NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Rams

49ers

49ers DC DeMeco Ryans believes having QB Trey Lance is “very beneficial” at practice in order to prepare for mobile quarterbacks. 

“It’s very beneficial,” Ryans said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic. “We’ve had it all OTAs, all training camp. Trey is such a dynamic player and for us to be able to benefit from the look that he’s giving us has been outstanding.”

49ers OC Mike McDaniel said RB Trey Sermon picked up his intensity in practice after being a healthy scratch for Week 1 and will play in Sunday’s game. 

“So what that told me is, ‘Hey, I didn’t like not dressing. I want to play football. So how do I do that? I don’t go and talk to people. I show people,’” McDaniel said. “That’s kind of the common denominator. Kyle always says to the players and coaches, ‘Don’t tell me, show me.’ And (Sermon) showed, I think, all of us that he really wants an opportunity, which he’ll get this Sunday.”

Ryans said that they are monitoring DT Javon Kinlaw‘s knee ahead of Week 2 against the Eagles. 

“It’s encouraging to have him and we’ll see,” Ryans said. “The next couple of days are big for him, so we’ll see how it goes.”

• 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan confirmed that OLB Dre Greenlaw is expected to miss just 4-6 weeks after undergoing groin surgery. (David Lombardi)
• Lombardi adds that Greenlaw’s timetable of recovery is in the “lower range” of estimations. 
• OUT for Week 2: LB Dre Greenlaw (groin)
• DOUBTFUL for Week 2: CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee)
• QUESTIONABLE for Week 2: DE Arik Armstead (adductor), LB Marcell Harris (oblique), DT Javon Kinlaw (knee)

Cardinals

• Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury said LB Devon Kennard (hamstring) has been ruled out from Week 2, while RT Kelvin Beachum (ribs) will be a game-day decision. (Darren Urban)
• OUT for Week 2: LB Devon Kennard (hamstring)
• QUESTIONABLE for Week 2: T Kelvin Beachum (ribs)

Rams

When asked if there are things he’d like to see Matthew Stafford improve on, Rams HC Sean McVay responded that the entire offense must improve on third downs.

“I think overall I want to see us be better on the third downs,” McVay said, via RamsWire. “We had success in the first half, and we had minimal plays, but we also did have that three-and-out sequence. We were 0-for-4 on the third downs, some of which definitely could have been helped by better play calls by me. But I think the position is so difficult, snap in and snap out. You want to just consistently be able to do things the right way, whether that’s the timing, the accuracy, the decision-making, the base-body balance and body position that you’re putting yourself in to make some of these throws and then being able to clean things up above the neck, but he did a really good job. There’s always going to be things that you can improve on, but it kind of depends on what phase of our offense are we talking about. There’s always room for improvement. It was definitely a good, clean start, but I think he’d be the first to tell you that, ‘Hey, did a lot of really good things, which was definitely represented in some of the success we had all offensively, but can do some things better, as well.’”

Stafford admitted that there were several plays in Week 1 where he could’ve been sharper or be calmer in the pocket. 

“Kind of hard to articulate it. There were just some plays in the game that I wish I was a little bit better on, wish I was a little bit more calmer in the pocket on a few where I could’ve just kept progressing and getting to get into a different guy and just finding the completion,” Stafford said. “I think there were a couple that didn’t get completed that I think I could have and obviously continue to just try and hit the open guys when they’re open.”