ST. LOUIS -- The San Francisco 49ers have won back-to-back NFC West titles, but they haven't defeated the St. Louis Rams since Jan. 1, 2012.
That's a span of 528 days (well, 529 if it's already June 13 in your time zone).
Defensive end Chris Long, who finished last season with 11.5 sacks for the Rams, pointed that out Wednesday in the latest missive from St. Louis to San Francisco. Earlier Wednesday, Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan emphatically called out former teammate Craig Dahl, now with the 49ers, after Dahl suggested St. Louis had gone 1-0-1 against San Francisco last season for reasons relating to strategy.
Now, before you dismiss this as idle Twitter chatter, consider where the Rams have stood in the NFC West for most of the last decade: at the bottom. Consider what comments such as these from team leaders such as Finnegan and Long represent. They represent the instantly feisty and competitive brand of football the Rams adopted when Jeff Fisher became their head coach last season.
The Rams went 4-1-1 against the NFC West last season, including 2-1-1 against the playoff-bound 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. And as Long will tell you, they haven't lost to the 49ers in 528 (or 529) days. They're 1-0-1 against San Francisco during that span, so there isn't even a winning streak in play. But the Rams own the NFL's youngest roster and they're not acting like a team planning to defer to its elders, even if Long and Finnegan were just having a little fun with their Twitter followers on a Wednesday in June.
i see where some niners fans talked pretty bad 2 @CortFinnegan today. just remember yall havent beaten us in 500 days or so
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) June 12, 2013
oh my bad i believe its 528 days
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) June 12, 2013
what have some of yall done in the last 528 days, i'll go first
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) June 12, 2013
climbed mt kilimanjaro, turned 27 and 28, restructured my contract, sat courtside at a heat game, ate over 2000 small meals you get the idea
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) June 12, 2013
THANK YOU NINERS FANS, THE CONTROVERSY I HAVE STIRRED HAS GIVEN ME SEVENTEEN THOUSAND FOLLOWERS.
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) June 12, 2013
