Crazy Eight -- 49ers rout Rams for Eighth straight behind Record day from McCaffrey

Week 8 - Coming off a 21-point pummeling at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, the (3-4) San Francisco 49ers returned to their home away from home at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium, known by many as Levi's Stadium South, looking to regroup against a team they've had major ownage against for the better part of 4 seasons. With seven consecutive wins over the rival Rams during the regular season, coach Kyle Shanahan and company were vying for an 8th straight victory against L.A. and their fourth win of the season. Playing without one of their star players in Deebo Samuel who was ruled out on Friday with a hamstring injury, the 49ers were forced to make do without one of their biggest weapons and biggest Ram-killers, but were also able to show off their newest toy in running back Christian McCaffrey. 

Unlike their Week 4 matchup which started with both teams marching on offense and scoring on their opening-possession, each team would punt the ball away to start this one. After netting -2 yards on their initial possession, the Rams who were coming off a BYE, put together a 20-play, 85-yard drive that lasted 9 minutes and 21 seconds before L.A. quarterback Matt Stafford put an end to a near goal-line stand by the Niners defense by pinballing his way into the end zone on 3rd and 1. Stafford's first rushing touchdown since 2016 would give the Rams a 7-0 lead just before the end of the first quarter. Needing only nine plays to put up similar results, Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49er offense would march right back with a touchdown of their own. With a full weeks practice under his belt for the first time with his new team since being traded from the Carolina Panthers, Christian McCaffrey made his presence felt in more ways than one on Sunday. In what would be a busy day for the newest member of the Niners, McCaffrey logged his first touchdown in the red and gold with a passing touchdown, the second of his career, launching the ball downfield 34-yards and finding a streaking Brandon Aiyuk for the score. In a stadium overran by 49ers red, the crowd would erupt with the game tied at 7. 

The back and forth melee would continue with Stafford finding Cooper Kupp in the end zone for the Rams' second consecutive touchdown. San Francisco would answer back just before halftime, but only with a field goal as L.A. took a 14-10 lead into the half. With both teams again opening the half with punts, it was San Francisco who struck first. Facing a 3rd and 3 from the L.A. 9 yard-line, Garoppolo scanned all options before lofting a pass into the corner of the end zone to a leaping McCaffrey who came down with the spectacular touchdown grab to give the Niners their first lead of the game. Needing just the rushing touchdown to complete the trifecta, McCaffrey would do just that one possession later. After nearly finding the end zone on a 24-yard rush to the 1, coach Shanahan dialed up a run up the middle to allow his new weapon to accomplish the rare feat, as McCaffrey joined some elite company by becoming just the third running back since 1970 to record a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in a single game, and the first since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005. And some guy named Walter Payton as the only other to do it. 

San Francisco would score touchdowns on three consecutive possessions in the second half when a pair of 49er tight-ends came up with big plays to add to the Rams' misery. Filling in for the injured Kyle Juszczyk who missed Sunday's game with a finger injury, Ross Dwelley picked up blocking and receiving assignments usually given to the Niners' Pro Bowl fullback and delivered on a deep ball from Garoppolo by hauling in a 56-yard reception, the longest of his career. Facing another third down inside the Rams' 10 yard-line, Garoppolo hit his number one tight-end George Kittle inside the end zone for the touchdown. Taking a 31-14 lead that they would hang onto the rest of the way, the 49ers would outscore the Rams 21-0 in the second half and would outgain them 230 to 61 in second half yards on their way to an eighth straight victory over Los Angeles. Passing for 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win, Jimmy G completed 21 of 25 passes on the afternoon to give him a 84.0 completion percentage, the highest by a 49ers QB since Hall of Famer Steve Young September 14, 1997. Sunday's game would also mark the first time in Garoppolo's career that he's thrown for 2 TD passes in four straight games. 

Stealing the show on offense, Christian McCaffrey tallied 183 of total offense (94 yards rushing, 55 yards receiving and 34 yards passing) and scored three total touchdowns on his way to becoming the first running back in 49ers team history with a passing and receiving touchdown in the same game. 

Week 10 Preview: Quite possibly the best part about the 49ers' 31-14 victory over the Rams was that coach Shanahan announced after the win that there were no injuries to report, also adding, "That's awkward, but I don't have any to report." While it's a rarity, it's music to the ears of 49er fans as the team enters the Week 9 BYE with a return to .500 and a hope to see several key players return when they take the field next, notably Arik Armstead & Deebo Samuel. With a record of 3-0 now in the division, San Francisco will return home in Week 10 to face another southern California team in the (4-3) Los Angeles Chargers. In what's been an up and down season for the Bolts led by quarterback Justin Herbert, the young gunslinger has not quite been his usual self this season since sustaining an rib injury against the Chiefs back in Week 2. Since then, the Chargers have been off to a rollercoaster of a start and entered their Week 8 BYE last week after dropping a game at home to the Seattle Seahawks, 37-23. One Chargers player who is playing well that the Niners will hope to contain is their do-it-all running back Austin Ekeler. 

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