The amount of 49ers fans at SoFi Stadium had an effect during San Francisco’s come-from-behind victory over the Rams on Sunday.
Los Angeles coach Sean McVay admitted on Monday that the sea of red in the stands caught the home team off guard.
“It did catch us off guard,” McVay said. “Just because of the way that it’s been this year. It’s been great, great atmosphere, great environment. Yesterday was the same thing, but there was a lot of red there. That was definitely a surprise.”
It was more than just a mental hurdle for the Rams to know their stadium had been overrun. After the game, LA quarterback Matthew Stafford described a road environment that affected the Rams’ pre-snap communication.
“It was a tough environment for us to communicate in really the whole second half,” said Stafford, whose play fell off significantly in the final two quarters after a nearly perfect first half.
49ers fans notoriously travel well and are sprinkled throughout the country, making many road environments feel more mixed. The Faithful will try to replicate the showing this week vs. a team with a much bigger fanbase in the Cowboys.