THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Liam Coen and defensive lineman Aaron Donald each held press conferences with local media Thursday, discussing facing running back Christian McCaffrey for the second-straight game, what center Brian Allen's return means for the Rams offensive line, and more.
Here are some of the highlights and key takeaways from those conversations, which you can watch in their entirety below.
"This team, they do what they do. Will (McCaffrey) bring some different wrinkles? There's no doubt." – Morris
- The arrival of McCaffrey brings "a different dynamic" to San Francisco's offense, according to Morris.
- Morris said McCaffrey can run the football, go downhill and has the ability to run both the gap and outside zone schemes of the 49ers offense.
"Getting BA back is a huge win for us." – Coen
- Between his communication ability and comfort level with quarterback Matthew Stafford, Allen's return is a big deal for the Rams offensive line.
- Allen being back will help with the group's communication, "which is where a lot of the issues did lie," Coen said.
"Just trying to put yourself and the guys around you in a position to be successful to try and eliminate that, try to make them hold the ball longer so you can get after them." – Donald
- While it's the case every game, when it comes to playing the 49ers especially, 3rd down stops will be critical for the Rams defense.
- The 49ers converted 5 of 12 third-down attempts against the Rams in Week 4, and their 43.2 percent of third downs converted is seventh-highest in the NFL entering Week 8.
