The San Francisco 49ers kicked off their 2026 season Thursday night with a seriously convincing win over the Los Angeles Rams. Travel plans were a whole thing all week, but the 49ers were just sharper, executing better when it mattered most. Now the Rams have a long flight back to figure out what just went wrong, especially after they went into this season talking about being more than paper champions.
Brock Purdy’s Masterclass and a Shocking RB Twist
Brock Purdy’s game started with one blemish, an interception to Quinton Lake, but after that, man, he was absolutely masterful and in total command. He finished the night 25-of-34 for a 73.5% completion rate, racking up 205 yards and three touchdowns. PFF even said his receivers dropped three more potential catches, so that stat line could’ve been even bigger. He only faced pressure on eight of his 36 dropbacks, which is only 22.2%, proving the offensive line held up. The biggest highlight for the offense? That deep shot to Demarcus Robinson was pure fire.
But hold up, here’s a surprise nobody saw coming: with Jordan James inactive, putting an end to any RB2 debate, Kaelon Black out-carried Christian McCaffrey, 14 touches to 10. The rushing attack looked totally back on track, with McCaffrey getting 68 yards and Black right behind him with 65. We’ve got a one-two punch forming here, people, and that’s one of the biggest shockers from this game!
New Weapons and Early Season Hurdles
Mike Evans, in his first game as a 49er, looked every bit the Hall of Famer. Six catches, five for first downs, and a touchdown grab on a fade in the end zone. Three contested catch opportunities, three contested catches. Seriously, that’s dominance right there. Demarcus Robinson definitely got his revenge on his former team with that long touchdown catch, and guess who kept giving the Rams that belt? Deebo Samuel. He pulled in six grabs for 48 yards and a touchdown, plus he kick-started a crucial 49ers drive with a long kickoff return.
It wasn’t all sunshine, though. De’Zhaun Stribling’s injury definitely put a damper on the win, and everyone’s waiting for more info on his timeline. Jake Tonges also left the game injured, and hopefully, it’s not too serious for him either. George Kittle returned on a bit of a pitch count, which makes sense for the first game, but he looked great overall. And it’s no exaggeration to say Luke Farrell had his best game as a 49er, too. The offensive line looked solid, with Trent Williams and Dominick Puni leading the way with 75.1 and 82.7 pass-blocking grades respectively.
The 49ers are coming back from Australia now, and they’ll have some time to get reacclimated to the time zone before their home opener against Miami. That’s going to be a huge test.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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