The Los Angeles Rams are set to begin the 2026 season on Thursday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. After the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots on opening night, there will be added pressure on the Rams to win in Week 1. Sean McVay has had some struggles against Kyle Shanahan in the past, but has won four of the last five meetings. Here are five keys to victory for the Rams against the 49ers. 

1. Force Brock Purdy Into Mistakes

The key with the 49ers offense is being able to take advantage of Brock Purdy’s mistakes. Purdy will usually gift a defense at least one or two chances per game. Whether the defense takes advantage of those mistakes is another story. 

While the Rams won’t have Aaron Donald, they will still have difference makers available in Myles Garrett, Jaylen Watson, and Trent McDuffie. The Rams will rely on Garrett to create quick pressures and hopefully force Purdy into a mistake or two. With better cornerback play from Watson and McDuffie, the Rams will hopefully be able to take advantage of those. 

2. Get Off to a Fast Start

When the Rams traveled to London last year to play the Jacksonville Jaguars, they got off to an extremely fast start. The defense forced a three-and-out to start the game and then the offense went 13 plays down the field to score a touchdown. Following another three-and-out forced by the defense, the offense scored another touchdown in six plays to take a quick 14-0 lead. 

By halftime, the Rams were up 21-0 and were in complete control. In last year’s win against the 49ers, the Rams also took a 21-0 lead before going on to win 42-26. A big reason why the Rams left later is to keep their body clock on California time. It will be a good sign that the Rams have avoided jet lag by getting off to a fast start. 

3. Tackle in Space in the Secondary

Kyle Shanahan always tests the Rams’ ability to tackle in space in the secondary. Shanahan is great at being able to design plays that create yards after the catch. He will certainly do the same on Thursday night. Shanahan will look to test the Rams’ linebackers and secondary by getting Christian McCaffrey in space. The 49ers also have Deebo Samuel back who has had success against the Rams in the past. 

If the Rams are going to limit the 49ers’ offense, they have to be able to tackle in space efficiently and avoid small receptions that turn into explosive plays. The Rams are going to need Quentin Lake, Kam Curl, and Nate Landman to limit those opportunities. 

4. Run the Ball Efficiently 

The best way for the offense to get off to a fast start and get over the jet lag will be to run the ball efficiently. If the Rams can get Kyren William and Blake Corum going, it will make things much easier for the offense. 

In last year’s win against the 49ers, Williams and Corum combined for 27 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Both averaged over four yards per carry. It’s going to be a chilly 54 degrees at kickoff. If the Rams can get the run game going early, it will make things easier for Matthew Stafford and the passing game. 

5. Be Disciplined on Special Teams 

One of the bigger questions going into Thursday’s game will be how the special teams unit performs. The Rams lost several games last year because of their special teams and made changes at coordinator with Bubba Ventrone while also signing Joe Cardona at long snapper.

This is projected to be a close game, and an error on special teams could be the difference in winning by three points or losing by three points. In a season with Super Bowl expectations, the Rams can’t afford to make the same special teams errors that they did last year. 

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