid sprain. Who knew the ankle even had a deltoid? Stribling, a rookie, is expected to miss at least a month, and surgery is on the table, which isn’t great news when they’re already without Ricky Pearsall. You never want to see a guy carted off; it usually means something devastating.
Rams’ Week 1 Woes Go Beyond The Scoreboard
Week 1 is way too early to make any big declarations, but the Rams are already in a tough spot. Not only did they lose big, but defensive lineman Myles Garrett is slated for knee surgery and will be headed to injured reserve. That’s a minimum of four games out, and there’s no timeline for his return. Losing a player of Garrett’s caliber this early, after laying a goose egg on the stat sheet in the opener? That is a massive blow. While Aaron Donald will still be there when the Rams play the 49ers again in Week 14, who knows what kind of player Garrett will be then, or if he’ll even be back?
The 49ers have a challenge in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins, but if they can keep healthy, they’re looking like a threat to the entire NFC, not just the West. For the Rams? Well, it’s Week 1, but losing Garrett so early means they’re digging out of a hole already. This is definitely something to keep an eye on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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