As we get ready to turn the page to the Miami Dolphins, let’s take one last look at the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 1 undressing of the Los Angeles Rams.
What are some things that happened in Australia that could be things to watch for as the 49ers return stateside? What players stood out? Which play was the most impressive?
Let’s officially close the book on Week 1 with our first game in review of 2026:
Nick Bosa: run stopper?
The returns of Fred Warner and Nick Bosa were the two biggest headlines for
the defense heading into Week 1. Warner lived up to his standard, exiting Week 1 as the most impressive 49er in Australia.
Bosa, however, left a bit to be desired. While the 49ers pass rush created 14 pressures on 28 Rams pass attempts, there was little impact felt from the front four. Bosa was no exception, collecting just one pressure and one quarterback hit on 20 pass-rush snaps.
But surprisingly, it wasn’t Bosa’s pass rush ability that was the story; it was his play against the run. While the 49ers defense as a whole struggled against the run, allowing 122 yards on 29 carries, Bosa’s performance especially stood out. Bosa led the 49ers with four run stops on 16 run-play snaps, responsible for a third of the 49ers’ run stops on his own.
Bosa’s pass rush ability will come around at some point as he’s returning from the season-ending injury suffered in 2025, but if Week 1 run-stopper Bosa can show up consistently, it would only add depth to the already uber-talented defensive end.
A two-player running back room
Maybe what happened on Thursday night was a blip and Kaelon Black will never out-carry Christian McCaffrey again. But the fact that it’s something that happened in Week 1 makes it significant.
Here’s a listof games where a 49ers running back not named Christian McCaffrey has 14 or more carries in a game where McCaffrey played:
- Elijah Mitchell, 18 carries – Week 10 2022
- Elijah Mitchell 17 carries – Week 17 2023
- Kaelon Black 14 carries – Week 1 2026
And Black was deserving of those carries. The rookie gained 65 yards on his 14 attempts, looking explosive with the ball in his hands, with his longest run of the night a 14-yard carry on the 99-yard touchdown-scoring drive.
While Black impressed in his debut, McCaffrey showed why he’s still the top back in the offense. On four fewer carries, McCaffrey gained more yards than Black, with a 10-carry, 68-yard performance in the season opener. McCaffrey also added five receptions for 20 yards while Black finished with one for five yards.
This is likely the most interesting thing to watch over the next few weeks. Was it a coincidence that Black out-carried McCaffrey, or was it intentional?
Position Group of the Week
Several position groups could have earned this spot. We just discussed the running back room. The receiving corps was just as solid. And Fred Warner’s performance alone could have given it to the linebackers.
But I am going to go with the cornerback group as the inaugural position group of the week.
Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are as fearsome of a duo the league has to offer, and the 49ers cornerbacks held them quiet. Deommodore Lenoir was targeted four times against Nacua, allowing 28 yards on three receptions, with the biggest blemish being a 23-yard reception allowed. Other than that, Lenoir was solid against the Rams’ top receiver.
On the other side, Renardo Green handled his business. When in coverage against Adams or Nacua, Green was targeted three times, allowing two receptions to Adams for 23 yards. But the lone time Matthew Stafford targeted Nacua with Green in coverage, Green hauled in the first interception of his career.
Jack Jones and Upton Stout contributed as well, with the duo targeted seven times against Nacua and Adams, allowing just two receptions for eight yards, with Jones having two near-interceptions but settling with a pair of pass breakups.
Because of the corners, Stafford completed just 60 percent of his passes, which is a pretty significant percentage for the quarterback from 2025. In the four games Stafford completed 60 percent or less of his passes in 2025, the Rams went 1-3.
The 49ers’ cornerback play against Stafford and his top-two targets was just as important as anything else that led to the 49ers’ 20-point win.
Touchdown of the Week
There are three very good choices for this category, with Brock Purdy having a trio of highlight throws going for scores. The first a beautiful deep throw to Demarcus Robinson for a 39-yard touchdown followed by a connection with Mike Evans taking advantage of a one-on-one in a goal line situation.
But this week’s touchdown of the week goes to Purdy’s third and final touchdown pass:
For multiple reasons, it earns the nod, so let’s start with Purdy. He starts with an excellent slide to the right outside of the pocket the second he feels pressure. But then there’s the throw. As he’s rolling to his right, he puts the ball perfectly over a pair of Rams defenders, perfectly leading Deebo Samuel into the open spot of the end zone for the score.
And that’s the other reason this particular score earns touchdown of the week: it’s not any Deebo Samuel, but it’s No. 19, Deebo Samuel. Nostalgia is what the Robinson and Evans scores are lacking. It was the perfect exclamation point for Samuel’s return to San Francisco, closing a six-catch, 48-yard day with his first touchdown as a 49er since December 30, 2024.
Oh, and it was also the dagger in a rout of the Rams.
