Melbourne, Australia– The Los Angeles Rams had a rude awakening Down Under, as the preseason Super Bowl favorites we’re humbled by the San Francisco 49ers in a season-opening 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in front of 100,021 fans at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, September 10.
The 49ers deserve credit for executing well and beating the Rams. 49ers Quarterback Brock Purdy was nearly flawless, propelling San Francisco to a Week 1 victory over arch nemesis the L.A. Rams.
San Francisco held a precarious 10-7 halftime lead before pulling away from Los Angeles in the second half. Sandwiched between 49ers touchdowns was a goal-line stand by a 49ers defense that dominated the Rams’ offense and reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford.
Stafford had a rough opening to his 2026 campaign. Going 15 of 25 for only 155 yards with an interception. Even worse, On fourth-and-go trailing 17-7, Stafford tried a quarterback sneak. It went nowhere and the 49ers took over on downs.
It was a highly questionable decision by Head Coach Sean McVay. Which leads us to the elephant in the room: Why did the Rams show up the day before the game? Looking jet lagged, very little like the Super Bowl favorite they had been touted to be all offseason. They looked tired
The 49ers opted for a completely different approach, sending the team to Australia more than a week before game day.
My Canyon News Coleague Milan Minesh wrote a great article questioning the logic and the obvious risks it posed for the Rams.
In his September 7 article, he spoke with Dr. Ilham Baronne, a family medicine physician at Cedars Sinai. She agreed with several pundits that the Rams approach was far riskier.
Let that be a lesson to the Rams, listen to Milan next time. It should be noted that, while the Rams’ travel plans should be called into question, it shouldn’t take away from just how dominant the 49ers performed on Thursday night.
Purdy opened his 2026 campaign by finding three different receivers for touchdowns in the 49ers win.
San Francisco’s first trip to the end zone came late in the second quarter when Purdy found WR Demarcus Robinson for a 39-yard touchdown. The score capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive, and sent the 49ers into halftime with a 10-7 lead.
Purdy finished the night 25-of-34 for 205 yards and three touchdowns.
Standout performances by Fred Warner, Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel helped fuel the 49ers. Warner led both teams with 11 tackles and also had a forced fumble that set up the game’s final score. McCaffrey touched the ball 15 times for 88 yards, which included consecutive big runs on the 49ers’ first drive of the third quarter.
Samuel’s second go-around as a 49er started with a 45-yard kickoff return to start the second half and a 15-yard touchdown catch that gave the 49ers a 24-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Puka Nacua led the Rams with 74 yards on five catches. His 41-yard catch-and-carry set up the Rams’ only touchdown, a short touchdown run by Kyren Williams that gave Los Angeles an early lead.
The Rams essentially waived the white flag with Stafford being taken out of the game with 3:05 left and the Rams trailing 27-7. Backup Stenson Bennet took over as Stafford paced the sidelines with his helmet still on.
It’s only one game, so there is no need to overreact. The Los Angeles Rams (0-1) will make their Sofi debut on Monday Night Football.
This home opener, we will be hosting the New York Giants on MNF at 5:15 on Monday, September 21.
Canyon News implore every Rams fan to show up to Sofi Stadium, and let their voices be heard. Whose House? Rams House!
