SANTA CLARA — As susceptible as the 49ers pass defense has been all season, the Los Angeles Rams don’t have to prey on it Sunday, not when they boast the league’s leading running back in Todd Gurley.
“It wasn’t a coincidence he was the NFL MVP last year and so far he’s on his way to winning that again,” coach Kyle Shanahan said of Gurley, who actually won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award while Tom Brady captured MVP honors.
Gurley ran for a career-high 208 yards in Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Denver Broncos, and he’s the NFL’s leading rusher (623 yards).