"They beat them twice in the regular season last year" - NFL analyst thinks 49ers are biggest obstacle in Rams' quest to Super Bowl repeat 

The San Francisco 49ers were on the cusp of going to the Super Bowl once again last season in the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams. Los Angeles pulled out a 20-17 victory and then defeated the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI.

NFL analyst and former Super Bowl champion Michael Robinson believes that the 49ers will once again be the biggest thorn in the side of the Rams and their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Here's what he had to say on the issue on Good Morning Football:

“The San Francisco 49ers; I mean, they beat this team twice in the regular season last year. They still have Kyle Shanahan as their head coach. And this new quarterback, Trey Lance, is possibly the new starter in San Francisco. If he is the starter, is Jimmy Garoppolo still on the roster? That tells me that the offensive play callers and the people that run the offense in San Francisco know that he's an upgrade. And having an upgrade at quarterback for a team that's already beaten you twice and barely lost to you in the playoffs, I think the San Francisco 49ers with that kid Deebo Samuel leading the way, is the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Rams. Simply because of the physical style that they play. They have a (championship-level) dominating defense. And really, it’s Kyle Shanahan designing these plays. I don't know how they will stop this offense in the regular season. Especially if Trey Lance gets the reigns at the quarterback position.”

Before the NFC Championship game back in January of this year, the San Francisco 49ers were 6-0 against Los Angeles over the past three seasons with Kyle Shanahan as head coach.

Five of these games were started by Jimmy Garoppolo. If Michael Robinson's assumption is correct, then the 49ers see Trey Lance as an upgrade over Garoppolo and see the team continuing to be a menace to Sean McVay and the defending world champion Los Angeles Rams.

Will the Los Angeles Rams repeat as Super Bowl

champions in 2022?

Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI Victory Parade & Rally

An adage says it is harder to repeat as champions as opposed to winning the first title. For Los Angeles, the road to their second consecutive Super Bowl is filled with curves and potholes in 2022.

In the offseason, the team lost star edge rusher Von Miller as he signed with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC. The team also lost receiver Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans.

Woods was not a participant in the Super Bowl as he was out with a season-ending torn ACL suffered in the lead-up to a Week 10 game against the 49ers.

It remains to be seen as to whether or not Odell Beckham Jr. will return to the team. Beckham is a free agent who also suffered a torn ACL in the Super Bowl.

Despite those losses, the team returns the bulk of their team, led by Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp. They will need each of those players if they are to repeat themselves as Super Bowl champions.

Tom Brady returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason (after a brief 41-day retirement), and they are now poised to make another run at the Lombardi Trophy. The Cardinals are looking to make noise once again in the Rams' division, making life difficult for them.

Despite losing Davante Adams, one can never count out 2021 NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, as the Packers are consistent playoff participants.

Stay tuned as the Los Angeles Rams will try to do the unthinkable: repeat as Super Bowl champions for the first time since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots.