49ers vs. Rams game thread: Tonight should be the Elijah Mitchell show

A 49ers win would do wonders for their 2021 season. San Francisco currently sits in the 11th spot in the NFC West, but the Panthers are 5-5 in the seventh spot, while the Saints, who don’t have a QB or any wide receivers, are 5-4 sitting in the sixth spot. Add in the 5-4 Vikings, 4-5 Falcons, 4-6 Eagles, and you have the Wildcard race in the NFC.

First things first for the Niners, and that’s a daunting task with Sean McVay’s team coming to town. Tonight, we’ll see elite talent go head-to-head. Von Miller vs. Trent Williams and Cooper Kupp vs. Jimmie Ward are the two I’m looking forward to watching.

Outside of that, you have some of the top players at their position in Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, George Kittle, and Fred Warner — and those are just the superstars.

And while the stars will receive the headlines, it’s the weakness of each team that’ll be the deciding factor tonight. For the Rams, can they protect Matthew Stafford and stop the 49ers running game? The numbers suggest Elijah Mitchell should have a big game.

For the Niners, can they hold Stafford under 300 yards and stop turning it over as they’re about to score a touchdown? If so, the home team could win at Levi’s Stadium for the first time in 13 months.