Rams at 49ers
The St. Louis Rams have lost three straight and things certainly don’t get any easier Sunday when they visit the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams hope the early return of wide receiver Danny Amendola can spark their sputtering offense. Amendola was far and away their best offensive player before a broken clavicle derailed his season. It was feared he would miss the rest of the season but the gritty receiver intends on playing against the Niners.
NFC West-leading San Francisco has won four of its last five games and hasn’t allowed a touchdown in any of the victories. The Niners rolled over Arizona 24-3 prior to their bye as quarterback Alex Smith shredded the Cardinals' secondary by completing 18 of 19 passes. Smith ranks fourth in the NFL in passer rating (102.1).
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: 49ers -11, O/U 38.5
ABOUT THE RAMS (3-5): QB Sam Bradford has thrown for just one TD or fewer in six of his eight games this season. Amendola, who caught 14 passes in the first half against the Cardinals in Week 2, should help improve that. The Rams are a respectable 10-12 in games that Amendola has played since 2010. St. Louis will need to its running game to improve. The Rams were open to trading Steven Jackson who has been splitting time with Darryl Richardson in the backfield but found no takers. Jackson has rushed for 1,000 yards in seven straight seasons. The Rams are 0-3 on the road.
ABOUT THE 49ERS (6-2): The 49ers are 3-1 at home and have won seven of the last eight games in the series. St. Louis hasn’t won at Candlestick Park since 2007. San Francisco brought in running back Brandon Jacobs and drafted LaMichael James in the offseason but has yet to use either of them as veteran Frank Gore continues to excel. With Gore running for 656 yards, eighth best in the NFL, the 49ers lead the league in rushing by averaging 168.6 yards, more than the Redskins and Robert Griffin III. Defensively, the Niners are allowing just 12.9 points, again the best in the league.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Both teams are coming off their bye week.
2. San Francisco swept the series last season.
3. Rams QB Sam Bradford missed both games against the Niners last season with a sprained ankle.