Super Bowl-favorite Rams lose to 49ers in Australian season opener

MELBOURNE — Maybe, if the Rams still reach their intended destination at season’s end, they’ll look back at their very long trip to Australia — and purposely short stay — and be grateful.

A humbling punch in the face. A wake-up call. A rallying point that spurs them to even greater heights.

Until then, there is only one way to look at it:

The Rams embarrassed themselves, for a new part of the NFL world to see, in a humiliating 27-7 defeat by the San Francisco 49ers.

🏈 49ers 27, Rams 7 — FINAL

The Rams entered the season as the favorite to win the Super Bowl, but the San Francisco 49ers made Sean McVay’s team look very mediocre.

Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL MVP, was held to 155 yards on 15-of-25 passing as the 49ers shut out the Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy completed 25 of 24 passes for 205 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception.

Puka Nacua caught five passes for 74 yards for the Rams and Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning sack leader, did not record one against the 49ers.

🏈 49ers 27, Rams 7 — 3:29 left in the fourth quarter

Stetson Bennett is in the game at quarterback with the Rams trailing by 20 points with just over three minutes left.

San Francisco’s Eddy Pineiro missed a 52-yard field-goal attempt, with the ball going off the right upright to keep it a 20-point game.

On the ensuing possession, coach Sean McVay put Bennett in the game, keeping Matthew Stafford on the sideline. Stafford is not injured, so it seems McVay is not going for the win here as he tries to get Bennett some snaps.

🏈 49ers 27, Rams 7 — 7:54 left in the fourth quarter

The Rams’ offense continues to sputter. In desperate need of some points, Matthew Stafford failed to connect with Tyler Ferguson on fourth down while under pressure.

Stafford has completed 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards, with an interception for a Rams team that has been shut out in the second half so far.

49ers 27, Rams 7 — 9:43 left in the fourth quarter

Eddy Pineiro kicked a 56-yard field goal following a Rams turnover to give San Francisco a 20-point lead.

The Rams defense held San Francisco to just five yards on the possession, but it was enough to get Pineiro in range.

Rams pass rusher Myles Garrett, who missed multiple weeks of practice because of a knee injury before returning on Sunday, watched from the sideline during the San Francisco possession.

🏈 49ers 24, Rams 7 — 11:08 left in the fourth quarter

49ers linebacker Fred Warner punched out the ball from Tyler Higbee’s arms after a short catch, and Dre Greenlaw pounced on the loose ball to stymie another Rams possession.

San Francisco takes over at the Rams’ 43-yard line.

🏈 49ers 24, Rams 7 — 12:57 left in the fourth quarter

Brock Purdy connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel to give San Francisco a commanding lead in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers have made the revamped Rams defense look mediocre — and San Francisco’s 99-yard, 11-play drive was a bad look for Chris Shula’s unit. It was Purdy’s third touchdown pass of the game.

After Matthew Stafford was stuffed at the one-yard line, the 49ers got off the goal line with a 14-yard reception by tight end Luke Farrell.

From there, they marched on the Rams, with Purdy scrambling 18 yards on the final play of the third quarter to put the ball on the Rams’ 30.

49ers 17, Rams 7 — 3:41 left in the third quarter

Matthew Stafford was stuffed at the goal line on fourth down by 49ers star Fred Warner and the San Francisco defense to thwart a prime scoring opportunity for the Rams.

Puka Nacua caught a 23-yard pass over the middle to help fuel a 12-play, 72-yard drive — the Rams’ longest of the game so far. A 13-yard reception from Davante Adams moved the ball into the red zone.

A one-yard catch by Nacua just outside the end zone led to fourth and goal from the one, but Stafford was unable to punch it across the goal line.

🏈 49ers 17, Rams 7 — 11:03 left in the third quarter

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy connected on a two-yard touchdown pass to receiver Mike Evans over tight coverage from Jaylen Watson as the 49ers wasted no time extending their lead.

Evans has six receptions for 49 yards.

The second half started poorly for the Rams. Deebo Samuel returned the opening kickoff 45 yards to the San Francisco 49.

Then, on the first two plays from scrimmage, Christian McCaffrey broke through the Rams’ defense for carries of 14 and 16 yards. The plays kicked off a seven-play, 51-yard drive.

Rams safety Kam Curl is questionable to return after sustaining an ankle injury.

🏈 49ers 10, Rams 7 — Halftime

The Rams’ defense halted a last-minute drive by the 49ers at midfield to keep it a three-point game at halftime.

The Rams have struggled to find rhythm on offense, with Matthew Stafford held to four-of-11 passing for 65 yards, with an interception. Blake Corum has 42 yards in six carries and Kyren Williams has 31 yards and a touchdown in seven carries.

Puka Nacua leads Rams receivers with two catches for 45 yards.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has completed 17 of 25 yards for 141 yards, with an interception and a touchdown.

🏈 49ers 10, Rams 7 — 4:28 left in the second quarter

Former Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson sprinted past coverage and caught a perfect 39-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy in the back of the end zone to put the 49ers into the lead.

Robinson played with the Rams in 2023 and 2024.

The nine-play, 86-yard drive came after Matthew Stafford threw an interception. Purdy has completed 15 of 22 passes for 134 yards, with an interception.

Earlier in the drive, 49ers rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling sustained an apparent left ankle injury and was carted to the locker room.

🏈 Rams 7, 49ers 3 — 8:52 left in the second quarter

Matthew Stafford was picked off by 49ers cornerback Renardo Green while trying to find Puka Nacua on third and 10.

The interception came after Rams safety Quentin Lake intercepted a pass by Brock Purdy on the preceding possession.

🏈 Rams 7, 49ers 3 — 12:04 left in the second quarter

Quentin Lake intercepted a pass by 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy intended for tight end George Kittle, putting the ball back in the Rams’ hands at their 31-yard line.

The Rams’ defense has been putting more pressure on Purdy the last couple of possessions, forcing the quarterback into making quicker throws.

🏈 Rams 7, 49ers 3 — 14:57 left in the second quarter

Kyren Williams scored the Rams’ first touchdown of the season on a five-yard burst up the middle to push L.A. into lead on the first play of the second quarter.

The touchdown came after Puka Nacua made a spectacular, 41-yard catch, pushing back a defender on coverage before breaking through another tackle attempt to move the ball inside the 10.

The four-play drive covered 57 yards in 1:55.

49ers 3, Rams 0 — 1:52 left in the first quarter

The Rams have gotten off to a rough start on offense. After going three and out on their first possession, Matthew Stafford threw deep passes to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams that were well off mark. Stafford looked frustrated as he walked off the sideline.

However, the Rams defense was able to stop Brock Purdy and the 49ers on the ensuing possession, with Purdy failing to complete a pass on third down to Christian McCaffrey.

Unfortunately, linebacker Omar Speights sustained an injury and was spotted walking to the locker room.

🏈 49ers 3, Rams 0 — 6:15 left in the first quarter

San Francisco took the early lead on a 20-yard field goal by Eddy Pineiro to cap a 15-play, 65-yard drive sputtered at the goal line.

Brock Purdy sliced his way through the Rams’ defense completing nine of 12 passes for 58 yards.

Mike Evans, who signed with the 49ers in the offseason, caught three passes for 22 yards, converting on a trio of third downs

The Rams went three and out on their first possession after five-yard run by Kyren Williams and a four-yard reception by Puka Nacua.

MELBOURNE, Australia — After months of buildup — and nearly 8,000 miles traveled — the Super Bowl-favorite Rams will open the season against the San Francisco 49ers.

As many as 100,000 fans are expected at Melbourne Cricket Ground for the first NFL game in Australia, which will air on Thursday night on Netflix back home.

It is the first showcase for a Rams organization that once again has gone all-in to play in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in February.

Sean McVay never stops coaching his coaches — even after they leave his staff.

Last season, during a bye week following the Rams’ rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, McVay counseled Jaguars coach Liam Coen.

“How to reset,” Coen said. “How to have a little more grace for yourself and your players.”

As McVay prepares for his 10th season, his influence and growing coaching tree will once again populate the NFL.

Shades of 2021.

That was the year, after going all-in with blockbuster moves before and late in the season, the Rams won Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

Five years later?

After a series of head-turning trades, signings and one legendary player’s return from retirement, the Rams and 10th-year coach Sean McVay are well beyond all-in.

On paper, the star-studded offense is seemingly invincible, the reconstructed defense inarguably impenetrable.

Here are the players who will not be suiting up for the Rams and 49ers in Melbourne tonight:

Rams inactives

QB Ty Simpson (emergency QB)

WR CJ Daniels

WR Tutu Atwell

OL Bill Murray

TE Max Klare

49ers inactives

QB Kurtis Rourke (emergency QB)

RB Jordan James

WR Jordan Watkins

OT Enrique Cruz

LB Tatum Bethune

CB Ephesians Prysock

Blockbuster trades and high-profile free-agent signings have been Rams trademarks during the Sean McVay era, but success also has been built on more subtle transactions.

After the Seattle Seahawks exposed the secondary — and especially cornerbacks — in the Rams’ NFC championship game defeat last season, McVay and Rams general manager Les Snead took steps to upgrade a unit they left unchanged from 2024.

Last March, a few days after trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, they signed McDuffie’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate, cornerback Jaylen Watson.

Rams offensive lineman Kevin Dotson made the trip in the spring. So did running back Kyren Williams, receiver Xavier Smith and defensive lineman Tyler Davis.

The four players traveled from Los Angeles to Australia as goodwill ambassadors.

But also as test cases.

First Dotson and Williams, and later Smith and Davis, endured the 16-hour flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne and the 14-hour flight home.

The NFL mountaintop this season sits 10 stories underground.

That’s the subterranean field at SoFi Stadium, playing host on Feb. 14, 2027 to its second Super Bowl. The first came five years earlier when the Rams beat Cincinnati on their home field.

It will mark the ninth Super Bowl in the Los Angeles area across three venues: the Coliseum (two), Rose Bowl (five) and SoFi (two). But in some ways, all those previous games were a drumroll leading up to this one — Super Bowl LXI, in a futuristic $5-billion stadium, absent the lingering restrictions of a pandemic.

When their careers end, quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Davante Adams are probably headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald and defensive end Myles Garrett are locks.

That is the top end of a Rams roster that also boasts All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua, All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, Pro Bowl edge rusher Byron Young and other standout players.

“It seems like it’s almost unfair,” safety Quentin Lake said. “To have a roster this talented is almost unheard of.”

The Rams knew the resume. Saw the highlights. Gathered all the intel required.

But they were not aware of Myles Garrett’s aura.

How could they?

It’s not tangible, nor easily defined.

It’s just there.

“You just feel him,” coach Sean McVay said Friday.

McVay felt and said that before. About Aaron Donald. About Jalen Ramsey.

But listening to Rams players talk about Garrett, this feels different.

Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups and makes his predictions for Week 1 of the NFL season.

Last season, including playoffs, Sam Farmer posted a 181-104 record (.635).

Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, his record against the spread last season was 130-155 (.466). All team records shown below are from last season.

The season will begin 7,921 miles from home, and end in their own backyard.

They will be untouched through it all.

The Rams upcoming 22-week journey will take them far and wide, from Melbourne, Australia to Washington, D.C. and back to SoFi, a circuitous and challenging journey with but one consistent stop.

The win column.

The Rams are not losing a game.

A few hours after their season-ending defeat in the NFC championship game last January, the Rams boarded a plane for their flight home from Seattle.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was seated a row in front of veteran receiver Davante Adams, who once again had fallen just short of finally reaching the Super Bowl.

“He’s turning around, he’s looking at me, like, ‘I’m sorry, man, I wanted that for you so bad,’” Adams recalled. “Not for him, but he wanted it for me.”

Defensive lineman Aaron Donald will not travel with the Rams to Melbourne to play in their season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, coach Sean McVay said Tuesday.

Donald, who rejoined the Rams last month after a two-year retirement, wouldn’t confirm if he was planning to play in the season opener when asked multiple times by reporters on Monday, only saying he was “feeling really good. Feeling great.”

The development isn’t surprising considering McVay and his assistants weren’t pushing Donald to play. Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula said Monday that the team was taking a “day-to-day” approach regarding Donald’s status.

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Rams’ timing was impeccable.

Or was it?

That’s one of the questions that will be answered when the Super Bowl-favorite Rams open the season against the San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne Cricket Ground before a crowd of nearly 100,000 fans.

MELBOURNE, Australia — It will be difficult for Matthew Stafford to top his 2025 performance.

Despite not taking a training camp snap because of a back problem, the Rams’ veteran quarterback passed for a career-best 46 touchdowns and won his first NFL most valuable player award.

About the only significant milestone that eluded Stafford: A second Super Bowl title.

That is what Stafford and the star-studded Rams will be chasing when they start the season on Thursday against the San Francisco 49ers.