San Francisco 49ers Trying to Ram Way to 5-0; Washington, Miami in Winless Bowl

The San Francisco 49ers are the surprise undefeated team in the NFL, and they’re hoping to shock the Los Angeles Rams. The two NFC West rivals face each other Sunday. The 49ers are trying to go to 5-0, while the Rams want to break a two-game losing streak.

The only other undefeated team, the New England Patriots, kept their record perfect on Thursday by beating the New York Giants, 35-14. While the Patriots being 6-0 is almost expected, the 49ers’ unblemished record has been astonishing to some.

It shouldn’t be. Of the four teams San Francisco has beaten, none had a winning record. The Cleveland Browns were 2-2 when they faced the 49ers, and Tampa Bay was in the season opener.

Rams Will Test 49ers

The road game against Los Angeles will be the first time the 49ers will play a team with a winning record. They will be doing it without several key players, including tight end George Kittle, who injured his groin in Friday’s practice and is listed as questionable. Coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters they will adjust.

“It’s part of the NFL, you have injuries every year, so you always have to adjust,” Shanahan said. “The more you get to go through those situations, I think, the better you get at doing it. The first time I had to deal with injuries as a coordinator, you think that there’s no chance, but you start to realize the more you’re in this league that that happens all the time, so you’ve got to deal with it. That’s why depth’s so important.”

Winless Teams Could Pick up Victory

Somebody has to win on Sunday between 0-5 Washington and 0-4 Miami, unless it’s a tie. Oddsmakers believe it will be the Redskins, who are favored by four points. This game will be the debut of Washington interim coach Bill Callahan, who took over after Jay Gruden, was fired on Monday.

The Redskins will be utilizing running back Adrian Peterson. Callahan has said he wants the offense to go through the tailback.

The New York Jets will probably be passing more with the return of quarterback Sam Darnold. The second-year signal caller was out for the last month with mononucleosis. He missed three games, and the team was outscored by 20, 16, and 25 points. Darnold played in the opener against Buffalo, and lost by one, 17-16.

This Sunday the Jets are facing the Dallas Cowboys, and are seven-point underdogs. Darnold didn’t play last week because of an enlarged spleen, but told reporters he is ready.

“When I’m out there playing, I’m not worried about guys hitting me or anything,” he said. “I’m trusting the guys up front to do their thing, and I’m trusting the receivers to get open when it’s time to pass the ball. For me, it’s all about trust.”

The final winless team is Cincinnati. The Bengals are on the road in Baltimore, and are getting 11 points. Still, Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor told reporters at a press conference that his team is looking forward to the game.

“This is the first time playing the Ravens for this 2019 Bengals team, so we’re excited to get back on the road and play a divisional game,” Taylor said. “It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere, and our guys are juiced and ready to go.”