There was a ton of discourse ahead of the Week 1 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams about travel logistics, as both teams elected to take a different approach with the trip to Australia.
Consulting their respective experts, the 49ers elected to fly into Australia a week early, allowing them to get acclimated to the time change, while the Rams chose to go with their in-season approach from last year, flying in the day before and operating on Pacific time.
There was a lot
of controversy on which option was the best, and that was seemingly proven in Week 1, when the 49ers beat the Rams 27-7 for the upset. It was a game where the Rams looked flat, while San Francisco kept their foot on the gas in the second half to pull away for a key divisional victory.
Los Angeles looked much better on Monday night in a 28-6 beatdown of the New York Giants, despite not having Puka Nacua. Following the game, head coach Sean McVay admitted his mistake and took the blame for the team’s travel decision in Week 1.
“Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn, and sometimes you have a dumbass coach that makes travel decisions that put you in a bad spot,” McVay chuckled as he left the podium.
The Rams had done a similar approach in past international games and had seen success. But the difference was that this one was to begin the season, giving both teams ample time to adjust and return home to re-adjust. And Los Angeles’s choice backfired.
Wide receiver Davante Adams acknowledged on The Up & Adams Show that the 49ers were more rested and locked in than the Rams during that Week 1 game.
“The Niners went out there and played better football than us,” Adams said. “They were more ready & locked in that game. So, that’s what I attribute [the loss] to… I kind of just want to put it behind me altogether. That’s the kind of guy that Sean [McVay] is. He’s going to make some fun of a not-so-great situation with last week.”
Both McVay and Kyle Shanahan have expressed their displeasure about the long travel and logistics of playing in Australia, with the Rams head coach even hoping they wouldn’t have to play in Australia again.
Nonetheless, both teams have moved forward, securing wins in Week 2. It’ll be quite a while before the two sides see each other again, as the 49ers and Rams play next in Week 14, but currently: advantage, 49ers.
