Colin Kaepernick dismisses rumors of issues with 49ers teammates

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Rookie running back Todd Gurley poses a big problem for every opponent of the St. Louis Rams.

Surely, the San Francisco 49ers are no different.

If only they didn't have bigger problems of their own.

Coming off a 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 22, the 49ers have had to defend themselves, rather than focus on defending Gurley, as Sunday's matchup with the Rams approaches.

The biggest issue: National reports that Colin Kaepernick is not well liked in the 49ers' locker room.

Predictably, the 49ers have been quick to discredit the suggestion that Kaepernick has no friends on the team.

"I don't see an island at all," 49ers coach Jim Tomsula insisted. "I see a lot of interaction."

Predictably, Tomsula pulled the "cite your sources" card when demanding that reporters identify the means by which they obtain this type of information.

The coach then cited his source -- himself.

"I'm a guy that's in the locker room more than most coaches," he said. "We're 2-5. Here it comes. Here comes all the stuff. That's the business. That where we're at, but I don't see it."

No 49ers player, coach or administrator has put his name on comments about Kaepernick's so-called isolation.

On the other hand, the quarterback himself, like his coach, went public with a response contradicting the headlines-grabbing reports.

"I have a great relationship with my teammates," Kaepernick said. "To me, that's a situation that I don't know what the agenda is or what the credibility of that source is. I have a great relationship with my teammates and I'll leave it at that."

SERIES HISTORY: 131st regular-season meeting. 49ers lead, 64-63-3. The 49ers need a win Sunday at St. Louis in order to keep from falling into a tie in the all-time series. Such a result would not be unusual. The 49ers have a winning record on the road against the Rams in their history (33-31-1), the result of having won in their last two trips to St. Louis -- 31-17 last year and 23-13 in 2013. The Rams did prevail in the most recent meeting, a 13-10 victory at San Francisco last November.

GAME PLAN: The 49ers began the season as a team that thought it would run well and stop the run effectively. Those will be the keys to potential success Sunday against the St. Louis Rams, who feature the league's most productive running back over the past month, Todd Gurley, and a run defense that's far more vulnerable than their pass defense.

In an attempt to match strides with Gurley, the question is: How much of a load can 49ers running Carlos Hyde carry on a left foot that's damaged with a stress fracture? Hyde got only 11 carries in last week's 20-3 loss to Seattle, and was outgained on the ground 122-40 by Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--49ers RB Carlos Hyde vs. Rams run defense

As Hyde has gotten less and less productive, the Rams' run defense has solidified in recent weeks. It's not a trend that favors the 49ers. Hyde, battling a stress fracture in his left foot, had only 40 yards on 11 carries in last week's loss to Seattle. The Rams, meanwhile, haven't allowed a back to gain more than 30 yards in either of their last two games, after opening the season by allowing 62 or more to a back in four consecutive outings.

--49ers RG Jordan Devey and RG Andrew Tilley vs. Rams DT Aaron Donald

Donald has developed quickly into one of the league's premier interior defensive linemen, a force that's been difficult for even the best offensive guards to deal with. The 49ers are at the other end of the spectrum when it comes to the quality of their right guards. In fact, the backup (Tilley) has played more than the starter (Devey) over the last three games as the 49ers attempt to disguise arguably the club's weakest position.

--49ers ILB NaVorro Bowman vs. Rams RB Todd Gurley

Bowman ranks second in the league in tackles and Gurley just 12th in rushing. Advantage: Gurley. The Bowman-led 49ers defense struggled containing Seattle standout Marshawn Lynch last week. And even Lynch hasn't been anywhere near as productive as Gurley in recent weeks. The rookie has rushed for 146, 159 and 128 in his last three games.