Since Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay took the helm for their respective teams, the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams have become quite fierce rivals in the NFC West.
From their proximity in California to their coaches' shared history to their numerous memorable matchups over the last decade, these teams certainly circle each other on the schedule at the start of each NFL season.
With the 49ers and Rams set to face off for the second time this year on Sunday, NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco sat down with San Francisco tight end George Kittle to discuss what this West Coast rivalry means to him.
"Week in and week out, there's different things that will help you throughout the week," Kittle told Maiocco on "49ers Talk," which debuted Saturday. "For me -- this week is Rams week -- one thing I always tell my guys is, my wife always wakes me up on Monday morning, and she goes, 'It's Rams week. Get your mind right.' She's done it for like seven years, and it's been pretty awesome. ...
"Every time we play the Rams, it's a mental, gritty game. So that's one thing that gets me right this week. You don't have to get me ready for Rams week. I'm always excited to play in it."
That mindset and preparation clearly have worked throughout Kittle's career. Over his nine-season NFL career, the 49ers are 9-5 against the Rams when Kittle plays (including the regular season and playoffs). That's his best mark against any NFC West opponent, even though Los Angeles consistently has been a better team than the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals during that span.
Furthermore, Kittle also averages more catches and yards against the Rams compared to the Seahawks and Cardinals, hauling in 4.7 receptions and 66.2 yards per game when facing Los Angeles.
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So, what separates the Rams from San Francisco's other division rivals? Kittle explained why he particularly gets up to face Los Angeles.
"When I first got into the league, they were the best team in the division, easily," Kittle shared. "I think I lost our first three or four games to them. And so, it's just always made me want to beat them. Every single time we play them, I always just want to beat them. I don't know if it's Sean McVay and how he memorizes everything, if that pisses me off, but there's just something about the Rams that makes me always want to have a good game against them."
To fact-check Kittle, he only lost three of his first four matchups against the Rams. But after that, he beat them in eight consecutive regular-season contests before last year's Week 14 loss.
Now, after San Francisco already beat Los Angeles in Week 5 earlier this season when Kittle was sidelined due to injury, the star tight end might be extra eager to face his rival on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.