Turns out the Los Angeles Rams won't be a historic juggernaut. They’re certainly no threat to the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
A star-studded L.A. squad some thought might pull off the first 17-0 regular season got thoroughly walloped by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL’s first regular-season foray into Australia. The Niners’ 27-7 victory not only seeded doubt about the Rams but also reaffirmed San Fran as a bona fide Super Bowl 61 contender on the heels of a 12-5 campaign in 2025 that was truly remarkable given the myriad injuries suffered by the 49ers.
Let’s break down the fallout from Down Under:
WINNERS
San Fransico 49ers
Duh. They won. But they also did so in dominant fashion, basically with a full complement of their stars. After an early interception, QB Brock Purdy was
surgical, as he so often is, completing 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards and three TDs, including one each to WRs Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, who weren’t with this team in 2025. Defensively, DE Nick Bosa and LB Fred Warner were back for a unit that almost completely shut down the Rams offense.
Seattle Seahawks
Duh. They won. Again. The reigning champs were always going to be a leg up on one of their primary NFC West foes after a hard-fought win over the New England Patriots in Wednesday night’s season opener. But starting the season with a one-game lead over the uber-hyped (overhyped?) Rams has to be gratifying for the reigning champs, especially as they face the prospect of likely playing at least one game without injured QB Sam Darnold.
Aaron Donald
Stayed home in SoCal. Smart man.
Netflix … mostly
We’ll take Noah Eagle on the play-by-play mic seven days a week and twice on Thursday (or is it Friday?). Broadcast partner (or is it streaming partner?) and newly enshrined Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly must learn to look into the camera more and at Eagle less. But his reputation as a savant who can dissect and decipher film translated to his analyst role, and he should only get better. And though Kuechly has a clean-cut “Captain America” image, his sense of humor is also apparent. Prime Video should be jealous of this booth, though it still boasts a far superior pre-game show.
NFL international expansion
More than 100,000 folks descended on the Melbourne Cricket Ground – 100,021 to be exact, the seventh-highest attendance for a regular-season game in league history. And with Netflix airing the game and continuing to settle in as a league business partner, the NFL’s seeming objective of world domination continues to gain momentum.
49ers’ travel approach
Mingling with the locals? Sightseeing? Acclimatizing? Sleeping? Pretty much how anyone would enjoy a sojourn to Australia.
LOSERS
Rams’ travel approach
Thirty-plus hours in an uncomfortable tube – maybe slightly more comfortable in the Rams’ case – sandwiched around facing a capable NFC West opponent and hoping adrenaline can carry the day? Dumb as it (unsurprisingly) turns out. Next time, book a hotel, do a river tour, relax. Win?
Myles Garrett
After his seismic offseason trade from the Cleveland Browns to L.A., very much looking forward to his Rams debut. Oh wait, he played!?
Jonas Brothers
Sorry, but who asked for this? The dozens of people milling about the stage in a bargain bin version of a Super Bowl halftime show? We hate to blame it on an apparently Jonas-thirsty Aussie Gen-Z demographic, but unless you have a better theory …
De'Zhaun Stribling
Widely panned in April, when he became the Niners’ top draft pick (33rd overall, atop the second round), the former Ole Miss wideout wasted little time establishing himself in what was an injury-riddled San Francisco receiving corps during training camp and preseason. But then his professional roller coaster ride took another turn when Stribling suffered some kind of leg injury in the first half that cut his official league debut short. The Faithful already thanking God for Evans.
Matthew Stafford
After throwing a league-leading and career-high 46 TD passes on his way to league MVP honors in 2025, he didn’t throw one in Australia. Stafford didn’t even finish the game, coach Sean McVay content to throw in the towel and hope to get his team back on track in Week 2.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winners and losers of 49ers' thrashing of not-so-super Rams in Australia
