Rams Look Exhausted and Sloppy as 49ers Dominate in Australia

Let's pause the hype surrounding the Los Angeles Rams super team before we get too far ahead of ourselves. Australia did not go well for this squad that looked exhausted and sloppy during their opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners took full command of the game mostly by controlling the line of scrimmage. By the fourth quarter, the Rams never really fought back against contention as they slipped deeper and deeper into defeat.

It is important to remember that Week one often lies about a team's true strength. There is still a long season ahead for everyone involved in this league. And this game which took place roughly 8000 miles from Los Angeles will not tell us everything we need to know about either side. But there is no denying it: the 49ers looked dominant on that field while the Rams looked completely dominated by their opponents.

Here are my takeaways from this strange matchup in Australia. It was brutal to watch rookie receiver DeZhaun Stribling get carted off with an injury in the first half of play. That is another injury to another young receiver after wide receiver Ricky Pearsall headed to injured reserve before the season started. But Purdy did not look shorthanded at all during this contest. Not in the least bit according to most observers watching from home.

Tight end George Kittle was back in action despite a quick return from his Achilles injury last year. Receiver Mike Evans looked like the chain mover with a touchdown or a first down on all six of his catches. In other words, Evans was everything that they hoped he would be when they signed him for 42.4 million dollars and three years. Even Deebo Samuel looked young again like his old 49ers self with contributions in the passing game running game and on special teams.

Christian McCaffrey was of course outstanding as always during this performance. But it was rookie running back Kaelon Black who was the biggest surprise for many fans watching from afar. He finished with 14 carries for 65 yards and took some load off McCaffrey at this early phase in the season. In short, the 49ers offense looked awesome and deep enough to last into January and maybe even February against any opponent.

For all the discussion about which team planned their travel correctly both quarterbacks looked sluggish in the first half of play. In fact they both threw brutal interceptions in the same fashion on back-to-back drives during this strange game. Twins indeed for these two top signal callers facing such difficult conditions far from home. Purdy threw directly at a dropping safety Quentin Lake in an attempt to find George Kittle but Lake picked off the throw easily. And then a few plays later Matthew Stafford floated a ball toward receiver Puka Nacua and Renardo Green backpedaled into position for a pick.

You can try all you want to avoid jet lag but it always wins eventually against your body clock. That said, Stafford looked worse than Purdy during this entire contest in Australia. Stafford aired a few balls so high that they proved uncatchable by any receiver on the field. He forced a dangerous throw to Davante Adams near the end of the first half of play as well. And he looked completely stumped by the 49ers pressure which they generated without having to send many blitzes from their defensive line.

For the game, Stafford finished 15 of 25 for 155 yards and an interception during this loss abroad. Even Rams head coach Sean McVay looked a little jet-lagged calling a QB sneak on the goal line on fourth-and-one in the third quarter. And very much unsurprisingly, Stafford who is notoriously bad at sneaks could not convert that specific play into points for his team. On the whole it felt like the reigning MVP was processing at a slower clip than normal during this match against Australia.

Maybe it would not hurt to get Aaron Donald into the mix on this defensive line for future games in Los Angeles? I thought there would be an embarrassment of riches along that front seven for the Rams defense. I thought the hype surrounding their new players was real before kickoff. But Myles Garrett finished this game with zero sacks and zero QB hits even with Purdy dropping back 34 times during his entire drive count.

Garretts pressure total was solid up to five per Next Gen Stats data available after the final whistle blew. But there is no way he made the impact that he would have hoped for during this specific matchup against San Francisco. And that is a real credit to Williams the 49ers left tackle who was an absolute beast in pass protection against the guy who finished number one on many lists before this season started.

Netflix's Tom Pelissero dropped an interesting nugget near the final whistle. Garrett had been nursing a knee injury all through training camp. This issue limited his practice reps and might have affected his conditioning during the game. To make matters worse, he was still dealing with pain from that hurt spot. That remains something to watch closely.

There is a clear downside for the 49ers traveling to Australia so early now. They must go home and readjust to Pacific Time immediately. But there is actually good news waiting ahead of them. The 49ers will face the Miami Dolphins next. That team looks like a clear-cut favorite, at least in my opinion, to finish with the No. 1 pick. Then their Week 3 opponent is, frankly, another pushover as well. They will take on the Cardinals there.

So they might lose some sleep while trying to get their clocks right again. But they are not going to lose any sleep over their game plans. I have no doubt that San Francisco will start this season with a record of 3-0. All should be well for when the team hosts the Broncos in the first week of October during Week 4.

The Rams face a Monday night appointment against the Giants in Week 2. Hopefully, their emphasis on not acclimating to the Australian time change will help them feel ready for that matchup after all. Head coach John Harbaugh has New York feeling good about what the season holds for the Giants' young offensive core too. That group includes quarterback Jaxson Dart, receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo. After this dud, I simply can't imagine the Rams will show up with a shortage of energy.