The hype continued to ratchet by the offseason.
The Los Angeles Rams corralled former Kansas Metropolis Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to stem opponents’ passing video games, then traded edge rusher Jared Verse and a first-, second-, third-round decide every to accumulate Myles Garrett.
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Garrett, the reigning Defensive Participant of the Yr, would staff up with quarterback Matthew Stafford, the reigning MVP.
This, for a staff that misplaced the NFC championship final season by simply 4 factors.
So sure, the Rams held the perfect odds to win the Tremendous Bowl, at +500, per DraftKings. Subsequent within the NFC West got here the reigning Tremendous Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks, their 11-1 odds fourth within the league.
Proceed down the listing lengthy sufficient, and followers would discover the San Francisco 49ers’ 19-1 odds. Eleven groups have been thought-about higher locks to achieve the most important stage.
Then Thursday occurred. Or Friday, on the recreation’s website of Melbourne, Australia.
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The San Francisco 49ers, that staff to date down the betting listing they most likely warrant a scroll, beat the Rams in a decisive 27-7 dismantling.
Positive, it is one recreation within the first week of the season and the first-ever NFL recreation in Australia.
However the Rams’ cracks are actually evident. And the 49ers’ quiet however highly effective power ought to scare the remainder of the league.
Regardless of that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan missed elements of early coaching camp on account of a automobile accident that triggered a concussion or that reviews from the 49ers coaching camp appeared to drift sufficient accidents to depart electrical substation jokes tough to disregard.
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Regardless of that the 33rd general decide of the 2026 NFL Draft, receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, was carted off the sector with an ankle harm within the second quarter.
How about 33-year-old Mike Evans, 31-year-old Demarcus Robinson and 30-year-old Deebo Samuel scoring the 49ers’ trio of touchdowns from quarterback Brock Purdy?
The Rams’ protection that was assembled to instill concern as an alternative instilled confidence within the 49ers as they dominated the time of possession.
“The protection was giving us our ones and twos within the development,” Purdy mentioned after carving up the Rams for 205 yards passing and one other 29 yards speeding. “So I used to be simply making an attempt to take that. After which clearly when it wasn’t there, I feel that was the time of the sport the place I began utilizing my legs a little bit bit and the blokes did an excellent job on the scramble drill. ….
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“Kyle was doing an excellent job with dialing up the suitable play calls.”
The lore of Shanahan exploiting schematic weaknesses from Rams head coach Sean McVay much more typically than the remainder of the NFL will proceed. McVay gave credit score the place credit score was due.
“They outplayed us in each aspect,” he mentioned postgame. “I did not do practically a adequate job. It is a humbling day for us. It will outline us provided that we permit it to. …
“The very first thing I am gonna take a look at is myself.”
Sean McVay after loss to 49ers: ‘Sports activities can humble you’
Maybe the 49ers’ offense entered this season with some respect.
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Shanahan will all the time trigger issues for opponents, and the 49ers have ranked prime 10 in offense every of the final 5 seasons.
Their core could possibly be knocked for its age — add 32-year-old tight finish George Kittle and 38-year-old left sort out Trent Williams to the Professional Bowlers north of 30 on their roster — and questioned for its well being monitor report, which isn’t unrelated to its age.
However few questioned whether or not a core with these gamers, Purdy and Christian McCaffrey may compete if wholesome.
Their protection, in the meantime, struggled final yr. And it was straightforward to wonder if that fall from the eighth-ranked unit in 2024 to the 20th-ranked in 2025 could be an indication of age fairly than only a actually unhealthy harm streak for gamers like linebacker Fred Warner and edge rusher Nick Bosa.
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Then Warner, Bosa and a gaggle of teammates, together with Renardo Inexperienced with an interception within the recreation, confronted the Rams.
The 49ers denied Matthew Stafford a landing after he scored one in each single recreation final season.
The 49ers held the Rams to 7 factors, the worst output of Stafford’s 85 video games as a Ram, common season and playoffs included.
The second-fewest factors Los Angeles had scored within the Stafford period: 9, in 2022. The opponent in that 24-9 loss: the 49ers.
“Typically sports activities can humble you and as we speak was a kind of days,” McVay mentioned. “I make no excuses. Whether or not you need to say it is about journey, no matter, we simply weren’t adequate in that window. …
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“They deserve the win.”
Towards reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy flashed
The Rams may completely rebound as edge rusher Myles Garrett regains well being from an obvious knee harm that restricted him to zero sacks, tackles or quarterback hits; defensive sort out Aaron Donald, again from retirement however lacking Week 1, ought to supply reinforcements, too.
However whether or not or not the Rams settle in, the query will linger: How good can this 49ers staff be?
There’s purpose to consider that the Niners’ Australia efficiency was not a fluke.
Since his 2022 arrival, Purdy has quietly (or not quietly, given the debates that swirl) posted a greater passer ranking than each energetic NFL starter however the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson. His effectivity and confidence executing Shanahan’s anticipatory throwing system continues to develop.
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His season-opening efficiency mirrored his vary.
Purdy aired out a wonderfully timed 39-yard landing go to Demarcus Robinson within the second quarter and nailed the position on a back-shoulder fade to Mike Evans for a landing within the third. When the 49ers’ protection stopped the Rams on fourth-and-goal, giving their offense the ball but additionally a 99-yard discipline earlier than them, Purdy did not flinch. He hit a 14-yard go to get the Niners out of backed-up hassle, later scrambling for 18 yards to choose up a primary down and a heaping of momentum.
Going through second-and-8 from the Rams’ 15-yard line with 13:04 to play within the fourth quarter, Purdy stayed affected person earlier than fleeing the pocket to his proper and hit Deebo Samuel behind two Rams defenders for his third rating.
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“I believed Brock performed so effectively,” Shanahan mentioned. “He had one play I do know he desires to take again, the interception of [Quentin] Lake, however he made some big-time performs and big-time throws. The 99-yard drive, there have been so many performs there that he needed to take off schedule the place there wasn’t a solution and he moved the chains together with his legs….
“Brock was unbelievable as we speak.”
The Rams, in the meantime, pulled Stafford and starters forward of their last drive because the double-digit hole loomed insurmountably.
“I feel when the ball was kicked off, we have been able to go play,” Stafford mentioned. “We simply did not do it at a excessive sufficient clip as we speak.”
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Twenty-eight extra groups will play earlier than the week ends, the storylines of the 2026 NFL season solely starting to form.
However the 49ers reminded the NFL this week that their expertise and training employees threaten their fellow division mates and Tremendous Bowl darlings: the Rams and the Seahawks.
The staff that is superior to 4 convention championships and two Tremendous Bowls underneath Shanahan may have well being, however the 49ers in any other case may have the items to threaten their deepest run but.
“Division video games, for me, they all the time depend as two,” linebacker Fred Warner informed SportsCenter’s Scott Van Pelt postgame. “No matter what the headlines say for the way folks really feel about their staff or any of the divisional opponents, these division video games imply lots for once we get all the way down to the top. Successful the division, that is all the time our No. 1 objective: attending to the playoffs, successful our division. So I am simply so joyful then that we’re 1-0. It was an extended week, nevertheless it was nice. …
“We did precisely what we needed to do.”