Superteam. Unbeatable. Super Bowl bound.

These were all used to describe theLos Angeles Ramsall offseason, yet Week 1 proved why there’s no such thing as a sure thing in the NFL.

The Rams faced their NFC West foe, theSanFrancisco 49ers, in the NFL’s first-ever game in Australia on Thursday night (or should we say, 10:35 a.m. local time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground) and were dominated in a 27-7 loss to begin the 2026 season.

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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 theRams right to fly to Melbourneless 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.

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The approaches were polar opposite, with the Rams arguing they still felt like they were on Los Angeles time, meaning kickoff to them felt like 5:35 p.m. PT on Thursday night.

\"What gives me confidence is I’m not going to really make it a big deal,\" Rams coach Sean McVay said, viaThe Athletic, regarding the team’s plan to fly so close to gameday. \"It’s, ‘Hey, this is what the reality is. We’ve got a long way to go, but let’s be ready to rock when that three-hour window that we’re allotted comes.’\"

Both teams did their due diligence in terms of researching the best method and came to two completely different answers. The 49ers consulted sleep experts, coaches and anyone else they could find to see what would be best for the roster.

San Francisco knew the sleep conversation was coming. Considering this was only the NFL’s first game in Australia and the league continues expanding its global reach, it won’t be the last time franchises find themselves Down Under during the regular season.

\"People are probably going to speculate after the game, ‘Well, this was better than the other,’\" 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak explained, via the outlet. \"But, at the end of the day, we’re going to go out there to play.

\"It’s an unprecedented situation. We believe in the way we’re doing it. They believe in the way they’re doing it, and we’re going to play the game.\"

It seemed pretty clear during these four quarters which team had the better way of doing things with this Australia game.

The 49ers came out buzzing and held that same intensity on both sides of the ball throughout the contest. Meanwhile, the Rams couldn’t find their usual rhythm, especially the reigning MVP quarterbackMatthew Stafford.

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Year 18 didn’t begin the way he wanted, seeing just a handful of completions in the first half, though L.A. was only down by three points heading back to the locker room. The Rams scored the first touchdown of the contest early in the second quarter, but Stafford, for the most part, was not his accurate self in key moments.

One of them came after the Rams secured an interception on 49ers quarterbackBrock Purdyfollowing the L.A. touchdown drive, which running back Kyren Williams celebrated after busting into the end zone. Stafford was picked off by Renardo Green on a pass intended for Puka Nacua.

And then there was a clear show of force between these two teams when Nacua failed to break the plane on third-and-goal, leaving a fourth-and-goal situation for the Rams and half-a-yard to go. The 49ers just scored a touchdown to open the second half and secure a 17-7 lead.

Stafford went for the quarterback sneak, but he was stuffed right before the goal line, and the 49ers’ defense, which was stellar throughout the game, went ballistic.

To make matters worse, the Rams’ defense, which started the game hot and seemed to lose juice as it went along, gave up a 99-yard touchdown drive to the 49ers after Stafford’s failure to break the plane.

From there, the white flag was virtually raised by McVay on the sideline, sending out Stafford’s backup, Stetson Bennett, and other second-stringers to finish out the lopsided loss.

Also worth noting:Myles Garrett, whom the Rams acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns this offseason and has an insane impact on the \"superteam\" debate, didn’t finish with a single stat in his debut. He did deal with a knee situation during training camp, but he looked gassed as he came in and out of the game when the Rams were on defense.

Perhaps his teammates were just as gassed, but it was clear on the scoreboard, and it will likely show up on tape, that the Rams just didn’t have the same energy as their division rival.

Of course, there’s still a long season ahead. Aaron Donald did not travel to Australia with the Rams for his highly anticipated return from retirement, and this squad could still become the juggernaut everyone expects it to be.

But they began the season on the wrong foot and will have a 15-hour flight home to consider whether flying down so late was the right decision.

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",{"_281":239,"_282":321,"_284":322},"bf074f31-17d9-429d-ba41-e63e1361cec3",{"_27":321,"_40":323,"_287":324,"_42":325,"_251":326,"_291":-5,"_29":292,"_293":327,"_295":328,"_244":329,"_80":-5,"_82":120,"_238":330,"_281":239,"_318":343},"49ers rout Rams behind Purdy’s three TDs as NFL draws 100,000 to Melbourne","The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in the first NFL regular-season game held in Australia, drawing a crowd of 100,021 fans. Brock Purdy threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns, while the 49ers' defense limited the Rams' offense. 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The fans got another memorable chapter in this NFC West rivalry as the 49ers blasted the preseason Super Bowl favorite Rams with superior play on both sides of the ball.\n“It comes down to playing our style of ball and doing what coaches love to do and running our plays. Obviously you have to respect the guys on the other side of the ball and we know what they can do,” Purdy said. “We still respect them. We have to play them again later in the year and it will be a good one.”\nKyren Williams scored the NFL’s first Australian touchdown on a five-yard rush to begin the second quarter. but the Rams were a disaster Down Under. Los Angeles hadn’t lost by more than seven points since November 2024.\nWhile Purdy’s offense managed enough big plays to win, the San Francisco defense frustrated NFL MVP Matthew Stafford into a 15-of-25 performance for just 155 yards. The Niners held the NFL’s best offense last season to one score, even stopping Stafford on a fourth-down quarterback sneak from the San Francisco one in the third quarter.\nReigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett was practically invisible in his Rams debut after missing much of training camp with aches, recording zero tackles.\nMuch of the pregame talk for this trip centered around the teams’ starkly differing methods of preparation: The 49ers ingratiated themselves to the local fans as their body clocks adjusted, while the Rams stayed home until less than two days before kickoff, keeping their body clocks on California time.\n“They outplayed us in every facet. I didn’t do nearly a good enough job. This was a humbling day for us. This will only define us if we allow it,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Sometimes sports can humble you and today was one of those days. I make no excuses. Whether you want to say it was about travel, whatever, we just weren’t good enough.”\nBoth teams started with understandable sluggishness for a 10.35am kickoff, but Williams’ TD run finally got the crowd cheering. The quarterbacks then traded interceptions before Purdy shook off a shaky start and found former Rams receiver Robinson on a 39-yard post route.\nSan Francisco surged out of halftime, with Samuel’s 45-yard kickoff return leading to Evans’ TD catch over new Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson.\nThe Rams drove deep into the red zone, but after Puka Nacua was ruled down inches outside the goal line, the 49ers stuffed Stafford.",{"_281":239,"_282":247,"_284":345},{"_27":247,"_40":346,"_287":347,"_42":348,"_251":252,"_291":-5,"_29":292,"_293":349,"_295":350,"_244":329,"_80":-5,"_82":120,"_238":351,"_281":239,"_318":362},"Crowd of 100,000 laps up relentless sensory experience as NFL woos Melbourne","Over 100,000 fans attended the NFL's first regular season game in Australia at the MCG, drawing a diverse crowd from over 30 countries. The event generated significant economic activity and offered a unique, high-energy entertainment experience, despite a lopsided game won by the 49ers.","The morning kick-off provided ‘incredible’ vibes for a sell-out crowd clearly different to that which attends AFL and cricket games at the venue","2026-09-11T04:35:07","https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/11/nfl-melbourne-mcg-fans-crowds-score-rams-49ers",{"_27":352,"_299":353,"_137":301,"_80":354,"_313":340,"_314":361,"_316":342},"a45550ccd4a33333aef50b980db225bb700afe68f01d646f2c339d4a5645b9bf","a62723d6d916cffffd71f54b776bbe7fed29bc3762da4148a0f1bd558db5ced0527954b5e346d0e30df721d2ff1106d112a87d4e05f3b6db77c28c345ba2d8d7",[355,356,357,359,360],[244,346],[44,252],[306,358,39,308],"30023:c70c3496af43d505c85c2c54b4792401b1620ba0b7793cc8e68348d7f2a209da:c6833fc7-017a-4502-8a31-9dd909621a32",[310,39],[140,340,39],"Crowd of 100,000 laps up relentless sensory experience as NFL woos Melbourne\nThe morning kick-off provided ‘incredible’ vibes for a sell-out crowd clearly different to that which attends AFL and cricket games at the venue\n\n\nnostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzp3cvxjt27s74qhy9ctz5k3ujgqd3vg96pdme8nywdq6g6le2yzw6qqjxxd3cxvekvceh95crzdmp956r2vpj95uxzve395ukgepexqunvv33vyeny9we8dq ","At 9am on a Friday, Melbourne’s tongues would usually be tinged with toothpaste. Beer, however, was the flavour craved by this throng of bros brought together by the visit of one of the United States’ great institutions.\nDressed in San Francisco 49ers red, LA Rams blue and every other colour of the 32-team NFL rainbow, the 100,021 fans had come to the competition’s first regular season match in Australia. They were there in droves, and 90 minutes from kick-off their thirst had already forced the closure of the pop-up pub adjacent to the MCG.\nThe horde had paid hundreds of dollars, some even thousands, for the privilege of seeing athletes in the storied American pastime run out into Melbourne’s sporting cathedral. They had come from more than 30 countries, with almost one in 10 making the trip from the US. They had waited patiently in snaking lines that peaked around 7.30am, but even then it took only 20 minutes to get past security.\nThese Americophiles had spent years following the sport through ESPN and the Madden series of video games, via US podcasters and fantasy football. Here they were now, living their American sporting dream, celebrating a passion that had survived in the shadows of the Australian mainstream.\nIt is a hobby that reflects a reverence for the nation across the Pacific, one that is based on defensive lines, rather than defence bases. Aukus, in this context, appeared a natural fit.\nOne man, holding four large beers, was one of few in the crowd wearing a Jacksonville Jaguars jersey, even if he admitted he was a San Diego Chargers fan. His spirits were high, and sentiment genuine, when saying the vibes were “incredible”.\n“I took the train here this morning and the amount of jerseys I saw was crazy,” he said, saying his name was Jarrod Wilson, who also happens to be a former Jaguars player. Alongside him was John Stockton, coincidentally one of the NBA’s greatest point guards. “We’ve counted every team jersey that we’ve seen and we’ve hit all 32,” Wilson said.\nApart from the cornucopia of licensed merchandise, the MCG turnout was clearly different to those that attend AFL and cricket games, the traditional sporting attractions in this corner of the country. There were very few children – it was a school day after all – and if there were roughly 10,000 Americans in the crowd, there appeared to be fewer women.\nAlexandra Augustinus, who was there with her husband and brother and curious to see the spectacle first hand, was the only woman in her row. She said it felt “so different” to the AFL, but was impressed by an experience heavy on entertainment and a stadium full of enthusiasm. “I’ve been really shocked by how many Americans have come over, that’s really fun because they’re all dressed up, and they are massive fans. Everyone’s excited.”\nIn hotels, restaurants, pubs and retailers around Melbourne’s CBD, NAB predicted there would be $300m of economic activity this weekend. No one doubts this match has delivered an economic uplift – as well as showcasing Melbourne to millions of viewers overseas – but the bank would not clarify how much of that was over and above what would usually be spent. And the cost to host the match, reported to be at least $10m, is one borne by Victorian taxpayers.\nFriday was the start of a four-year deal to have the NFL in Melbourne, although there may not be a match in Australia every season. The timing for next year already looks complicated given start of NFL season falls during the AFL finals. But few in attendance on Friday were concerned about next year.\nFamous faces included AFL player Patrick Cripps and Jai Arrow, the NRL back rower forced into retirement due to motor neurone disease. Rugby league powerbroker Peter V’landys had also ventured into enemy territory, his own sport having gone the other way with their Las Vegas season opener.\nA mellow US anthem before kick-off was appropriate for a match that marked 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks. That tragedy was acknowledged by the prominence of US Marines and the Australian Defence Force, who provided a fly-over. Advance Australia Fair was sung by pop star-slash-swimmer Cody Simpson, before Eddie McGuire and G-Flip came out to toss the coin as the boos – presumably for the former Collingwood president – rained down.\nOrganisers had imported the clear-bag policy, which barred patrons from bringing backpacks into the ground. Instead only small transparent plastic containers were allowed, roughly the size of an A4 piece of paper. It meant fans were expected to spend almost as long at the MCG as they might in a day of Test cricket, but without the thermos of tea. Instead, the bars and food vendors – concession stands in American parlance – were jammed throughout the morning.\nThe narrow rectangular field meant fans were roughly 50m from the action at the halfway line, and the entire lower level spent much of the afternoon on their feet, straining on tip toes to see the action on the field. Booming through the stadium’s speakers was the American announcer, who would walk through the play situation and the athletes involved; which cornerback broke up a play, or giving a reminder of the downs and yardage. Together with short music clips, the presentation delivered a relentless sensory experience, even if the contest – won easily by the 49ers 27-7 – was unmemorable.\nDisney products The Jonas Brothers, one of whom missed a flight and only just arrived in time to perform, delivered a muted half-time performance. Kylie Minogue – scheduled for the AFL grand final later this month – promises a far more dazzling experience.\nDespite their global fandom and pop success, a cover of John Farnham’s 30-year-old hit You’re the Voice resonated with the crowd most. It was a reminder that not everything is better in America.",[],"selectedArticleImage","rootArticleImageUrl","consensusHtml","tweets",[],"userSchema","perspectivesColumns","intro","relatedArticles",[345,285,322],"actionData","errors"]

49ers Defeat Rams 27-7 in NFL's First Australia Game

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