In less than one week the Los Angeles Rams will head to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in their season opener. As division rivals, both teams know each other extremely well and will be looking for any advantage to ensure they get the win.
As such, 49ers defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil believes his players have found one from a pretty unusual source.
According to Kevin Jones of KNBR, O’Neil said that 49ers players have picked up some clues on the Rams from watching the ‘Hard Knocks’ series:
Jim O'Neil said the 49ers players have watched Hard Knocks and have picked up some clues on the Rams
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) September 7, 2016
This is certainly a first as while the famed ‘Hard Knocks’ series certainly gives an inside look to the team it is profiling, it would seem to be very difficult to glean strategic advantages from watching it.
Perhaps O’Neil means that his players have picked up on some intangible or mental issues that they can exploit, but all in all, the ‘Hard Knocks’ series doesn’t provide much when it comes to overall strategies or plays the team intends to run.
Of course this could also be a way for O’Neil to perhaps psyche out his opponent before the game begins. Both teams are hoping to improve on their 2015 season and getting a big win on Monday night would be a great start in doing just that.
