Rams, Sean McVay Prep For Familiar 49ers and 'Really Good' Jimmy Garoppolo

Monday's visit to San Francisco affords the Los Angeles Rams a chance to do battle with Jimmy Garoppolo, one of the most dangerous enemies since they made their Californian return.

A New Englander making life hard for a yellow Los Angeles team? Surely, you've never heard that one before.

Jimmy Garoppolo has been an NFC West staple for nearly as long as Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. The former New England Patriots backup made his Californian descent in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers mere weeks after McVay made his debut as the head coach of the Rams. 

The pair's success stories couldn't be further apart: McVay's enthusiasm and offensive prowess has led to teams looking for "their own" version. Garoppolo, on the other hand, has dodged rumors about his status as San Francisco's franchise despite having taken the lauded 49ers to a Super Bowl less than three seasons ago. He, in fact, lost his grasp on the job this season as the Niners opted to start 2021 first-round choice Trey Lance, but medical fate has put their destiny back in Garoppolo's hands.

McVay and Garoppolo's paths cross at least twice a year, the tradition continuing on Monday night when the Rams and 49ers renew their Golden State civil war in Santa Clara (5:15 p.m. PT, ESPN). Though the Rams have been the toast of Tinseltown thanks to their status as the defending Super Bowl champions, Garoppolo has proven to be one of their recurring weaknesses.

Since 2017, he owns a perfect 6-0 regular season record against the Rams, though the overall winning streak, ironically, ended at the worst possible time from a San Francisco perspective. Monday will mark the first meeting between the two sides since January's NFC title game at SoFi Stadium, where a 20-17 Rams victory punched their ticket to the Big Game, also held in Inglewood. 

The Rams (2-1) likely felt that solving Lance was going to be the key to breaking the San Francisco conundrum, but now instead face a familiar Garoppolo foe. Certainly used to what he brings to the table, McVay's statements for Niners week offered some praise for the embattled passer, accolades tinted with hints of lingering respect.

"That man, when he stayed on the roster, he's such a really good football player that has definitely been outstanding for them. They've won a lot of games behind his guidance and leadership, and I think he's a really good player," McVay declared. "Jimmy's in a position to be able to lead their team. I know they have a lot of confidence and swagger with him at the switch.”

It's no surprise to hear McVay offer his compliments to Garoppolo: once it became clear that the Niners were passing the offense to Lance, the Rams were reportedly interested in bringing Garoppolo in as a backup to Matthew Stafford. San Francisco instead offered him a new contract to stay aboard, a decision that paid off after Lance was lost to a broken ankle. 

Perhaps true to form, Garoppolo enters the showdown against the Rams facing a bit of gridiron adversity represented by calls to remove him from his post: though he made a triumphant return in the 49ers' Week 2 win over Seattle, putting in both a passing and rushing score in relief of Lance, Garoppolo was part of a myriad of offensive struggles in an 11-10 loss to the Denver Broncos last Sunday night. Garoppolo played an embarrassing difference in the final margin, as an ill-fated dropback in the shadow of his own goal post led to a safety when he accidentally ran into the back of the end zone. 

Comedy aside, there's perhaps no one more familiar with Garoppolo at the height of his powers than McVay, who lauded his ability to simply win ball games: the perfect tally against the Rams is part of a 37-17 record as a starting quarterback, including 4-2 in the playoffs. 

"They've won a lot of games behind his guidance and leadership, and I think he's a really good player," McVay said "I don't think it's like he's only played good against the Rams and he has never played good against anybody else. I mean, just look at his career record when he's started for the 49ers since he and (fullback) Kyle (Juszczyk) have been together in ’17. It's a pretty good movie for those guys."

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rams? Click Here

Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Ram Digest message board community today!

Follow Ram Digest on Twitter and Facebook.