The 49ers’ 27-7 win over the Rams in Australia will be remembered for the setting, the score, and Brock Purdy’s efficient start to the season. But one second-quarter hit is now the part of the opener drawing the NFL’s attention.
Purdy was sharp throughout San Francisco’s first-ever game in Australia, finishing 25 of 34 for 205 yards and three touchdowns at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 49ers kept stringing together long, deliberate drives, and the Rams defense - a unit many expected to be among the league’s best - spent much of the afternoon on its heels.
Still, the play under review came with 1:24 left in the first half. On second and three, Purdy dropped back looking for Deebo Samuel. As he let the ball go, Rams defensive tackle Tyler Davis lowered his helmet and struck Purdy in the head.
Officials threw a flag for roughing the passer, erasing the incomplete pass and giving San Francisco a new set of downs.
That type of contact is exactly the sort of thing the league looks at after the game, regardless of whether a penalty was already called on the field. Helmet-to-helmet contact on a quarterback is treated as a serious violation, and the NFL reviews those plays every week to determine if additional punishment is warranted.
If the league confirms the roughing-the-passer violation, Davis could be fined up to $17,911 for a first offense. If the NFL also decides he made impermissible use of his helmet, an additional fine of up to $23,882 could come into play.
Davis and the Rams now move on to Week 2 after a difficult opening performance.
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For a defense that has long leaned on Donald as its centerpiece, the wait is the reality fans were hoping to avoid, even if it was always part of the plan. Donald last played in the NFL in 2023, and the earliest expectation for his return is Week 2, leaving the Rams to navigate the opener without one of the most important players in franchise history. [Read more 🡒]