In the wider scheme of a 17-game season, Week 4 is usually too early to be seen as indicative of a team's Super Bowl potential but, for the San Francisco 49ers, meeting an old foe — even on home soil — could have major implications for the rest of the year.
The Niners head back to Levi's Stadium with a 1-2 record, and coming off an ugly 11-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in a game where football definitely wasn't the winner. Wherever the blame lies — and there are plenty of fingers willing to point in various directions — this weekend's nationally-televised clash with the reigning Super Bowl champions carries additional importance for the entire franchise.
The one positive for San Fran fans to cling to in this self-imposed nadir is that Levi's has not been a happy hunting ground for the Los Angeles Rams, who have lost their last three games on the road there, stretching back to the 2019 season. Indeed, if Niners faithful want further encouragement (and they certainly need all they can get after Sunday night), they only have to remember that their team won both regular season encounters in 2021, sweeping the Rams with an overtime victory at SoFi Stadium in game 17.
