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Factoid

Bad teams

Low-scoring Rams run into defenseless 49ers

What happens when a readily stoppable force meets an easily moved object? We’ll find on Saturday, when the league’s lowest scoring offense (Los Angeles) hosts the defense that’s allowed more points than anyone (San Francisco). May the worst man lose.

This kind of matchup is rare. In the last 20 years, only 10 times have there been games featuring the teams that when on to finish last in offense and defense.

The results of those previous meetings indicate that when an offense is bad, it doesn’t really matter who’s playing on the other side. Even when pitted against the worst defense in the league, only three of those 10 bad offenses were able to score more than 20 points.

Bad defenses have dominated these matchups, going 7-3, with an average score of 25.2 to 15.7.

That includes the Week 1 meeting between these teams. The 49ers, who gone on to allow more points than everyone, beat the Rams by a 28-0 shutout on that night.

WORST OFFENSES PLAYING WORST DEFENSES
YearWorst offenseWorst DefenseScore
1997at New OrleansSan DiegoL 6-20
1999Clevelandat CincinnatiL 28-48
1999at ClevelandCincinnatiL 17-18
2002at HoustonCincinnatiL 3-38
2004at ChicagoSan FranciscoW 23-13
2005at ClevelandHoustonL 16-19
2006Oaklandat San FranciscoL 20-34
2009St. Louisat DetroitW 17-10
2012Kansas Cityat New OrleansW 27-24
2016Los Angelesat San FranciscoL 0-28
2016at Los AngelesSan Francisco???

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index