The Los Angeles Rams are getting set to take on the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday night. It will be a big NFC West matchup for both teams to start the season. Last season, the Rams and 49ers split their two meetings, with the Rams taking the second game in San Francisco in Week 10. With the additions of edge rusher Myles Garrett and cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Still, a game against the 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground won’t be easy. Let’s take a look at how the Rams match up with the 49ers before the game. QuarterbackAt quarterback, the Rams have the reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford. During Stafford’s Rams career, he is 7-7 against the 49ers. Stafford went 24-for-36 for 280 yards and four touchdowns in Week 10 last year. The Rams will hope for a similar performance on Thursday night. In both games against the Rams last year, the 49ers started Mac Jones at quarterback. With Brock Purdy managing injuries last year, the Rams didn’t see Purdy once. When Purdy did play last year, he operated the 49ers’ offense with efficiency. Still, with Stafford, the Rams have a clear edge. Advantage: RamsRunning BackWhile the 49ers have Christian McCaffrey, the Rams might have the better overall running back room. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined for nearly 2,000 yards last year in the regular season and are looking to build on that in 2026. It’s very possible that Corum sees his role increase, but the Rams will still be relying heavily on Williams. The 49ers have Kaelon Black behind McCaffrey, but Shanahan will lean on his top running back for the majority of the game. McCaffrey may be getting older, but he’s still a special player that makes the 49ers’ offense go.Advantage: Slight Edge 49ersTight EndOver the past few years, the Rams have invested heavily in the tight end position. They drafted Terrance Ferguson in the second round last year and Colby Parkinson will look to repeat his 2025 performance, in which he scored eight touchdowns. With a reliance on 12 and 13 personnel, the Rams will be asking a lot of their tight ends this season. One of the top storylines last week was that George Kittle will play for the 49ers on Thursday after tearing his Achilles last season. Behind Kittle, the 49ers have Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell. Advantage: Slight Edge RamsWide ReceiverThere has been a lot of drama with the 49ers at the wide receiver position over the last year with Brandon Aiyuk. This offseason, the 49ers brought back Deebo Samuel and signed Mike Evans. They also drafted De’Zhaun Stribling in the second round. Still, it’s hard to get much better than Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. The Rams may not have the depth, but in combination with the tight end position, the Rams have a strong group of pass catchers. Advantage: RamsOffensive LineThe offensive line is where the Rams will have a serious advantage. Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay each do a good job helping their offensive lines with their schemes. However, the Rams had one of the better offensive lines last year and are returning all five primary starters. When healthy, the Rams’ offense is able to win in the trenches. While the 49ers aren’t bad on the offensive line, Trent Williams is getting older and they are still relying on Jake Brendel at center and Connor Colby at guard. The interior of that offensive line is vulnerable. That could open things up for Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske. Advantage: RamsDefensive LineThe 49ers took a big hit on their defensive line when they lost Alfred Collins to a torn patellar tendon earlier this week. They will have Nick Bosa, who could present some problems, while Osa Odighizuwa was a big signing in the offseason.Still, it’s hard to get much better on the defensive line than Kobie Turner, Myles Garrett, Byron Young, and Poona Ford. The Rams also have much better depth with Ty Davis, Josaiah Stewart, and others. Advantage: RamsLinebackerThis is the one position where the Rams are vulnerable on defense. Nate Landman and Omar Speights are serviceable and good at what they’re asked to do. With that said, they both have their limitations. The 49ers are much stronger at this spot with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. When Warner is on the field, he completely transforms what the 49ers can do defensively. Advantage: 49ersSecondaryThis past offseason, the Rams prioritized rebuilding the secondary, especially at cornerback. They traded for Trent McDuffie and signed Jaylen Watson in free agency. That should allow their safeties to play more aggressively and create turnovers. The Rams return all three starting safeties from last year in Kam Kinchens, Kam Curl, and Quentin Lake. At safety, the 49ers are vulnerable with Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha. The 49ers could also look to use Marques Sigle. With younger cornerbacks and vulnerabilities at safety, the Rams could have success throwing the ball. Advantage: RamsSpecial TeamsThe Rams put more emphasis on special teams after hiring Bubba Ventrone as their special teams coordinator. Still, this is a group with some questions. The 49ers will have the advantage here with Eddy Pineiro. Advantage: 49ersCoaching StaffThis is where it’s pretty even. Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan are two of the better coaches in the NFL. While Shanahan has the head-to-head lead over McVay, these two teams always play each other close when they’re both healthy. At the coordinator spots, the Rams have first-time offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and then Chris Shula on the defensive side of the ball. Meanwhile, the 49ers hired Raheem Morris to coach their defense and retained Klint Kubiak as their offensive coordinator. Advantage: EvenSign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow