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49ers opponent Q&A: St. Louis Rams Examiner Tim Klutsarits
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Steve Spagnuolo has had a tough first three games as coach.
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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As the 49ers prepare to face the Rams this Sunday, I checked in with St. Louis Rams Examiner Tim Klutsarits.
We exchanged a handful of questions with each other about our teams.
Here's what I asked:
The Rams have hit the injury bug recently with the injuries to Marc Bulger (shoulder), Donnie Avery (ribs) and Laurent Robinson (IR-broken fibula). Are the backups capable of handling the offense?
The short answer is probably not. The Rams have been offensively challenged to say the least this year and now an already thin receiving corps is without their best WR this season in Laurent Robinson. Kyle Boller provided a spark last week against Green Bay but was not able to sustain it. This is a golden opportunity for Boller to show that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL again. We’ll see how he handles the chance.
Even though the offense has been struggling, the Rams defense has had a tough time as well. The 49ers plan to continue to run the ball with rookie Glen Coffee. How can the Rams 27th ranked rush defense stop the 49ers rush attack?
I think if I had that answer Steve Spagnuolo would have me on staff already. The Rams biggest problem defensively is their front four. They don ’t get enough push on the pass rush and don’t keep the offensive lineman off the linebackers which creates problems in the run game. The Rams linebackers are not bad and James Laurinaitis has been a pleasant surprise but I would expect Coffee to have a nice game in his first start in the NFL.
What changes has new head coach Steve Spagnuolo instituted since his arrival?
The new head coach has tried very hard to change the culture at Rams Park but he is struggling. The talent level is so low that he can’t fix all the mistakes in one offseason. His goal has been for the Rams to be tougher and play mistake free football. They show glimpses of both of those things now and then but nowhere near enough to be a winning football team. The city of St. Louis is tired of losing football and they are desperate to see improvement. Thus far there has not been any on the field but three games do not make the coach.
Oshiomogho Atogwe is the team’s best defensive player. How will the Rams use him and the rest of the secondary to prevent the 49ers’ growing passing game?
OJ Atogwe is the ultimate ballhawk. He seems to always be in on any turnover that the Rams force. He has had a decent start but will be more challenged this Sunday, as his counterpart at safety, James Butler, will miss this Sunday’s game against the 49ers. The two cornerbacks have been an interesting case. Jonathan Wade won his job in training camp and has played well. Ron Bartell signed a big contract in the offseason and has been bad. I would imagine that the 49ers will run the football and not bother with the secondary until they have a need to try.
Who wins this game and who is the game MVP?
The 49ers will win this one going away. I see a 24-10 win for the Niners. As far as the MVP I will go with Vernon Davis. The Rams have had huge problems stopping the tight end and Davis has played so well early I would expect him to have a huge afternoon.
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Check out the questions Tim asked me at the St. Louis Rams Examiner page.
Follow me on Twitter for updates. Check me out here @SLam49ers
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