3 Keys And A Pick: St Louis Rams At 49ers

Nov 24, 2013; St.Louis, MO, USA; St Louis Rams defensive end

(94) celebrates with defensive end

(91) after returning a fumble for a 31 yard touchdown during the second half against the Chicago Bears at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis defeated Chicago 42-21. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

This classic NFC West rivalry will add another chapter Sunday as the St Louis Rams will travel to San Francisco for their final game in Candlestick Park against the San Francisco 49ers. Here are the 3 keys to the game and a pick on who will win this hotly contested matchup.

1. Contain Colin Kaepernick.

Colin Kaepernick is an outstanding football player. He is a dynamic playmaker. However, he has been a shaky passer this year. If you let him get out of the pocket, the coverage will break down and he will either find an open receiver or run the ball himself. You need to get pressure on him almost immediately and keep him contained.

2. Stop Frank Gore on 1st downs.

Now the 49ers don’t run it on 1st down every time but when they do, it’s going to Frank Gore. In the last 2 games, the St Louis Rams have held opponents to 49 yards rushing per game. The Rams run defense has made major improvement in stopping the run. If they can hold Frank Gore to a 3 yard average for the game and hold him to an average of 2 yards on 1st down, that will go a long way to beating the 49ers.

3. Stay within yourself. (Continue on the next page)