49ers vs. Rams 1st quarter thread: Touchdowns are encouraged

This past week has been nonstop talk about the lack of points from Jimmy Garoppolo, Kyle Shanahan, the offensive line, and the 49ers' offense against Denver last Sunday night. Those ten points on 14 drives were the lowest output since 2017.

As difficult as it may be, you have to ignore what you saw last week. Not only are the Rams banged up along the offensive line, but they’re a lowly 23rd in dropback success rate and 22nd in EPA per dropback. That tells you the secondary gets beaten consistently down-to-down while allowing the big play.

Youth in the secondary shows for Los Angeles. It’s Jalen Ramsey and a bunch of kids. Tonight presents a perfect opportunity for Jimmy Garoppolo to hit receivers in stride and let them do the work after the catch. I think we get a big Jauan Jennings game. He’s due.

We’ll also see touchdowns from Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. Prediction: After a slow-ish start, the offenses come alive in the second half, with the 49ers winning 26-21.

Check out our picks for the game below:

The 49ers are favored by 1.5 and DraftKings SportsBook, with a low total set at 42.5. History would suggest the score goes under, with a 49er win. Let’s hope it plays out that way.