Melbourne – The better-prepared team showed up in Melbourne, and it was the San Francisco 49ers. After arriving a week early to acclimate to the environment, adjust to the time difference and prepare for their historic season opener, the 49ers looked comfortable from kickoff. San Francisco dominated the Los Angeles Rams, cruising to a 27-7 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 100,021 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The massive venue, considerably larger than the average NFL stadium, presented another challenge for both teams. The 49ers, however, appeared to embrace the opportunity. They spent the week practicing at nearby AAMI Stadium, using the extra time in Melbourne to prepare not only for the Rams but also for the unique surroundings. That preparation paid off. Despite losing two players to injuries, San Francisco delivered a dominant performance on both sides of the ball and sent an early message to the rest of the league that it was ready to start the season strong.
“It was a great week, head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Took us a couple of days to get our mind right, but our hotel, the city, the whole organization, with bringing everything, the cooks, felt like home once we got here. Glad the guys went out and played like that too.”
Newly acquired veteran Mike Evans and returning veteran Deebo Samuel each recorded their first touchdowns of the season, while Demarcus Robinson provided an early spark and helped set the tone in the second quarter. The 49ers weeklong preparation in Melbourne appeared to make a difference. While the Rams were also adjusting to the international stage, San Francisco looked like the team that had settled into its surroundings, and it showed on the scoreboard.
“We were just focused on us, said Dre Greenlaw. “We knew what we had to do, we know the standard that we play with. Regardless, if they wanted to come in day before, week before, it didn’t matter at all. We got a standard that we play with. For us, it wasn’t even about how they were going to come out, it was about how we were going to come out.”
The Niners faced adversity early, losing two players to injuries. De’Zhaun Stribling, who had an impressive training camp and earned attention throughout the preseason, suffered an ankle sprain. After briefly returning to the game, Stribling went down with a more serious injury in the second quarter and had to be helped from the field. He did not return.
Jake Tonges also suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
“They checked his [Stribling] Achilles, Shanahan said. “They said that was intact, but they’re not exactly sure of the magnitude of the ankle injury or if it was a high ankle sprain.”
The Rams got off to a quick start, with running back Kyren Williams finding the end zone on a 5-yard touchdown run. But that would be the last time Los Angeles would score. The 49ers defense was explosive throughout the game and seemed to take another step forward in the second half, consistently disrupting the Rams offense and preventing Los Angeles from finding any offensive rhythm. San Francisco held the Rams to just seven total points, marking the fewest points the 49ers have allowed in a Week 1 matchup since the team held the Pittsburgh Steelers to seven points in its 2023 season opener in Pittsburgh on September 10, 2023.
Brock Purdy completed 25 of 34 pass attempts for 205 yards and three touchdowns while posting a 105.6 passer rating. The three touchdown passes marked Purdy’s first of the season and increased his career total to 87. Purdy also made a bit of 49ers history. With three touchdown passes against the Rams, he became the first San Francisco quarterback to throw at least three touchdown passes in a Week 1 game since Colin Kaepernick accomplished the feat in the 2013 season opener against Green Bay on September 8, 2013.
The 49ers offense began to find their rhythm as the game progressed, with Demarcus Robinson setting the tone with a 39-yard touchdown reception from Purdy that cut the deficit and made it a 10-7 game. Robinson finished with two receptions for 50 yards, including his first touchdown of the season. The score also marked the 29th touchdown of his career.
San Francisco continued to build momentum after halftime. Newly acquired veteran wide receiver Mike Evans gave San Francisco the lead early in the third quarter, hauling in a 2-yard touchdown pass from Purdy. Evans finished with six receptions for a team-high 49 yards. His touchdown was his first as a member of the 49ers and the 109th touchdown of his career.
“Hall of Fame Mike, man. He made the plays like he normally does, said T Trent Williams. “He’s a jump ball extraordinaire and those 50-50 balls are not really 50-50. It’s definitely what we expected to see out of Mike, and just pleasure to have him on the team.
There was no better way to end the fourth quarter than with a Deebo Samuel touchdown. Samuel hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Purdy, putting the finishing touch on a dominant 27-7 victory for the 49ers in Melbourne. Samuel finished the game with six receptions for 48 yards, showcasing the explosiveness and playmaking ability that 49ers fans have come to expect from him. Having Samuel back in the lineup adds another dynamic weapon to San Francisco’s offense, and his performance provided a glimpse of what the 49ers can bring to the field this season.
“Deebo [Samuel] has that presence when he’s on the field, he’s such a game breaker, he’s a player the defense has to look to in any situation,” RB Christian McCaffrey said. “When you have so many guys on your team it makes football so fun because you start to get rhythms together and it’s a lot of fun.”
Rookie sensation RB Kaelon Black registered 14 carries for 65 yards. Black’s 65 rushing yards are the most by a 49ers rookie in their debut since former RB Elijah Mitchell rushed for 104 yds. on 19 carries at Det. (9/12/21).
The 49ers were more than happy to have one of their captains back leading the defense.
LB Fred Warner delivered a standout performance, recording a team-high 11 tackles and making his presence felt from the opening drive. Warner registered a tackle on the Rams first possession and remained a constant force throughout the game as San Francisco’s defense dominated Los Angeles. Warner’s performance also put him in the 49ers record book. With his 11 tackles, he reached 958 career tackles, surpassing Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis for the most tackles by a 49ers player in franchise history. It was another milestone in what has become an impressive career for Warner, who continues to establish himself as one of the leaders and anchors of the San Francisco defense.
“Congratulations to the 49ers, they outplayed us in every facet,” said LA head coach Sean McVay. “I didn’t do nearly a good enough job. This is a humbling day for us. I didn’t do a good enough job of getting us ready to go. They deserved the game. They were ready to go. We’ll look at it. We’ll see where we can improve and be better moving forward.”
