What to Watch When 49ers and Coaches Meet in the NFC Championship Game

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Shanahan, 42, outmaneuvered McVay, 36, as head coach, but the Rams have closed the talent gap this year by aggressively forming their roster. General manager Les Snead traded most of the team’s draft capital to buy corner player Jalen Ramsey in 2019, followed by quarterback Matthew Stafford and central defender Von Miller this season. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. He also joined as a free agent in the middle of the year.

Despite finishing first in the league during the regular season, Stafford also threw for 4,886 yards and 41 goals, both top three finishes. Cooper Kupp led the league in yards (1,947), receptions (145) and goals (16), and Beckham became a reliable second-choice, giving the Rams the big-game options that McVay likes to use to expand the defence.

But Stafford is prone to mistakes, and the 49ers’ defense has stuck the Rams at length in their two games this season. In addition to Arden Key, the front lines of Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead are a powerful force. The key in particular was a surprise. Signed as a free agent with the Raiders three years later, Key had five tackles for 6.5 sacks, 17 quarterback kicks and a loss. Collectively this post-season, the defensive front has helped two of the best offenses in the league – Dallas and Green Bay – reach 27 points, and on both occasions, away.

Los Angeles’ offensive line has allowed seven sacks in its last two games against San Francisco and must protect Stafford from a pass offense so buyers can use the 49ers’ weak spot, the second.

By contrast, San Francisco’s offense relies on exotic mid-court moves and game-action transitions enabled by Jimmy Garoppolo’s quick release (in his last two meetings, Garoppolo’s shots were clocked leaving his right hand in 2.35 seconds, according to NFL NextGen Statistics). ).

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