The last time the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers met in prime time was only a year ago. It was a Thursday night Niners beatdown at the Edward Jones Dome that left the Rams to begin a major offensive overhaul that included scrapping their efforts to be a more wide-open offense.

Fast-forward to this week and the beat has continued in San Francisco (3-2) while the Rams (1-3) are in search of their first home win of the season as they head toward their "Monday Night Football" clash.

ESPN Rams reporter Nick Wagoner and Niners reporter Paul Gutierrez talk it over in this week’s game preview.

Wagoner: Despite all the offseason changes and some injuries, the San Francisco defense just seems to keep on doing what it does. How are the Niners doing it, and who are some of the guys stepping up to fill the void left by NaVorro Bowman and others?

Gutierrez: No doubt there’s been a quiet confidence on the defensive side of the ball, even if the defense had a soft spot up the middle early on and the sacks and interceptions were not coming as expected or hoped for through the first few games. Still, Ian Williams has been more than serviceable at nose tackle in place of Glenn Dorsey, and, although no one player can truly take Aldon Smith’s place as one of the top pass-rushers in the league, Dan Skuta, Corey Lemonier and Aaron Lynch have done an admirable job plugging the hole. Patrick Willis slid over to Bowman’s spot inside in the Niners’ 3-4 alignment with Michael Wilhoite getting those extra snaps. Sure, they might have missed a beat, but it was a beat precious few other teams had to begin with. It makes for a good problem for the 49ers to have when Smith’s suspension ends after Game 9 and Bowman and Dorsey are expected to return from injury around the same time. Really, the guy who has made the most impact has been cornerback Perrish Cox, who was thrust into action after a toe injury to Tramaine Brock in the opener. Cox’s three interceptions are tied for the league lead.

The Rams were third in the NFL last season with 53 sacks as a team, and Robert Quinn was second in the league with 19 sacks. Through four games, the Rams have one sack -- one! -- and Quinn has been shut out. What has happened to the Rams’ pass rush? It has to be more than Chris Long getting hurt, right?

NFL Nation: Week 6 Previews Our NFL Nation reporters break down the Week 6 schedule: • Indianapolis at Houston

• Detroit at Minnesota

• Jacksonville at Tennessee

• Baltimore at Tampa Bay • New England at Buffalo

• Carolina at Cincinnati

• Denver at N.Y. Jets

• Pittsburgh at Cleveland • Green Bay at Miami

• San Diego at Oakland

• Dallas at Seattle

• Washington at Arizona

• Chicago at Atlanta • N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia

• San Francisco at St. Louis

Wagoner: There are a number of factors at play beyond Long’s injury, which has been a big loss. First, teams are actively seeking ways to negate the pass rush. Most of their opponents have been quick getting the ball out with short passes that allow little time for the pass rush to get home. Quinn has been getting a lot of extra attention, as well, which has put more pressure on the rest of the line to get after the quarterback. Beyond that, teams simply haven’t thrown the ball much against the Rams. In fact, the Rams have the fewest pass attempts against in the league in no small part because they haven’t been able to stop the run. Because of that running success, teams can stick to it and keep the Rams from getting after the quarterback. But it’s not all out of the Rams' control. They’ve dialed up a higher percentage of blitzes than any team in the league but haven’t had any get home yet. Some have been poorly timed; some have been ill-conceived; and some have been a function of players not doing their jobs. Regardless, the Rams must find a way to get it going, and, if they can’t do it against a San Francisco team that has been vulnerable to allowing sacks, there’s a bigger problem than anyone thought.

The Niners added more to their offensive arsenal in the offseason, and I thought they might take off, especially in the passing game. That hasn't happened yet. What are you seeing from Colin Kaepernick so far, and do you think he's going to take the next step?

Gutierrez: Through that 1-2 start, the Niners were a pass-happy unit that was making Frank Gore an unhappy man. Not that he’s selfish, mind you, but the 49ers are a grind-it-out, power-running outfit that lives and dies on the squat legs of Gore. Yes, they added some more toys for Kaepernick in the offseason. But Kaepernick, as our resident scouting guru Matt Williamson opined, has not progressed as much as a pocket passer as he thought he would by this juncture of his career. He is still having “touch” issues, as well as getting the snap off in time, not going through his reads long enough and stalling in the red zone, which was also an issue when Alex Smith was under center. Interestingly, Kaepernick performs much better against the blitz than against conventional pressure, when he has less time to think, rather than react. Going back to being a run-first team should help Kaepernick further develop as a pocket passer; although, as Williamson said, many thought he’d be there already. Still, he is a dangerous player, as well as a tough one to scheme against thanks to his running ability and powerful (if not entirely accurate) arm.

Obviously, the Rams went all-in with Sam Bradford at quarterback and got burned by injury. Again. So what’s the skinny/scouting report on Austin Davis?

Wagoner: Davis has been an interesting case study on how and why teams should stick with a young quarterback with potential. He impressed enough as an undrafted rookie in 2012 to win a roster spot, mainly because of his production in preseason games. But the Rams didn’t see enough progress in the offseason for him to make the roster and he struggled in practice, especially when it came to keeping his eyes downfield and going through progressions. After Bradford suffered the first knee injury, they brought Davis back because of his knowledge of the offense. And something began to click as Davis used that second half of the season to get better. He’s still more of a gamer than someone who will consistently impress in practice but he’s gotten better in that area too now that he’s getting all the reps in practice. He has a strong enough arm, although he won’t wow you with it. But he has proved accurate and has a knack for making things happen when things break down. And his teammates absolutely love his fire and enthusiasm on the field.

On the other side of things, Davis has had some issues with blitz recognition and has a knack for costly turnovers that turn into instant points. He had two fumbles last week, one for a touchdown, and threw a pick-six against Minnesota and against Dallas. It’s also important to keep perspective knowing Davis has started only against defenses ranked in the bottom part of the league. This week should offer a much better idea of his upside.

There has been plenty of turmoil out in Niners-land when it comes to coach Jim Harbaugh. He seems to feed off the chaos a bit. How are the players handling it, and has any of the off-the-field stuff been a distraction so far?

Gutierrez: Early on, I didn’t think Harbaugh was losing the 49ers’ locker room so much as his players were morphing into him. Or did you miss the early-season histrionics so many Niners players were performing on the sideline toward officials whenever a call would go against them, especially in the loss at the Arizona Cardinals? But the reports kept coming; former Niners CB Deion Sanders said the players wanted Harbaugh gone. Well, predictably, the players have closed ranks, denied the stories and blamed the big, bad media for creating the firestorm. The players claim it has not been a distraction. And if you’re a conspiracy theorist, chew on this: It’s no secret Harbaugh likes to keep the illusion that he prefers to keep his players uncomfortable, so to speak, to get better results. Might someone above Harbaugh’s pay grade be pulling the same kind of act on him? After all, he is in the fourth year of a five-year, $25 million contract and extension talks have been put on hold. Stay tuned.

One of the most memorable games I’ve ever covered was when I was still in junior college and the Rams still called SoCal home. It was in the 1989 season and, on "Monday Night Football," the 49ers came back from being down 27-10 in the fourth quarter to win 30-27, thanks in part to a pair of 90-plus-yard catch-and-run TDs by John Taylor. The Niners and Rams had a nice little California rivalry brewing for years. So, when do the Rams move back to L.A.?

Wagoner: Well, according to the terms of their lease at the Edward Jones Dome, they are free to move anywhere they choose after this season. Whether that actually happens -- be it this year or down the line -- remains to be seen. In the interim, there are obviously a lot of rumors and speculation but not a single word from Rams owner Stan Kroenke; the only person involved who truly knows what the future of the team holds. I wouldn’t be shocked by either outcome, but there’s a long way to go in this deal for all parties before anything is settled. And I wouldn’t expect Kroenke to make his intentions known until he absolutely has to, much like when he bought the controlling stake of the team in the first place.