The Los Angeles Rams didn’t merely lose their season opener in Australia, they got absolutely clobbered 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers in the first-ever NFL game Down Under. Head coach Sean McVay was straight-up about it in his postgame presser, calling it a “humbling day” for his squad. Seriously, he didn’t mince words, admitting, “They outplayed us in every facet. I didn’t do nearly a good enough job.”
A Tale of Two Travel Plans and a One-Sided Beatdown
You gotta wonder if the travel schedule played a part, right? FOX Sports’ Eric Williams pointed out the Niners showed up in Melbourne, where the game was played, a full week before kickoff. The Rams, though, rolled in just 28 hours beforehand. And boy, did it show. L.A. actually snagged an early 7-3 lead when safety Quentin Lake picked off Brock Purdy with 12:04 left in the second quarter. You thought maybe they had something going, but nope. It was all downhill from there. Just six plays after that Purdy turnover, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who finished with a dismal 61.2 passer rating, got picked off himself by cornerback Renardo Green with 8:52 remaining in the first half. Nine plays later, the 49ers were in the end zone, and they never looked back, closing out the game on a brutal 24-0 run. The 49ers dominated total yards, 379 to 290, and even pulled off a clutch goal-line stand from the 1-yard line in the third quarter before busting out a ridiculous 99-yard touchdown drive. Purdy, meanwhile, looked sharp, throwing for three touchdowns with a 105.6 passer rating, completing 25 of 34 passes for 73.5%. The Niners also ran for 174 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. That seven-point total for the Rams is their lowest since way back on November 5, 2023, when they lost 20-3 to the Green Bay Packers. Ouch.
Where Were the Stars? McVay Takes the Blame
McVay wasn’t making excuses, saying, “I always look inside out. I didn’t do a good enough job getting us ready to go.” He knows the 49ers earned that win because “They were ready to go.” And let’s be real, where were the Rams’ new shiny toys? Cornerback Trent McDuffie, a 2023 All-Pro, did record four combined tackles, one for a loss, and two passes defended. Solid enough. But superstar defensive end Myles Garrett? Zero tackles. That’s a huge problem when you’re getting gashed like that. The silver lining, maybe, is that eight-time All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who just came out of retirement after two years away, is expected to finally make his season debut next week. They definitely needed him this week.
This kind of start can really set the tone, and McVay insisted, “This will define us only if we allow it to.” The Rams have to figure out what went wrong fast before they host the New York Giants on September 21. For the 49ers, they’re riding high into their home game against the Miami Dolphins on September 20. It’s early, but that Rams performance was a shocker to kick off the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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