The San Francisco 49ers will travel to St. Louis to play the Rams on Sunday in a game that, surprisingly, has plenty of playoff implications. Even at 5-9, the 49ers are just one game out of first place in the NFC West. The Rams are currently tied with the Seattle Seahawks at 6-8 and in first place of the NFC West.
NFL Picks Week 16: San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams Enter Must-Win Game
If the 49ers win out there are some tiebreaker situations that would allow them to take the division. If the Rams win out, they’ll be in because they play the Seahawks in Week 17. So clearly this game is important for both teams.
The 49ers announced on Wednesday that they're going with Troy Smith over Alex Smith at quarterback following Smith's performance in San Francisco blowout loss to the San Diego Chargers last week.
The 49ers are the seventh ranked run defense which matches up well with St. Louis, who like to lean on Steven Jackson. That's not to say Sam Bradford isn't dangerous -- he is. Bradford doesn't have many (any?) receivers so he's put up an impressive season once you take that into account.
The Rams aren’t the same old Rams and NFL odds recognize that putting them at two point favorites in this game. Because the NFC West has been so crazy this year, I’m picking the 49ers. I think Troy Smith gives them a spark and San Francisco lives for another week.
Check out Niners Nation and Turf Show Times for more on the game.
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