Niners Look Impressive In Monday Night Win Against Division Rival Rams

After starting the season a disappointing 1-2, the San Francisco 49ers, who have reached the NFC Championship in each of the last three seasons, improved to 4-2 Monday night after a 31-17 win over NFC West division rival St. Louis Rams.

Much like their previous two wins, which came in gritty come from behind fashion, the Niners didn’t emerge as the obvious favorites early in the contest. The Rams went up 14-0 in the first quarter and dominated the time of possession throughout the game.

San Francisco really separated itself at the quarterback position—Colin Kaepernick completed 22-of-36 passes for 343 total yards, with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He averaged 9.5 yards per pass and was able to evade a sack against the Rams. Kaepernick also rushed for 37 yards on three tries, averaging 12.3 yards per attempt.

Compare that to the play of St. Louis’ Austin Davis, who has been filling in for former No. 1 draft pick Sam Bradford, who went down for the season in August with a torn ACL for the second consecutive season. Davis was 21-of-42 for 236 total yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked five times and averaged just 5.6 yards per pass.

The win was absolutely critical for the Niners to keep pace in the division, which is likely to be the most competitive in the NFL for the second straight season. At the moment the 4-1 Arizona Cardinals stand alone at the top, with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks right behind the 49ers at 3-2, having already had their bye.

For the 1-4 Rams, once again it’s all about rebuilding. A permanent state of being that would probably weigh on sports fans in St. Louis if the Cardinals weren’t perennial World Series contenders.