The San Francisco 49ers absolutely stomped the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in Melbourne, Australia, kicking off their 2026 campaign with a statement win. It was a rough start for the Rams, whose offense routinely struggled to finish drives, especially compared to Brock Purdy’s thriving 49ers. But for a player like Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, to post a goose egg on the stat sheet in his Rams debut? That’s the real story, man.
Purdy Came to Play, Stafford Stumbled Hard
This game, played in front of an insane 100,021 fans at Melbourne Cricket Ground, started slow. Both teams combined for three punts on four drives in the first quarter, with the Niners holding a slim 3-0 lead. The Rams actually found the end zone first, when Kyren Williams punched it in from five yards out to make it 7-3. It felt like they had momentum, especially after Purdy got picked off by safety Quentin Lake on the next drive. But then Matthew Stafford immediately threw one right back. Seriously? Purdy got back on track instantly, hitting Demarcus Robinson for a 39-yard touchdown to put San Francisco back in front. They went into halftime with a 10-7 lead, and the 49ers offense just kept rolling.
In the third quarter, Purdy connected with Mike Evans for another short touchdown. The Rams looked like they were gonna respond, driving all the way down to the one-yard line. Fourth down, quarterback sneak from Stafford, and the 49ers’ D-line just stuffed him cold. Goal-line stand! What a momentum killer for LA. San Francisco took advantage, marching 99 yards on an 11-play drive that ended with a touchdown pass from Purdy to Deebo Samuel. Fred Warner even forced a fumble from Rams tight end Tyler Higbee late in the game to add insult to injury. The Rams were absolutely shut out in the final two quarters. Purdy finished 25-of-34 for 205 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. Stafford? 15-of-25 for 155 yards, zero touchdowns, and one pick. Christian McCaffrey ran for 68 yards on 10 carries, and the Niners racked up 174 rushing yards as a team, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. They also had 23 first downs to the Rams’ 15. Total domination.
Where Was Myles Garrett?
Now, let’s talk about the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett. This guy set a new single-season record with 23 sacks in 2025. He’s supposed to be a game-wrecker. In his Rams debut, against a solid offensive line, he didn’t bring Purdy down once. Even worse? He didn’t register a single tackle either. Zero sacks, zero tackles. You hear that right. While the Rams *were* missing future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, you still expect *something* from a player of Garrett’s caliber. Meanwhile, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner was flying all over the field, racking up 11 tackles, and Nick Bosa had 4 tackles and 2 TFLs. The Rams needed their star defender to step up, and he just wasn’t there. That’s a huge problem.
The Rams are now sitting at 0-1, while the 49ers are 1-0 and looking like an early force. If LA wants to bounce back, they need Matthew Stafford to protect the ball and Myles Garrett to actually, you know, show up. They’ve got a lot of tape to review before their next game, that’s for sure.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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