Key factors to watch for as the 49ers face the Rams in Week 3

The LA Rams put up a tough performance against the Cardinals, but the 49ers aren't faring much better. The 49ers are still trying to figure out how they lost to Minnesota last week. With both teams desperately needing a win, it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. How can these teams pull out the win with the likes of Kittle, Deebo, Nacua and Kupp out?

When these two face off, it's always a show. Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay worked together in Washington in 2013. We all know how that story ends: Kyle goes to the 49ers and McVay goes to the Rams. Both are very successful in their new jobs, but their record against each other is in Kyle's favor. Kyle has won 10 of their 15 duels, but in that time McVay has won a Super Bowl trophy. Who is the better coach? I don't know, they've both accomplished so much. But I do know that these two know each other's tactics down to the last detail, so who knows what tricks they'll pull out of the hat to confuse the other? All in all, it's going to be an excellent duel.

The Rams have shown this season that they love zone coverage. Over the last two weeks, they've been among the best in zone coverage, but are in the bottom five in yards allowed per pass reception. This team could use a change, and if so, now is the time to make it against the weaker 49ers. I expect Tre'Davious White to shadow both of those receivers on several big plays, and that's key for the 49ers. They need to win those matchups when they get them and prove to everyone that they're the toughest opponents on this team. Aiyuk, in particular, has a lot more to prove. If he's going to be a $30 million a year player, he needs at least 100 yards to prove that.

The LA Rams have a bad offensive line. In 2 weeks, Matthew Stafford has been sacked 7 times. The Niners need to get sacked at least 10 times against this team. With Nick Bosa listed as questionable, Leonard Floyd and Maliek Collins are big names to watch. These two will miss most snaps and will have to attack Stafford. His arm is a real weapon and that weapon is useless when he's on the ground.

I really like Jordan Mason. The way he runs so fast and his quickness on his feet makes him so entertaining to watch. And against a Rams team that allowed 122 yards to James Conner on 5.8 yards per attempt, it's his time to shine. The LA Rams have a run defense rank of 60.1 according to PFF, while the Niners have a run grade of 74.2. Everything points to this being a Jordan Mason game, the eye test and the stats agree. So he's going to have to have a big game. If he slows down, we'll know what this offense looks like. We saw it in Minnesota, this team can't win by passing too many passes. They need to establish Mason as a threat early and ride that wave to victory.