The San Francisco 49ers took total control of their season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia, putting a serious damper on all that “super team” talk around LA. This wasn’t some close call; the Niners looked straight up dominant, especially by just owning the line of scrimmage all game long. By the fourth quarter, the Rams weren’t even knocking on contention, just slipping deeper into defeat. Yeah, it’s Week 1, and we know “Week 1 lies” a lot of the time, but the 49ers looked built for a deep run right out of the gate.
Niners Offense Is SCARY Deep, Even With Injuries
Seriously, that 49ers offense looked awesome. You had to feel for the Rams, watching rookie receiver De’Zhaun Stribling get carted off in the first half, just another young receiver injury after Ricky Pearsall hit IR pre-season. But Brock Purdy? He didn’t look shorthanded AT ALL. George Kittle was back in action despite a quick return from his Achilles injury last year, which is just insane. Then there’s Mike Evans, who looked like the ultimate chain-mover, grabbing a touchdown or a first down on all six of his catches. That’s exactly what they paid $42.4 million over three years for, right? Deebo Samuel looked young again, totally like his old 49ers self, contributing 48 receiving yards, 12 rushing yards, AND 74 special teams yards. Christian McCaffrey was, of course, outstanding, but the biggest surprise was rookie running back Kaelon Black. He finished with 14 carries for 65 yards, totally taking the load off McCaffrey early in the season. This unit looks peak Shanahan, built with a swath of weapons that should let Purdy play at a high level against anyone, even what everyone thought was the NFL’s defense in LA. They look built to last into January and maybe even February.
Jet Lag Is Real, And Stafford Looked Worse
For all the talk about who planned their international travel better, both quarterbacks looked sluggish in that first half. You saw it plain as day: they both threw brutal interceptions in the same fashion, on back-to-back drives! Purdy threw one directly at a dropping safety, Quentin Lake, while trying to hit Kittle, and Lake picked it off easily. Then, just a few plays later, Matthew Stafford floated one toward Puka Nacua, and Renardo Green backpedaled into position for a pick. Jet lag always wins, I guess. That said, Stafford definitely looked worse than Purdy. He aired a few balls so high they were uncatchable, forced a dangerous throw to Davante Adams near the end of the first half, and just looked completely stumped by the 49ers’ pressure. And get this: the Niners were generating that pressure without even having to send many blitzes! Stafford finished the game a rough 15 of 25 for just 155 yards and an interception. The Rams looked tired and sloppy; they’ve got some serious self-scouting to do.
It’s early, so no one is hitting the panic button just yet for the Rams, but this was a statement game for the 49ers. They just showed the league how deep and explosive their offense can be, even with some key players sidelined. The Rams have a lot of kinks to work out after that rough trip, and they need to bounce back strong next week if they want to get that “super team” narrative back on track.
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.
Leave a Reply