MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams finally touched down in Australia just before dawn on Thursday, and they hope to head home before the sun sets Friday.
They'll have only about 36 hours in Melbourne between their 15-hour flights, but coach Sean McVay remains confident this unusual itinerary provides the Rams' best chance to open the regular season
with a difficult win over the San Francisco 49ers.“We’re well-rested. We feel good,” McVay
said Thursday after the Rams' brief practice at Marvel Stadium, the retractable-roof venue just 3 1/2 kilometers from the game venue, the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
McVay added that many of his players “got to sleep through the night" on their journey from Los Angeles. "Guys were comfortable, and they seemed fresh. Get a good rest tonight, and be ready to rock tomorrow.”
Before the Rams face the 49ers at the 100,000-seat MCG in a game that kicks off at 10:35 a.m. local time, they spent their sole off-day in Melbourne resting, going through a light workout and attempting to get a slight flavor of the cosmopolitan city hosting the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia.
It's only a fraction of the experience enjoyed by the Niners, who have been in Australia for over a week. But the Rams decided months ago to eschew the fun parts of an international trip to focus on continuity, keeping their body clocks on California time and minimizing the distractions of international travel.
“Obviously, we would love to have the opportunity to connect with the fans out here a little bit more, but we did what we could (today), getting out and trying some coffee and getting out on the streets,” receiver Davante Adams said. “We had a chance to meet and see some of the fans, so we did as much as we could with our travel schedule.”
The Rams' strategy hasn't been well-received in Australia, where many fans expected more face time with a team attempting to build a support base as one of the NFL clubs designated for promotion in the country. McVay and the Rams' front office have heard the criticism, but it hasn't affected their belief in a travel strategy they first used last season for a game in London — albeit a much shorter trip from the U.S. East Coast than this journey across the Pacific.
“We wouldn’t do anything if we didn’t think it was best for our players,” McVay said. “I’m not saying we have all the answers, but we wanted to keep our guys in a normal rhythm and routine as long as possible, and we feel like (the plan) is going to be something that suits us well.”
Stafford knows the Rams' wisdom will be retroactively judged by how well they play against their NFC West archrivals. San Francisco has won 11 of the clubs' 19 meetings during the parallel coaching careers of McVay and Kyle Shanahan — and even though the Rams have won four of the last five, that loss was an embarrassing home upset handed out by a Niners roster missing most of its best players.
“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. ... I think guys will be tired at the right time, and be ready to rock and roll in the morning.”
And if the Rams win again with their late travel strategy, Adams won't be surprised if other teams copy McVay's innovation in the future — just as they've done with so many aspects of his offensive schemes.
“They probably should," Adams said. “If it works, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's what they say.”
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