In the week leading up to Sunday’s 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams game at SoFi Stadium, Sean McVay’s job became easier.
When the 49ers play McVay’s Rams in Week 3, San Francisco will be missing two of its best players, Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
The 49ers offense still has a lot of playmakers even with the loss of two important players, and McVay is aware that the Rams defense will still have its hands full on Sunday.
Regarding Samuel and McCaffrey’s absences, McVay said on Wednesday, “Those are excellent players that are tremendous assets for them.” “Kyle [Shanahan] does a wonderful job of applying the variety of concerns he may bring and the various skill sets that both of them possess to create pressure on a defense. However, they are also excellent at that with a number of other males.
“You see how their backs have filled in and performed admirably, really carrying on with a high caliber of production in the first two games. Kyle consistently relies heavily on the run game and does a fantastic job of varying it up. Though I believe Jauan Jennings is a much underappreciated talent, you still have a movable component in [Kyle] Juszczyk, [George] Kittle, and [Brandon] Aiyuk that are nightmares.”
The Rams are undoubtedly better off without Samuel and McCaffrey, but McVay and his coaching staff now have to adjust their game plan to account for a significantly different 49ers offense.
“With those two players out, it is incredibly challenging,” McVay continued. “I am not upset that they are not playing against us, but hopefully they will be alright. However, their offensive capabilities remain unmatched in this league.”
Although Shanahan and the 49ers have had the Rams’ and McVay’s number in the past, Los Angeles will want to make life tough for Brock Purdy, the 49ers quarterback, and the 49ers coach when they visit San Francisco with a weakened offense.
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