The heavily preseason favorite to win the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Rams, will start the season with a loss. The Rams were thoroughly outplayed by the 49ers, who recorded a 27-7 win in the first NFL game played in Australia.
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, who was pulled from the game with 3:05 left. He went to the bench in favor of Stetson Bennett, finishing 15-for-25 with a pick and no touchdown passes. Bennett moved the ball 45 yards before time expired.
While Stafford struggled, the 49ers received a winning effort from Brock Purdy, who overcame a few early hiccups to throw three touchdowns. He enjoyed a quick rapport with Mike Evans, whose 49ers debut included his 109th career touchdown catch.
Standout performances by Fred Warner, Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel helped fuel the 49ers. Warner made the fourth-down stop of Stafford that capped off the 49ers' goal-line stand. 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.
Let's take a look at the other notable takeaways from Thursday night.
The Rams made headlines when they decided to arrive in Australia less than 30 hours prior to kickoff. Their curious decision would lead to either praise or criticism, depending on how the game played out. It's safe to say that Sean McVay's decision will be questioned after his team laid an egg.
Conversely, the 49ers took the more traditional international travel approach, arriving in Australia days in advance. San Francisco appeared to have more energy and more synergy, especially in the second half.
Really, the 49ers could have had a bigger lead if not for some drops and a few iffy throws from Purdy in the first half. In the second half, the 49ers cut down on their mental errors and displayed near flawless execution.
It should be stressed that, while the Rams' travel plans should be called into question, it shouldn't take away from just how good the 49ers performed on Thursday night.
While the 49ers' stars showed out, that wasn't the case for the Rams, especially Stafford, Davante Adams and Myles Garrett.
Stafford had a game to forget, but his offensive line did him no favors. They struggled to contain Joey Bosa, who was playing in his first game since last year's season-ending injury. It didn't help that Stafford isn't mobile and the 49ers had their ears pinned back for most of the second half.
The Rams had success on the ground, especially in the first half. They became one-dimensional, however, after falling behind 24-7 at the start of the fourth quarter. The 49ers' defense had little issue swatting away Stafford's desperate downfield heaves.
Adams' lack of involvement was notable. The three-time All-Pro didn't make his first catch until late in the third quarter. He finished with three catches (on six targets) for 26 yards.
Garrett was even more invisible. He didn't appear on the final stat sheet after not tallying a single tackle. Garrett was neutralized by perennial All-Pro Trent Williams. It marks Garrett's fourth-career game without registering a tackle at the professional level.
The 49ers started the second half like gangbusters and took a 17-7 lead on Evans' impressive touchdown reception. San Francisco's offense then marched 99 yards on 11 plays after its defense stuffed Stafford on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
49ers rookie wideout De'Zhaun Stribling was carted off the field after he injured his ankle during the second quarter. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Stribling's injury status afterward while adding that his Achilles was intact.
The Rams have essentially waived the white flag with Stafford being taken out of the game with 3:05 left and the Rams trailing 27-7. Ty Simpson, a rookie first-round pick, is making his NFL debut.
Stafford's absence is not injury related.
Los Angeles comes up empty as Stafford and the Rams' offense goes pass happy in an effort to make up some of the deficit. The Rams' predictable offense, however, played right into the 49ers' hands as San Francisco exclusively played the ball with no regard for the run.
This might be the worst game I've seen from Stafford, at least as a Ram, but it hasn't been all his fault. The Rams' offensive line has had a forgettable night from a pass protection standpoint.
Every 49ers star is stepping up in Australia. This time, it's Fred Warner forcing a fumble of Tyler Higbee. San Francisco takes over in Rams territory with 11:08 left.
So far, this has been an utterly dominant performance by the 49ers, who are closing in on a 1-0 start to the season.
The 49ers extend their lead to 24-7 after Purdy hits Deebo Samuel on a 15-yard stroke. The score caps off a highly impressive 11-play, 99-yard scoring drive that took just 5:44 off the clock.
He had some hiccups early, but Purdy has otherwise been great. He's currently 24 of 32 yards and three touchdowns.
The 49ers are operating on all cylinders right now. Despite being in the shadow of their own shadow, the 49ers have moved into Rams territory by spreading the ball around and mixing the run with the pass. Purdy has also been largely efficient and accurate. As I write this, he just picked up another first down on an improvised run.
The 49ers stuff a Stafford sneak on fourth and goal and take over inches from their end zone. Fred Warner is being credited with the stop.
The stop halts what was the Rams' best drive of the day, a 12-play, 72-yard drive that took 7:22 off the clock. 49ers' lead remains 17-7 with 3:41 left in the third.
Mike Evans' 49ers debut now includes his 109th career TD, and it was a beauty. Evans caught a 50/50 ball that gave San Francisco a 17-7 lead early in the second half. The score caps off a seven-play, 51-yard drive that started with Deebo Samuel's long kickoff return and two gaping runs by CMC.
The 49ers start off the second half with a long kickoff return by Deebo Samuel to the SF 49. Two long runs by CMC gives the 49ers the ball just outside of the red zone.
Score: 49ers 10, Rams 7
Total yards: 49ers, 208-137
First downs: 49ers, 12-6
Third down: 49ers 5-8, Rams 1-5
TOP: 49ers, 18:19
Red zone: 49ers 0-1, Rams 1-1
Turners: Both teams have 1
Purdy: 17-25, 141 yards, TD, INT, 0 sacks
Stafford: 4-11, 65 yards, INT
49ers: 67 yards on 12 carries; Rams: 72 yards on 14 carries (Blake Corum: 42 yards on 6 carries; Kyren Williams: 31 yards and a TD on 7 carries)
CMC: 17 yards on three carries; Kaelon Black: 36 yards on 7 carries
Nacua: 2 catches for 45 yards
Mike Evans: 5 catches for 47 yards
Davante Adams: 0 catches on 2 targets
George Kittle: 2 catches for 12 yards on 5 targets
Purdy goes deep to Demarcus Robinson, who pulls down a 39-yard TD catch that gives the 49ers a 10-7 lead. The 49ers have the ball back and have a chance to add to their lead before halftime.
49ers rookie wideout De'Zhaun Stribling is getting looked at by the team's medical staff after he was slow to get up on an incomplete pass midway through the second quarter.
Stribling appeared to hurt his left leg and was unable to put any weight on it. He was aided off the field by trainers and is in the medical tent. He's since been carted off into the locker room.
The teams are trading turnovers now. The Rams' promising drive ends with Stafford going deep and getting picked off by Renardo Green. Green's pick prevented the Rams from extending their lead midway through the second quarter.
Tough start for Stafford, who is 3-for-8 for 49 yards and a pick.
Blake Corum is making his mark on the Rams' fourth drive. He just ripped off a 13-yard run and already has 42 yards on six carries.
The Rams have rushed for 66 yards and a score on 12 carries. The 49ers have gained just 15 yards on six carries.
Purdy has a horribly underthrown pass that's picked off by safety Quentin Lake, who was targeted multiple times earlier in the game.
Purdy had had success on short throws to that point and had an easy check down on that play, but he decided to give Kittle a chance downfield. The issue was the pass was bad and it was thrown into traffic.
The Rams parlay Nacua's big play into the game's first TD on a short run by Kyren Williams. The score capped off a four-play, 57-yard drive that essentially started with CMC's drop on third down.
Puka Nacua's 41-yard catch-and-run has put the Rams inside the 49ers' 10-yard-line. Two plays after CMC's drop.
49ers lead 3-0 after 1, but Rams on the doorstep.
The 49ers' second drive ended early after Christian McCaffrey dropped what would have been a first down reception on third-and-2. An uncharacteristic drop by McCaffrey, who is one of just three players in NFL history to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.
It's early (1:52 left in opening quarter) but plays like this can help shape games. Instead of controlling the ball, flipping the field and possible adding to their lead, the 49ers give the ball back to the Rams.
Rams offense looks jet lagged early on. Blake Corum picked up their initial first down on a 9-yard-run, but the drive ended after Stafford attempted three passes that gained a total of just four yards.
LA's offensive line looks especially shaky. There was a lot of hype prior to the game about Myles Garrett, but so far, Joey Bosa has been the most impressive defensive player in this game.
The 49ers strike first on a short FG by Eddy Pineiro that capped off a methodical 15-play, 65-yard drive that took 7:13 off the clock. Brock Purdy was 9 of 12 for 58 yards on the drive, with Evans catching three passes for 22 yards. The 49ers ran the ball just twice on the drive.
The 49ers' third-down efficiency fueled the drive, as SF converted on their first three third down situations.
Purdy tested the Rams' new cornerback on the game's first drive on a deep pass for George Kittle. McDuffie came down with the pass, but he couldn't keep his feet in bounds. Still an impressive play by McDuffie, nonetheless.
Meanwhile, Evans' third catch of the drive has the 49ers inside the Rams' 10-yard-line midway through the opening quarter.
Mike Evans picks up the game's initial first down on a seven-yard catch. Evans beat Quentin Lake (the son of former Steelers great Carnell Lake), who has already been targeted multiple times by Brock Purdy.
Great start for 49ers defense, who forced a quick three-and-out. Joey Bosa and Fred Warner quickly made their presence felt on the game's opening drive. Bosa pressured and knocked down Matthew Stafford on the first play, while Warner was part of a tackle of Kyren Williams on second down.
The 49ers will get the ball first, and the Rams will get the ball to start to the second half. Rams wearing their home uniforms with blue tops. The 49ers in their road white uniforms.
Kickoff temperature is 57 degrees with virtually no wind. Here we go!
The 49ers have been nearly unbeatable when at full strength over the past four years, and that'll be the case tonight. That being said, I'm taking the Rams on the strength of their offensive firepower and Myles Garrett's impact on the L.A. defense.
Score: Rams 30, 49ers 20
It's nighttime in the states, but it's 10:30 a.m. in Australia. The 49ers have been in Australia for roughly a week, while, as noted earlier, while the Rams arrived roughly 26-28 prior to kickoff.
There's a 17-hour time difference between Australia and West Coast time.
In addition to the players below, the Rams also won't have Aaron Donald, who recently unretired. The Rams promoted safety Tanner Ingle about two hours ago.
The 49ers will have George Kittle, who has accomplished his goal of being back for the 49ers' season-opener. Kittle spent the entire offseason working his way back from an Achilles injury that was sustained during the 49ers' playoff loss to the Eagles this past January.
The Rams and 49ers will play in Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is known locally as the "G." It opened way back in 1853 and seats around 100,000.
A multi-purpose stadium, it primarily hosts Australian rules football and cricket. It was the opening and closing venue for the 1956 Olympics.
Rams coach Sean McVay made the decision for the Rams to travel to Australia the day before the game. If the Rams win, it's safe to assume that more teams will copy their approach in terms of international travel.
Welcome to our live coverage of the first-ever NFL game in Australia. This is the first of nine international games this year.
This historic game will feature two of the NFL's best teams in the 49ers and Rams, who also share one of the league's best rivalries. The Rams won't have Aaron Donald, but they'll still bring out a loaded roster tonight that includes reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, wideouts Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Matthew Stafford.
The 49ers counter with their own star-studded roster that includes future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams, running back Christian McCaffrey, veteran wideout Mike Evans, and linebacker Fred Warner.
This is the first of many updates tonight, so be sure to stay tuned!
