Click here to see all recaps on a single page
| Other Week 4 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAL at NE | BUF at MIA | CIN at CLE | DAL at DEN | DET at CHI | GB at MIN | NYG at KC | NYJ at NO |
| OAK at HOU | SD at PIT | SEA at IND | STL at SF | TB at WAS | TEN at JAX | ||
Week 4 Game Recap: St. Louis Rams 0, San Francisco 49ers 35
St. Louis Rams
| QB Kyle Boller, Pass: 13 - 24 - 108 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 5 - 0 |
Kyle Boller struggled against a young and impressive San Francisco defense. The 49ers got a lead early and the defense pinned their ears back and came after Boller, pressuring him all day long which led to five sacks and a costly interception that LB Patrick Willis returned for a touchdown. Boller's receivers did little to help him out as the Rams only completed five passes for over 10 yards and just one over twenty. Boller did admirably considering the help he received and defense that he faced, so do not write him completely off for his career -- but avoid starting him next week against the Vikings if you can.
| QB Marc Bulger |
Bulger was held out of the Week 4 game against San Francisco due to a shoulder injury. He was able to throw some in practice earlier in the week so he may be available in Week 5 against Minnesota.
| RB Steven Jackson, Rush: 23 - 79 - 0, Rec: 3 - 6 - 0 (4 targets) |
Steven Jackson is the bulk of the Rams' offense and possibly could be considered everything that St. Louis can offer to move the ball. That said, the opposition sees this too and their top priority is to stop Jackson and dare any other Ram to beat them. San Francisco swarmed Jackson all day, limiting him to 85 total yards on 26 touches -- which was impressive despite the low yards-per-touch average. If Jackson ever gets any help from the rest of his team he could elevate to fantasy RB1 status, but for now he is limited to whatever he can get on his talent alone. Things will not get much better next week against Minnesota's tough run defense.
| RB Ken Darby, Rush: 2 - 12 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) |
Darby had three touches in Week 4 against San Francisco, gaining most of his yardage on a 11-yard rush in the final three minutes of the game.
| RB Samkon Gado, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 |
Gado spelled Steven Jackson once early in the game, getting just one touch (and losing a yard) in the first quarter.
| RB Mike Karney, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (1 targets) |
Fullback Mike Karney caught one short pass in Week 4 for one yard.
| WR Donnie Avery, Rec: 3 - 47 - 0 (4 targets) |
Donnie Avery did the best he could against San Francisco in Week 4 as the clear top wideout for the Rams, but he faced long odds. His normal starting quarterback (Marc Bulger) was out, and both the elements (windy) and the tough 49er defense stared him square in the face. Avery only had four targets as Kyle Boller faced a ton of pressure, but Avery made the most of the chances, converting three for 47 yards to lead all Rams' receivers. Avery's first catch of 22 yards was the longest St. Louis play of the game. Avery needs Marc Bulger to get healthy and other receivers to step up and draw coverage away from him to really elevate his chances to perform, as for now Avery is a fantasy WR3 or flex option at best.
| WR Danny Amendola, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) |
Danny Amendola was just added to the roster this past week and he immediately saw action -- which could be a positive towards Amendola or an indictment of how bad the Rams' talent pool is right now. Amendola returned kicks, including a long opening kickoff that was called back due to a penalty, and also saw action on offense as the Rams' slot receiver. Amendola fumbled an exchange on an end-around deep in St. Louis territory in the fourth quarter, leading directly to a late 49er recovery and touchdown. His speed and athleticism makes him an intriguing wide receiver to keep an eye on, especially with no other St. Louis wideout making a strong push to be the starter opposite of Donnie Avery.
| WR Keenan Burton, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (4 targets) |
Keenan Burton started across from Donnie Avery in Week 4 against San Francisco, but he did little with the opportunity. Burton snagged just one ball for 12 yards in the second quarter and disappeared for the rest of the game. His fantasy value is barely above zero, especially without Marc Bulger under center for the Rams.
| TE Randy McMichael, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (5 targets) |
Randy McMichael had a small statistical day against the 49ers, but he actually was significantly involved in the game plan for Week 4. Backup QB Kyle Boller looked towards McMichael the most of any Ram, targeting him five times at all levels of the field. McMichael was overthrown on a deep pass and was just missed on a few other chances, leaving him with only two short receptions on the day. His value should spike back up once Marc Bulger is able to start again, but there are many better fantasy tight ends available across the league.
| TE Daniel Fells, Rec: 1 - 17 - 0 (3 targets) |
Backup tight end Daniel Fells had three targets against San Francisco, but only one catch for Week 4. He converted a short pass and stretched it for 17 yards, one of the longest plays for the Rams against a stout 49er defense. Fells is the second TE when the Rams line up in a two-TE set, but for the most part he has no fantasy value.
San Francisco 49ers
| QB Shaun Hill, Pass: 14 - 24 - 152 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 |
Hill's numbers look a lot better on paper than they did in three dimensions against the Rams in Week 4. His first touchdown pass was a short fade down the middle of the field to TE Vernon Davis running a seam pattern, which looked way better than his deeper touchdown to Josh Morgan. Morgan's touchdown catch fluttered for what seemed like forever towards him, barely eluding two Rams as he caught the ball in the back right of the end zone for the score. Hill is an effective passer and leader of the offense -- putting up good enough efforts to help his team win most of the time. In his defense, he did throw a nice deep pass towards Josh Morgan in the second quarter that should have gone for a highlight reel 44-yard touchdown. He is a viable fantasy spot starter and a winning NFL QB who has a secure starting job and would be a nice bye week fill-in or backup fantasy quarterback.
| RB Glen Coffee, Rush: 24 - 74 - 0, Rec: 4 - 32 - 0 (7 targets) |
Glen Coffee got the start for the 49ers in Week 4, stepping in for the injured Frank Gore against the St. Louis Rams. He did not explode after the first hit like he showed he could during the preseason, barely averaging over three yards per carry while also adding 32 yards on four catches out of the backfield. He looked capable as a runner but he did not get much after first contact and did not break many tackles. That is not a good sign for next week against Atlanta, a good matchup where he likely will get another start. Coffee needs to produce better to hold onto the clear RB2 position for the 49ers.
| RB Moran Norris, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) |
Fullback Moran Norris had two short carries and one target in Week 4 against the Rams. As typical of most fullbacks, his value is far higher as a lead blocker than as a fantasy contributor.
| RB Frank Gore |
Frank Gore was unable to suit up for Week 4 due to his ankle sprain. Gore likely will not play next week either as the 49ers have Week 6 as their bye week, so taking this week off gives him three weeks to get ready for the Week 7 contest at Houston.
| WR Isaac Bruce, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (4 targets) |
Isaac Bruce had a typical veteran possession receiver afternoon in Week 4's victory over the Rams, catching three out of his four targets. None of his catches were memorable efforts, all going for between five and nine yards. His value is marginal at best even in PPR leagues as he does not get much yardage at all after the reception.
| WR Josh Morgan, Rec: 2 - 39 - 1 (4 targets) |
Josh Morgan finally scored this season, grabbing a deep 24-yard fluttering ball from Shaun Hill in the back of the end zone behind two Rams defenders. Morgan added another catch of 15 yards, but he should have produced another touchdown on the afternoon as he let a 44-yard touchdown go through his hands on arguably the best throw by Hill all afternoon. Morgan needs to produce with more consistency to get fantasy recommendation, but the Week 4 effort against St. Louis could start him on that path.
| WR Arnaz Battle, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) |
Arnaz Battle caught just one ball for eight yards against the Rams in Week 4. Battle has elevated himself to the third wide receiver role for San Francisco, but the downside of this is that the 49er passing game is not strong enough for a third wideout to produce much of anything in most contests. Battle is a solid possession receiver but as long as Isaac Bruce is healthy he has little to no fantasy value.
| TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 3 - 43 - 1 (4 targets) |
Vernon Davis continues to elevate his game, making a strong case as to becoming a fantasy starting TE and viable contributor in most league formats. Davis has always had amazing athleticism to fall back upon, but his work ethic was the question. Now with another strong effort of working the middle of the field and is quickly becoming a favorite target for Shaun Hill in the red zone. Davis has three touchdowns in the past two games and has had a catch for 17 or more yards in every game this season. Expect another game with several chances for Davis next week against Atlanta.
| TE Delanie Walker, Rush: 1 - 16 - 0, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) |
The 49ers' second TE contributed some in Week 4 against the Rams, posting 26 total yards with his two touches. Walker caught a 10-yard pass in the second quarter while also adding a 16-yard run on a reverse in the third. Walker is an athletic player but he has yet to carve out a big enough role to have any fantasy value.