The San Francisco 49ers just walked into Melbourne, Australia, and delivered a 27-7 beatdown to the Los Angeles Rams. This wasn’t just any Week 1 win; the Rams were supposedly the darlings of the NFL, seen as a “super team,” and Vegas even had them as three-point favorites. Stephen A. Smith hit the nail on the head the next day when he was asked if the media overhyped the Rams: “It appears so.” For those of us who love to call out bad takes, especially when they involve rivals, this one felt good.
The “Super Team” That Wasn’t So Super
The buzz around the Rams was undeniable, with predictions soaring about their supposedly unstoppable “super team.” But the 49ers went halfway across the world and crushed that narrative, holding them to just seven points. Sure, it’s only Week 1, and things can look sloppy with rust to knock off, but the 49ers looked incredibly clean. They just looked plain good, which makes refuting those wild pre-game takes all the sweeter. There is no denying the 49ers were impressive.
Bill Plaschke’s 17-0 Dream Got Crushed
Among all the hot takes predicting Rams dominance, Bill Plaschke’s column for the Los Angeles Times stood out. He actually wrote that the Rams were going to go 17-0 on their way to winning another home Super Bowl. He even called their schedule “favorable.” With the Rams now set to face the New York Giants at home, then hit the road for games against the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles, and then take on the Buffalo Bills, Plaschke’s “favorable schedule” might not feel so favorable anymore. As of this writing, Plaschke hasn’t responded on X about his bold claim, though his latest column did call the game a “jet-lagged flop.” Sounds like he’s feeling the heat.
Nick Wright’s Defensive Disaster Prediction
Then there’s Nick Wright, who stated, “I think the Niners defense could be really bad.” Now, Wright often makes statements that are easily disproven, like his take that you need first-round skill position players. But saying “really bad” about that 49ers defense? That’s the exact opposite of what we saw. We all had questions about Raheem Morris as defensive coordinator, and frankly, I still do. But remembering the optimism I felt when Nick Sorensen was coordinator in Week 1 of 2024, I’m finding myself optimistic and setting high expectations for Morris now. That defense in Melbourne was nothing short of impressive, and they did it without Mykel Williams on the field. The scoreboard proved Wright wrong decisively.
This Week 1 stunner in Melbourne set a wild tone. The Rams have a tough road ahead with those upcoming games, and it will be fascinating to see if they can start to live up to the “super team” hype or if this 27-7 thrashing was a sign of what’s to come for their heavily scrutinized season.
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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