49ers key matchup No. 3: Davis vs. Long

Editor's note: his is the first part in a series that spotlights three 49ers-Rams matchups to watch Sunday, 10 a.m. (FOX), at the Edward Jones Dome.49ers RT Anthony Davis vs. Rams LDE Chris LongTale of the tape
Davis (76): 6-foot-5, 323 pounds, third season, Rutgers
Long (91): 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, fifth season, VirginiaJust go ahead and pencil in this head-to-head matchup twice a year for the foreseeable future.Right tackle Anthony Davis has played well this season on one of the top offensive lines in football. But he will be the decided underdog Sunday against Chris Long, who has given Davis everything he can handle in their five previous meetings."He's like a Clay Matthews who plays with better leverage," Davis said of Long.Matthews, the Green Bay Packers' outside linebacker, has nine sacks this season.
Long has seven sacks this season and leads the Rams with 37 quarterback pressures and 18 quarterback hits. He had a strong game against the 49ers when the clubs met Nov. 11 at Candlestick in a 24-24 tie.Long was credited with 10 quarterback disruptions, according to Pro Football Focus. He had one sack, one hit and eight hurries. His sack and five of his pressures came while working against Davis.Davis, who will wear a splint on an injured little finger on his right hand, said he expects another all-day battle Sunday against Long. A lot of pressure will fall on Davis, as the 49ers try to provide quarterback Colin Kaepernick with protection to make plays down the field."Yeah, we try to kill each other," Davis said wryly.