McVay seeks elusive regular-season win vs. Shanahan when Rams host 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO (1-0) at LOS ANGELES RAMS (1-0)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, FOX

BETTING LINE: 49ers by 7 1/2, according to FanDuel SportsBook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: 49ers 1-0; Rams 1-0.

SERIES RECORD: 49ers lead 75-69-3.

LAST MEETING: 49ers beat Rams 31-14 on Oct. 30 in Inglewood, Calif.

LAST WEEK: 49ers beat Steelers 30-7; Rams beat Seahawks 30-13.

49ers OFFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (3), PASS (12), SCORING (T-6).

49ers DEFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (T-1), PASS (18), SCORING (3).

RAMS OFFENSE: OVERALL (3), RUSH (T-18), PASS (2), SCORING (T-6).

RAMS DEFENSE: OVERALL (3), RUSH (11), PASS (4), SCORING (6).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: 49ers plus-1 (T-8); Rams even (28T).

49ers PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Brandon Aiyuk had eight catches for a career-high 129 yards and two TDs in the season opener. It was his third career game with at least two TD catches and fifth with at least 100 yards receiving. Aiyuk became the first Niners WR with at least 100 yards receiving and and two TDs in the opener since J.J. Stokes did it in 1998.

RAMS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Kyren Williams ran for 52 yards and his first two NFL touchdowns in the win over Seattle. Since starter Cam Akers struggled to get going in the season opener, with nine of his 22 carries going for no gain or a loss, Williams can make his case for a larger role by putting together another strong showing.

KEY MATCHUP: 49ers pass rush vs. Rams offensive line. Matthew Stafford was kept clean versus the Seahawks and threw for 334 yards without an interception. Los Angeles will need an equally effective performance against a San Francisco defensive front that picked up five sacks and nine quarterback hits in a romp over the Steelers. Drake Jackson had three sacks to match his entire rookie season in 2022 and created considerable pressure off left tackle, which means Alaric Jackson in particular will be tested.

KEY INJURIES: 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw is dealing with a hamstring injury but is expected to play. ... Rams rookie QB Stetson Bennett was placed on the non-football injury list Wednesday for undisclosed reasons. Brett Rypien will be Stafford’s backup for at least the next four weeks.

SERIES NOTES: San Francisco has won eight straight regular-season games against Los Angeles. The Rams’ only victory in the series since 2019 came in the NFC championship game on Jan. 30, 2022. … Including the playoffs, Kyle Shanahan is 9-4 against Sean McVay. They worked together for four seasons with Washington 2010-2013. … 49ers QB Brock Purdy did not play in the two games against the Rams last season.

STATS AND STUFF: San Francisco is starting the season with back-to-back road games for the 13th time in franchise history. They swept the first two games in five of the previous seasons, including 2019 and 2021 under Shanahan. ... The 49ers have won 11 straight regular-season games, tied for their longest streak since winning 15 in a row from 1989-90. ... Purdy is the first QB to win his first six regular-season starts with at least two TD passes in each one. ... Purdy is also the first player to have a passer rating of 95 or better in his first six starts. ... Niners RB Christian McCaffrey has scored a TD in 10 straight games, including the playoffs. That’s two shy of Jerry Rice’s franchise record set in 1987. ... McCaffrey’s 21 games with at least 150 yards from scrimmage are the most for any active player ... San Francisco WR Deebo Samuel has 681 yards from scrimmage and six TDs in his past six games against the Rams, including the playoffs. … Rams WR Tutu Atwell set career highs with six receptions for 119 yards against the Seahawks. He never had more than 62 yards receiving in his first 21 games in the NFL. … WR Puka Nacua (10 receptions, 119 yards) became the second Rams player drafted in the fifth round or later to have 100 yards receiving in his debut. Carroll Dale, an eighth-round selection in 1960, had 106 yards against the then-St. Louis Cardinals. … Atwell and Nacua are the first pair of Rams age 23 or younger to have 100-yard receiving performances in the same game since Del Shofner and Lamar Lundy against the Baltimore Colts on Nov. 23, 1958. … DL Aaron Donald has one sack in his past six games against San Francisco. He had 11 1/2 in his first 11 games against them, including a four-sack outburst on Oct. 21, 2018. … Donald (494) needs six tackles to become the third Rams defender with 500 career stops. Alec Ogletree (503) has the second-most in team history, well behind James Laurinaitis’ record 853 tackles.

FANTASY TIP: McCaffrey became the 11th player in NFL history to have a rushing, receiving and passing touchdown in the same game in the most recent meeting between the 49ers and Rams last October. While he probably won’t do it again this time around, McCaffrey has run for at least 100 yards and a score in four of his past six regular-season games making him a priority option in all fantasy formats.

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