Week 1 is bringing some wild travel decisions to the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are about to kick off their season in Australia, an international showdown set for September 11th local time, which means a 5:35 p.m. US televised game on September 10th. The catch? A brutal 17-hour time difference that’s got both teams making completely different calls on how to handle it.
Rams Go Old School, 49ers Listen To Science
The Rams, led by head coach Sean McVay, are sticking to a plan that worked for them before. Remember their London trip? They arrived late, spent barely any time in the host country, landed just the day before the game, then hammered the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-7 before flying right back. McVay hasn’t confirmed every detail for Australia, but he’s already hinted this offseason that they’ll probably run it back, keeping their time Down Under to a minimum. Why mess with success, right?
But then there are the 49ers. Kyle Shanahan and his squad are doing the exact opposite. They’re packing their bags a full week early, aiming to get there and acclimate to that massive time change. Shanahan himself admitted he was on the fence, saying, “I would love to just show up the day before and just play, but I’m not the best when it comes to the science and everything on that stuff.” He stressed they asked people who’ve done it, people who study it, and got a strong recommendation. With a 19-hour flight and a 16-hour-something difference, that’s a huge body adjustment. Shanahan said the science wasn’t on the fence, and neither were his players, which helped him make the call.
Injuries and The Road Ahead
This isn’t just about battling jet lag, either. Shanahan also mentioned the 49ers are dealing with a bunch of injury decisions before they even get on that monster flight. He’s just hoping the team is healthy enough to even make the trip. He said the biggest challenges are getting there and preparing, with guys still trying to recover from injuries while facing the plane ride. Once they’re there, he figures it’ll be a cool atmosphere and fun to play in another country, but right now, his focus is solely on those initial hurdles and getting the team ready for “those three and a half hours.”
So, Week 1 is going to be wild, not just on the field, but because we’re going to see which travel strategy actually pays off. Will the Rams’ quick-in, quick-out method work again, or will the 49ers’ week-long scientific acclimation give them the edge? The first W of the season is on the line, and this cross-world trip adds a whole new layer of intrigue.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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