Figuring out how many players he can rest for the playoffs while still fielding a team in a meaningless Week 18 game is a new challenge for San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. The NFC West rivalry between the 49ers (12-4) and Los Angeles Rams (9-7) will have a decidedly different feel when they meet on Sunday with both playoff-bound teams approaching the game almost like an exhibition. “This is just stuff that’s a little annoying to think about but once you kind of do, which we had time to do the last couple days, I just had to talk to some players so they understand it,” Shanahan said.
RAMS OFFENSE: OVERALL (7), RUSH (10), PASS (8), SCORING (8) RAMS DEFENSE: OVERALL (19), RUSH (12), PASS (24), SCORING (19) 49ERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (2), RUSH (3), PASS (2), SCORING (3) 49ERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (7), RUSH (3), PASS (15), SCORING (2) TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Rams minus-4; 49ers plus-10. RAMS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Carson Wentz. Los Angeles is giving starter Matthew Stafford the week off, clearing the way for Wentz to make his first start for the Rams.
Behind his precocious success, his Super Bowl ring and his hair gel, Sean McVay is a teacher at heart. This season's Los Angeles Rams are perhaps his most impressive educational job yet. With six wins in their last seven games culminating in a 26-25 victory over the Giants, the Rams (9-7) have risen from the depths of a 3-6 start to claim their sixth winning regular-season record and fifth playoff berth in McVay's seven years in charge.
Safety John Johnson re-signed with the Los Angeles Rams during training camp, when most NFL observers thought this rebuilding team coming off a dismal 5-12 season had only a slim chance of even contending for a playoff spot this year. “If we’ve got Coach McVay, we’ve got a chance,” Johnson said after the Rams (8-7) beat New Orleans 30-22 on Thursday night and moved up to sixth in the NFC playoff picture with their fifth win in six games.