The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers both had to take 16-hour flights to Australia for their Week 1 matchup, but it's Sean McVay's team that has gotten most of the attention because of how they approached the difficult travel.
The 49ers arrived in Melbourne last week, while the Rams touched down on Thursday morning Australia time before Friday morning's kickoff. As much concern as there was about the Rams being well-rested, McVay doesn't seem worried about fatigue at all.
“Flight was great," McVay said at his presser. “We’re well-rested; we feel good. It really was. Matthew and I were just talking about that on the way over here. Able to sleep through the night, guys were comfortable, they seem fresh. Get a good night rest tonight and be
ready to rock tomorrow.”
Matthew Stafford also spoke about the flight being fine, and he thinks the team will be ready to roll on Friday morning for the 10:35 a.m. local kickoff.
It's not a traditional time slot for the West Coast Rams, but they're going to wake up and get after it when the time comes.
“I don’t think it’s going to be too bad," Stafford said. "I think the way we did it, obviously it was really well thought out the way we’re approaching this thing. But it’s going to boil down to, how good do we feel tomorrow? I think we’re all going to feel really good. We’re excited to start a new season with a bunch of new guys and go out there and attack the game. What tonight will look like, I think we’ll all be able to get our sleep. I think guys will be tired at the right time and be ready to rock and roll in the morning."
The Rams put a lot of thought and research into their travel plans, sending players and staff members over to Australia several times over the last year to gauge the effects of jet leg. It's going to hit them at some point, but the hope is that it happens after the game when they're on their way back to Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay share how they feel after long Australia flight
