Niners Easy NFC-West Schedule Continues vs. Rams
Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE
After handedly defeating the Arizona Cardinals, the San Francisco 49ers will remain on cruise control as they face another NFC-West pretender in the St. Louis Rams on Nov. 11 after their bye week.
The Niners will be a well-rested bunch when they face their division foes, having just played one game over the last 23 days, a rarity that you don’t normally see in the NFL. It’s all due to their team’s Thursday night game, in which they slipped by Seattle on Oct. 18 and then played Arizona on the following Monday night. Add another bye week into the mix and the 49ers got themselves a three week, mid-season break.
“That’s great for our team because we can get our bodies back and heal up how we’re supposed to,†defensive lineman Ray McDonald said after practice, via Doug Williams of NBC Bay Area News.
The 49ers are steamrolling their division, owning a 6-2 record with only eight games left in the season. It seems they are on their way to their second straight division title and another run at the NFC title. Though, some people were a bit more beuracratic when stating the division’s balanced landscape.
“Now we know when we come back we’ll have at least a two-game lead in the division,†center Jonathan Goodwin told NBC reporters. “Last year was kind of a fluke year as far as the division race. It’s rare that you have one team run away with the division early in the year. This year’s a little bit more normal. The teams in our division are playing a lot better, and the teams have four great defenses. That’s partly why the division’s a tougher race.â€
Do any oppose?
It sure doesn’t seem like it. The Niners have a two-game lead over the Seahawks, who they’ve already beaten and will likely coast through their next set of challengers, which include the likes of St. Louis, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and then Arizona again. The only competition in the field is when they visit the New England Patriots on Dec. 16.
The Niners have a few days off and will return to the practice field on Tuesday to prepare for next week’s battle against the visiting Rams.
