MELBOURNE, Australia -- Sean McVay didn’t sugarcoat it after the Los Angeles Rams were blown out 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers.
His first double-digit loss in two years came in a game the Rams pushed the NFL to stage in Australia, and the result was as ugly as it gets: a 20-point defeat, Myles Garrett benched in the second half, and a 1-0 start for San Francisco.
McVay’s response after the loss was blunt. “A humbling day.”
The Rams coach said the 49ers controlled the game from start to finish and made no excuses for the way his team performed.
“First of all, congratulations to the 49ers,” McVay said. “They outplayed us in every facet.
I didn’t do nearly a good enough job. This is a humbling day for us.
This will define us only if we allow it to, and today was one of those days.
“I always look inside out. I didn’t do a good enough job getting us ready to go.
There were some opportunities where maybe the game could’ve flipped, but they deserve the win. They were ready to go.
We’ll look at it, we’ll see where we can improve and be better moving forward. This is a good, humbling day.
“Sometimes sports can humble you and today was one of those days,” he continued. “I make no excuses.”
The turning point came on a gamble near the goal line. Trailing 17-7, McVay passed on a short field goal and went for a 4th-and-1 QB sneak. San Francisco stuffed it, took over, and then went 99 yards for the touchdown that put the game away.
McVay made the same kind of aggressive decision again inside the 1, choosing not to take three easy points and instead rolling the dice on 4th-and-goal. With 3:41 left in the third quarter, the 49ers stopped Stafford cold and took total control.
Matthew Stafford was never able to find a rhythm against San Francisco. It was only the second time in his last 85 starts that he failed to reach double digits, and both of those games came against the 49ers. He finished 15-of-25 for 155 yards.
After the game, the Rams locker room had little clarity and no comfort.
“We got beat in all three phases,” Myles Garrett said.
Defensive tackle Kobie Turner tried to keep the tone steady: “Setbacks are setups for greater comebacks.”
Stafford spent the final drive on the sideline while backup Stetson Bennett handled garbage time.
For San Francisco, the win came with concern of its own. Rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling suffered a non-contact ankle injury and was unable to put weight on his leg, which immediately raised fears of an Achilles tear. George Kittle also returned eight months after Achilles surgery, though it was clear he was not at full strength.
The 49ers head back across the Pacific with a divisional win and a loud message on the scoreboard.
In Other News...
Rams Suddenly Face A Tight End Problem After Scary Opener Injury
The Rams season opener against the 49ers took an early turn on a familiar kind of problem for Sean McVays offense: losing a tight end in the middle of the game. Davis Allen took a hard hit in the third quarter, was evaluated for a concussion and eventually carted off the field, leaving Los Angeles to sort through the rest of the day without one of its more useful options at the position.
Allens status was listed as questionable to return, and even if the setback proves temporary, it puts a little more weight on the depth chart heading into the next stretch. The Rams will need more from the other tight ends if Allen cant get back on the field soon, especially in an offense that likes to lean on that group for both protection and passing-game versatility. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Face A Brutal Pregame Swing Against San Francisco
The Rams pregame picture for Melbourne just got tougher on one side and a little more complicated on the other. San Francisco tight end George Kittle has been cleared and taken off the injury list, while Los Angeles will be without Aaron Donald, a notable absence for a defense that usually leans on him to change the games rhythm.
Kyle Shanahan has already said Kittle and Nick Bosa will have limited playing time as the 49ers ease them back from major injuries, which adds another layer to a matchup that was never going to be simple. For the Rams, the challenge is obvious enough: face a division rival on a long trip, with one of the leagues most disruptive defenders unavailable and San Francisco getting a key weapon back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald's Comeback Starts With A Rams Reality Fans Won't Love
Aaron Donald wont be part of the Rams Week 1 group in Australia, a reminder that his return to the field is still in the early stages even after the comeback announcement gave Los Angeles a jolt of optimism. The veteran defensive star did not travel with the team for its game against the 49ers, and the Rams are taking a patient approach as he works back into football shape after coming out of retirement.
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 🡒]