Los Angeles Rams

5 Factors For Los Angeles Rams Against San Francisco 49ers in Week 1

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:00 p.m. ET

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Here’s a look at five factors for the Los Angeles Rams in their Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

Aug 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) on the sidelines in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Rams 17-9. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The 2016 NFL season is officially underway as the Los Angeles Rams open up the year on the road with a tough matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

Both teams face an uphill battle in the NFC West when considering the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals are early favorites to make a Super Bowl run in the NFC, but anything seems possible at this point when it comes to the division. While the Rams own one of the league’s top defenses, and hope to see an improvement on offense with Case Keenum entering the season as the starter at quarterback, the 49ers are going through some changes of their own.

Not only is Chip Kelly entering his first season as head coach with San Francisco, but the team will be going with Blaine Gabbert as their quarterback over Colin Kaepernick to start the season. Only time will tell when it comes to whether this move pays off, but Kelly seems confident Gabbert is the answer to helping this offense succeed in 2016.

With the Cardinals losing on opening night, the winner of Monday’s game between the Rams and 49ers will have an early upper hand with the Seahawks when it comes to a division lead. Here’s a look at five factors to keep an eye on for Los Angeles heading into their first regular-season game against San Francisco.

August 26, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Quinton Patton (11, center) is congratulated by tight end Garrett Celek (88, left) and quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) for scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at Levi

49ers’ Impressive Win Streak

The 49ers may be coming off a disappointing 5-11 season, but the team has quite the impressive win steak when it comes to openers and playing on Monday Night Football.

Courtesy of ESPN Stats & Info, not only has San Francisco won five-straight openers, but the team has won their last eight games played on Monday Night Football. When taking this into consideration, the Rams may find themselves at a disadvantage heading into Monday night.

Obviously, the circumstances are much different this season with a new head coach in Chip Kelly and Blaine Gabbert listed as the starting quarterback. With that being said, for reasons that can’t be explained, San Francisco appears to be a completely different team in openers and when they play in the national spotlight.

Who knows, maybe the addition of Kelly will give the 49ers extra motivation to come out strong Monday night against the Rams.

Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) celebrates with teammates after sacking Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (not pictured) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Donald’s Impact

If Los Angeles is going to have any shot at competing for the NFC West title, Aaron Donald and the rest of the defense will have to play at the high level from last year–if not better.

The only reason why the Rams managed to finish 7-9 in 2015 was thanks to a strong defense led by Donald when considering the offense ranked near the bottom of the league. In just two seasons, Donald has already emerged as one of the league’s top defensive tackles, and if all goes well, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the two-time Pro Bowler find his name in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

The fact that Donald has recorded 20 sacks over his first two seasons in the league shows just how luck the Rams are to have him on the roster. Expectations are high for the defensive tackle, but there’s every reason to believe Donald is going to shine once again in his third season.

Aug 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) cannot complete a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Tavon Austin’s Involvement

After receiving a hefty extension in the preseason, there’s no more excuses for Tavon Austin, and it’s time for the wide receiver to finally make a major impact on offense.

Los Angeles has been patient with Austin’s lack of impact on offense over the last three seasons, but the former No. 1 pick showed signs of life in 2015 by finding the end zone 10 times as a receiver, running back, and returner. Now, the real challenge for Austin becomes carrying this success over to 2016, and help the offense climb out of the bottom of the basement when compared to the rest of the NFL.

The Rams’ offense ranked near the bottom of the league last year, and the only way they’re going to improve is if they receive more help in the passing game. Austin finds himself in the perfect opportunity to start off the season on a positive note with an impact game against the 49ers in the national spotlight.

Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs the ball for a first down in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Shutting Down Carlos Hyde

After the first game of the season for the 49ers last season, Carlos Hyde looked like he was going to turn into a steal at running back for fantasy football owners. In that game against the Minnesota Vikings, the former Ohio State star was an absolute workhorse after rushing for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

Unfortunately, that was the only time Hyde would rush for more than 100 yards during the 2015 season as the running back was limited to playing in just seven games. Despite suffering a concussion in the preseason, all signs point to Hyde being ready to go for the opener as San Francisco will need all of the help they can get from the running back against Los Angeles.

The 49ers may not have the best offensive playmakers heading into the regular season, but Hyde is one of those players who seem capable of making a big difference, and will be a big test for the Rams on defense.

Aug 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) runs the ball as Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson (56) attempts to tackle at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Hot Start By Todd Gurley

Even though the Rams’ offense ranked near the bottom of the league in 2015, the one bright spot for this team was the production by running back Todd Gurley.

The former Georgia star proved all doubters concerned over his ACL injury wrong as a rookie last season by rushing for 1,106 yards with 11 touchdowns in 13 games. With a year of experience under his belt, the bar is set even higher for Gurley heading into his second season as Los Angeles will heavily rely on the running back when it comes to offensive production.

Gurley only played in one of the two matchups against San Francisco last year, and rushed for 133 yards with one touchdown. Fantasy football owners who used a top pick on Gurley hope to see the running back come out blazing against the 49ers on Monday night, and there’s every reason to believe that will happen when considering how fresh his legs are following limited action in the preseason.

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