NFC Championship: Rams and 49ers Scoreless After One Quarter

Jan. 30, 2022, 4:29 p.m. ET

Jan. 30, 2022, 4:29 p.m. ET

Of the four teams left standing in the conference championship games, the 49ers have the least impressive offensive statistics. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo hasn’t thrown for a touchdown this postseason, and has just 303 yards in two games. San Francisco’s only two offensive touchdowns were scored on the ground, and special teams were the difference in their win over the Packers in the divisional round.

But the 49ers’ offense matches up well against the Rams’ defense. Their run-heavy and short-pass offense helps dilute the pass rushing skills of Aaron Donald, Los Angeles’s standout defensive tackle. In their two meetings during the regular season, the 49ers ran the ball 75 times. In the second half and overtime of their matchup in Week 18, the 49ers rushed for more than 100 yards.

In his two wins against the Rams this season, Garoppolo exploited the Rams’ linebackers, completing 29 of 36 passes for 320 yards and three scores when throwing over the middle of the field, so look, too, for Garoppolo to target tight end George Kittle and others on those routes in order to neutralize Jalen Ramsey, the Rams’ best cornerback.