If you follow the NFL, then by now you know the Los Angeles Rams were mauled on Thursday Night Football by the San Francisco 49ers. It was a humbling loss if you want to put it kindly, it was embarrassing if you want to use another adjective. A silver lining is the Rams have 16 more games to go.
Their season is far from over.
Matthew Stafford was off, Myles Garrett didn’t make a tangible impact, Sean McVay was outcoached and the better team, the 49ers, won on Thursday.
For the 49ers, this is a great
start to the season (minus all the injuries). For the Rams, they clearly aren’t going to walk into the Super Bowl in February as so many preseason talking heads predicted.
Now, the Rams roster looks good, but can they play like a team? A fair question after their latest loss. It’s alright to be disappointed in the loss, it’s alright to be frustrated, but the season isn’t over, and for the Rams, they need to get back home, and get back to work.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Oh, and rumor has it some player who wears #99 may be coming back. The Rams season isn’t done, yet.
Top moments, highlights as 49ers beat Rams in Australia (espn.com)
“The 49ers handled their division rivals in a statement victory, putting up 379 yards of offense. After the Rams went up 7-3 early in the second quarter, they were outscored 24-0 the rest of the way. Los Angeles had a fumble, an interception and two turnovers on downs during that span.
Brock Purdy threw for 205 yards with three touchdowns, becoming the first San Francisco quarterback with three passing scores in a season opener since Colin Kaepernick in 2013, according to ESPN Research. In his debut with the 49ers, wide receiver Mike Evans had six receptions for 49 yards and a score.“
Even 49ers poked fun at Rams’ Australian travel plan after 27-7 blowout — ‘Maybe a few days earlier would’ve been ideal’ (sports.yahoo)
“The 49ers deserve credit for executing well and beating the Rams. The 49ers also deserve credit for a plan that had them spend a week in Melbourne acclimating themselves for Thursday’s game, which was actually on Friday morning in Australia. The Rams showed up the day before the game and looked very little like the Super Bowl favorite they had been touted to be all offseason. They looked tired.
“Sometimes sports can humble you and today was one of those days,” Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters postgame. “I make no excuses. Whether you want to say it’s about travel, or whatever, we just weren’t good enough in that window. I didn’t coach good enough.”
Rams’ lopsided loss to 49ers had nothing to do with Australia travel (ramswire)
“We could spend all day dissecting the issues with the defense, as there are plenty. The bigger issue was the pedestrian nature of an offense that led the league in passing efficiency and scoring a year ago. Matthew Stafford looked out of his element, as if he’s forcing throws again because he can’t figure out the defensive puzzle.”
NFL draft: Rams watch starts out great for Browns fans as Myles Garrett has his ‘worst’ game in years (dawgsbynature)
“The Jaguars watch has ended; long live “Rams watch” for the 2026 season. Much like Jacksonville ended up being in 2025, the Los Angeles Rams are predicted to be very good this year after the Myles Garrett trade with the Browns. Unlike with the Jaguars, Cleveland fans will be on Rams watch for a few years moving forward.“
Rams’ disaster in Australia raises the question: Should the team have followed the 49ers there earlier? (foxnews)
“Let’s be clear: This is no slight to the 49ers, a team many believe will earn a playoff berth in a loaded division. Rather, the noise and astronomical expectations for the Rams made this Week 1 performance a shocker to say the least.
While the “overrated” talk has already begun for football fans on social media, the question must be asked: were the Rams right to fly to Melbourne less than two days before kickoff?
The Rams arrived in Melbourne on Thursday morning local time, with 28 hours until kickoff to begin their season. On the other hand, the 49ers spent close to a week getting adjusted to Melbourne time, practicing multiple times and making sure the team was ready to play a Friday morning game.“
What we learned from Rams’ ugly opening loss vs. 49ers (usatoday.com)
““I know there’s gonna be a lot of narratives that appropriately put the blame on me, and then we’ll move forward the right way,” Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters after the game. “… I don’t believe (the travel plan) is why we didn’t play well enough. I really don’t.”
The travel decisions will continue to be a topic of discussion in the coming days, but there are several other factors that could be attributed to the loss.
Myles Garrett will benefit from Aaron Donald’s return
Garrett has proven throughout his career that he can be the primary focus on a defense and still produce. He spent some time matched up against 49ers standout lineman Trent Williams and did not have a good showing by the defenders’ standards, finishing the game without a sack or tackle.“
NFL Week 1 statistical review: San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams (pff.com)
“While the 49ers were clearly the better team, the game wasn’t quite as lopsided as the final score suggests. The Rams failed to capitalize on several opportunities, with Matthew Stafford throwing an interception in scoring range and failing to convert a fourth-down quarterback sneak at the goal line.
Los Angeles also gave San Francisco a short field after fumbling in its own territory.“
In Australia, the NFL’s Super Bowl favorite looked a world away from its potential (nbcsports)
“The Los Angeles Rams built a star-studded roster, only to sleepwalk through a “humbling experience” in a season-opening loss.“
Rams’ Garrett, without a tackle in loss to 49ers, cites knee (espn.com)
“Garrett missed most of training camp while dealing with what Rams coach Sean McVay called swelling in his knee. Garrett declined to say which knee is injured but wore a sleeve on his left leg during several practices.
“I’ve got to be better,” Garrett said. “I’ve got to find a way to recover and get back to the player I know I can be and I’ve shown that I’ve been before.”
Asked what his focus was going into Week 2, Garrett said, “Getting healthy.”
“When I was out there, I was a little bit more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what they were doing, and that showed,” Garrett said. “I wasn’t who I needed to be for my team.”
Niners-Rams in Australia: What We Learned from San Francisco’s 27-7 win (nfl.com)
“Niners burst Rams’ bubble. Lying in wait for an upset in Australia, the 49ers stunned the NFL’s most-hyped squad — and their division rivals. New faces (Mike Evans), returning talents (Fred Warner) and familiar standouts (Brock Purdy) came to play and make a statement. Kyle Shanahan largely carved up the Rams’ revarnished defense with Purdy throwing three touchdowns passes and for 205 yards in front of 100,021 fans attending the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Australia. Though they only collected three points, the 49ers’ opening drive set a stellar tone, with Purdy guiding them 65 yards on 15 plays, completing 9 of 12 passes with Christian McCaffrey, rookie Kaelon Black, George Kittle (returning from an Achilles injury), Deebo Samuel (returning after spending 2025 with the Commanders) and Evans all catching balls. An absolute beauty of a 39-yard TD pass to former Rams WR Demarcus Robinson led to a precarious 10-7 halftime lead for the 49ers, but in the second half, Purdy and Co. squeezed the life out of the Rams. Purdy’s 15-yard score to Deebo Samuel culminated an 11-play, 99-yard TD march to open the fourth quarter and close out a statement-making Week 1 win. You can’t hold a funeral or throw a party based off a Week 1 result, but this was a dominant win for San Francisco against a Super Bowl favorite that has been everyone’s offseason darling. The 49ers aren’t to be overlooked in the NFC.“
Comment of the Day:
“SlowTightEnd
2 hours ago
I hate being right all the time. Except I didn’t think it would be a blowout.
“SlowTightEnd
8 hours ago
I hope everyone is laughing at me tomorrow morning. But I have a bad feeling about this game. SF has Bosa and Kittle back, plus Purdy and McCaffrey. Those last three guys could kill us against our weak LB crew which can’t tackle or cover. I also think it’s absurd that AD is not playing in such a critical opener divisional game. Other questions regarding Myles Garrett and Jaylen Watson’s true health worries me. As does the potential success of Rivers and Xavier returning kicks. I have no faith in Braden Fiske, Higbee and the much lauded Ferguson showed very little in his rookie season. After Nacua and Adams, our WR crew is extremely weak with Tutu, Mumpy, Whittington and untested Daniels. I’m hoping Parkinson and Corum make a lot of plays. In sum, I’m afraid we come up just short 30-28. Dammit. Lay it on me after we win, I’ll deserve it and be happy as a lark!“ -SlowTightEnd
