NFC Notes: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

• 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who leads the league in yards per attempt, believes that third-down and red zone efficiency are more important statistics for quarterbacks: “[YPA] isn’t gonna dictate winning and losing. It’s more about third down, red zone. I think those are a quarterback’s true stats, when the money’s on the line. As long as we’re winning games, I could care less what the stats are.” (Jake Hutchinson)
• The 49ers have officially ruled out the following players from Week 16: LB Dre Greenlaw (groin), S Talanoa Hufanga (knee), DL Maurice Hurst (calf), RB Elijah Mitchell (knee).
• San Francisco also listed LB Azeez Al-Shaair (elbow) as questionable. 

Rams 

Rams WR Cooper Kupp said he was unaware that he broke the organization’s single-season receptions record with 122, surpassing Isaac Bruce‘s 119. 

“I had no idea,” Kupp said, via Kevin Patra of Around the NFL. “Obviously, that’s a great honor considering the receivers that have come through this organization.”

Rams HC Sean McVay called Kupp a very humble player around their locker room and believes he is a first-team All-Pro player. 

“I think he has an idea of how well he is playing, but he is truly one of the most humble, special players I have ever been around,” McVay said. “He doesn’t need all the accolades. I think it’s great he gets his first Pro Bowl recognition. I don’t know how he’s not going to be a first-team All-Pro player. I think he’s a legitimate candidate for a lot of awards, but he is about our team. He’s interested in leading the right way, making the plays that are instrumental and vital to the outcomes of our team’s success and he does a lot of stuff without the football as well. But he’s so special. You and I both know that. Pretty cool.”

Seahawks

• Seahawks HC Pete Carroll points out that they only went 1-of-5 on third down attempts in the first half of Tuesday’s game, which prevented them from building a rhythm: “We went 1-of-5 on third downs in the first half. That’s not enough to get it rolling, and we never got started.” (Curtis Crabtree)
• The Seahawks were on the wrong end of a missed pass interference call on RB DeeJay Dallas that ended the game essentially but Carroll didn’t blame it for the loss: “I’m not bellyaching about that call. We needed to win the game in all of the other ways we could win the game.” (Michael-Shawn Dugar)
• Carroll compared Russell Wilson‘s connection to WRs D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, explaining Lockett has a “spatial awareness” that makes him a special player: “They are working at it. There’s a difference between the player. Tyler has this remarkable sense of feel and spatial awareness that rarely happens.” (Bob Condotta)