Kyle Shanahan doesn’t sound any more pleased about the Rams’ decision to ship this matchup overseas - he just thinks the setting may not change the result.
Speaking Sunday in Melbourne, the 49ers coach said he still believes the league “ let the Rams off the hook ” by letting Los Angeles choose the annual meeting with San Francisco for the Australia trip. But Shanahan also said he expects the 49ers’ fans to show up in force at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday night, adding that “it won’t be much different” from what the Rams usually face at SoFi Stadium.
That’s the twist here: the Rams appear to have moved this one halfway around the world to avoid another San Francisco-heavy crowd, and Shanahan doesn’t think it will solve much. The 49ers’ presence has been strong enough in Los Angeles to turn what should be a home-field edge into something closer to a neutral-site feel, and Shanahan is betting Australia won’t be any kinder to the Rams.
There’s also plenty riding on the game itself. The outcome carries real weight in the division tiebreaker picture, which is why the matchup feels bigger than a standard international showcase. Games with that kind of impact aren’t usually the ones the league sends abroad.
Still, that’s where this one landed: the NFL’s first game in Australia, with the same old 49ers-Rams dynamic following it across the ocean. If the Rams were hoping distance would keep the Faithful away, Shanahan doesn’t sound convinced.
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