NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

49ers DC DeMeco Ryans praised DL Arik Armstead for successfully converting from a defensive end to an interior role at defensive tackle. 

“Any time you change positions — doing something different, a little different technique, different footwork — it takes time to develop that and it takes time to really take off with it,” Ryans said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic. “Arik has done that. He’s done it in a fairly short time. He’s done really well with it and I continue to see him doing better. So I’m happy with what Arik’s done inside and it gave us a chance to really play better against the run having Arik inside.”

Ryan added that 49ers DE Arden Key has done well to hit quarterbacks over the last two weeks. 

“Man, the past couple weeks, I don’t know if it’s been every week, but he’s consistently hitting the quarterback,” Ryans said. “And when you do that, that just gives us more confidence to give him more opportunities to go out and rush the passer. And that’s what he’s been doing.”

• 49ers DE Nick Bosa receives a fifth-year option wage increase by being elected to the Pro Bowl. (Brad Spielberger) 

Cardinals

• According to Joel Corry, QB Kyler Murray‘s second Pro Bowl selection earned him $29.703 million on a potential fifth-year option, which is the 2022 franchise tag number for quarterbacks.
• Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury said RB James Conner (heel), second-round WR Rondale Moore (ankle), and G Max Garcia (Achilles) are all game-day decisions (Darren Urban)
• As for Cardinals C Rodney Hudson (COVID-19), Kingsbury said the veteran center could play in Week 16 if he clears protocols in time. 
• Kingsbury officially ruled out DL Jordan Phillips (knee) from Week 16 but expects him to return before the end of the regular season.  

Rams

Rams HC Sean McVay had high praise of RB Sony Michel‘s performance in Tuesday’s game and feels he’s “getting his wind underneath him” in their system. 

“I thought Sony Michel ran tough, physical and hard,” McVay said, via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. “Sony got the majority of the workload (and) I thought Darrell (Henderson) came in and did a nice job. He was really kind of getting his wind underneath him (and) he had a couple of big-time carries. But I thought Sony was outstanding today. … Sony was outstanding, and Darrell did a nice job with the opportunities that he had today.”

McVay added that Michel has “brought a toughness to our offense” and pointed out that he was a big factor in New England’s 13-3 Super Bowl LIII victory over the Rams back after the 2019 season. 

“I think he’s really brought a toughness to our offense,” McVay said. “You saw the body of work that he had in New England. Really, I think about when they ended up beating us in the Super Bowl, that stretch run, they really shifted their identity where they leaned on him and they were pounding, they were physical. We’ve been able to do that with him.”

Seahawks

• Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said he had an issue with how often the team ran the ball vs. Los Angeles: “We were effective running the ball throughout the night. We ran it 19 times, which, in a game like that, you’d want to run it 30 times.” (Brady Henderson)
• Carroll mentioned he noticed how QB Russell Wilson has a better connection with WR Tyler Lockett than he does with WR D.K. Metcalf: “They’re a pretty dangerous pair. We’ve just got to keep going … We hit the deep ball (to Metcalf), everything would’ve been different.” (Henderson)
• Carroll added he thought the offensive line gave Wilson time all game: “That’s why I say this was a game that we had a shot because we really protected and had a chance to get the time we needed.” (Henderson)
• Carroll said Lockett is close to returning off the COVID list. (John Boyle)
• Carroll mentioned Wilson injured his ankle vs. Los Angeles but he doesn’t expect him to miss time. (Bob Condotta)
• Carroll said LB Jon Rhattigan has an ACL injury, but they don’t know how bad it is yet. (Boyle)
• Aaron Wilson reports the Seahawks worked out long snappers Beau Brinkley, Brian Khoury and Garrison Sanborn.