By Daisy Barringer

For the last three Sundays, there has been no 49ers' football. Zero. Zilch. None. Nada. And it’s been torture. I’m sure some people took that opportunity to do things like go outside, have brunch with friends, or whatever it is weirdo non-football fans do on the weekend, but I'm not like that because I'm no loser. No, no. I was still firmly planted in front of a TV, watching all of the games, and catching up on what’s been happening around the league. It was just a lot harder to justify cracking open that first beer at 10 a.m. (Don't worry, though; I totally managed.) Anyway, THANK GOD 49ers' football is back this Sunday in all of its glory. Well, I mean, as much glory as there can be when we're playing the Saint Louis Rams.

The Good

• The players are coming off almost thirteen days of rest. As Matthew Barrows pointed out, since Harbaugh took over, the 49ers are 8-1\ when they have at least one more day to prepare for a game.

• The Rams are also coming off a bye, but they’re also on a three-game losing streak. I think the Niners will happily attempt to push that number to four.

• St. Louis should be terrified of our defense and if our guys can get into their heads early, it should be fun to watch. QB Sam Bradford has been sacked 22 times this year and hit 27. I eagerly await watching those numbers rise on Sunday.

• The Rams aren’t great at defending the tight end. Look for Vernon Davis to finally start getting the ball again and making big plays.

• They will feel heaps of pressure to throw the ball. Good luck, Rams. The Niners have given up the second-fewest passing yards (184 per game) in the NFL. I’d love to see them throw though because that means more chances for our defense to get some INTs.

• Steven Jackson might be one of the toughest running backs in the leagues, but there’s no way the guy isn’t bitter that the Rams were fielding trade inquiries about him just a few weeks ago. Bitter isn’t a good look on anyone.

The Bad

• The Rams secondary is pretty decent. I’m not sure if this is bad for us or if it just means we need to do what we do best: run the ball and throw short catchable passes.

• Even though our offensive line is being "hailed as one of the best," it is still a fact that they’ve allowed 24 sacks. In a way this is good because it means Smith is taking the sack instead of throwing the ball and possible an interception, but I would like to see him go down less.

The 49ers have a season-high nine players on the injury list. The list includes Crabtree (illness), Alex Smith (finger - still), Manningham (shoulder), Gore (hand), Willis (shoulder) and a handful of others. I expect to see them all on the field on Sunday, although I’m not sure what’s up with Willis’ shoulder. Do not like.

• Frankly, there’s not much else to say. If we just get out there and play Niners smashmouth football, we should be fine. As long as no one gets complacent or overly confident, we’ve got this one.

The Rest of It

• Look, I hate when analysts (which I am not, just so we’re clear) say things like "The Niners just need to score first and control the clock." No shit.. But, I mean, it’s true. If the Niners can get up by 10 or 14, I don’t see the Rams being able to recover.

• The fans need to get loud. It’s an afternoon game, which means fans are typically more lackadaisical and laid back (why is that, by the way?), but we need to wear red and scream our pretty little faces off (on defense only, as we’ve discussed). Yes, it’s hot in the sun and yes, standing up is just sooooo exhausting for our pathetically fat American asses, but JUST DO IT. Thank
you.

• Oh, and for once and for all can everyone just shut up about whether Aldon Smith was jumped? Dude said "nothing happened" so let’s just believe him that nothing happened. Plus, WHO CARES as long as he can get those insanely long arms out on the field on Sunday and get some sacks?

It’s going to be a fun game all around. I’ve got a friend flying in from New York and @ninersnation is already in town, so it’ll be fun to have some out of town Faithful in the house.

My prediction? We've got this. 27-7.

Watch the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Saint Louis Rams on Sunday at 1:25 p.m. on FOX.