Brock Purdy didn’t need to dress it up after the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Rams in Australia. The crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was leaning San Francisco’s way from the start, and Purdy made it clear the atmosphere felt exactly like that.
“It was awesome,” Purdy said. “I thought the energy the Australians had out here was really cool. They're passionate about sports.”
That mattered in a game that ended with the 49ers beating Los Angeles 27-7 in the NFL’s first-ever game in Australia. San Francisco not only handled the Rams on the field, but also seemed to win the battle for the crowd, with the overwhelming majority of fans backing Kyle Shanahan’s team throughout the afternoon.
The setup only made the whole thing more striking. The Rams had designated the 49ers as the road team to avoid another hostile takeover at SoFi Stadium, but that move didn’t change the feel in Melbourne. Los Angeles also holds marketing rights to Australia, yet San Francisco clearly played like the local favorite once the game got rolling.
The 49ers also helped themselves by getting to Australia a week earlier than the Rams. That gave them time to get out in the community and connect with neutral fans before kickoff. By game day, plenty of those fans had already picked a side.
Purdy noticed it on the field, especially when the Rams’ offense was on the field and the noise level jumped. The international broadcast picked it up, too.
“They were into it the whole time,” Purdy continued. “They have their different chants with songs, and they have fun with it.”
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw also pointed to the way Melbourne embraced the 49ers during the buildup to the game, including the chance for fans to meet San Francisco players.
“I think the fact we were here a week early, everyone obviously heard about it,” Purdy concluded. “We definitely felt the love from all the Australians pulling for us.”
For the 49ers, it was more than just a win. It felt like they walked into Australia and turned a neutral stage into their own house.
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Brock Purdy Hit Could Bring NFL Fallout After 49ers Opener
Brock Purdys season-opening performance in Melbourne was memorable for more than just the box score, because one of the biggest moments came when the 49ers quarterback took a hit from Rams defensive tackle Tyler Davis that drew a roughing-the-passer flag. Purdy finished the game 25 of 34 for 205 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, but the contact he absorbed is the kind of play that tends to linger after the final whistle once the league reviews it.
The NFLs guidelines leave room for fines on penalties like that, and there is already speculation that the collision may have crossed into helmet-to-helmet territory, which could bring added discipline. For San Francisco, the immediate concern is the health of its quarterback and the protection he gets going forward, while the larger issue is whether the league decides the hit in Melbourne was simply a penalty on the field or something more costly when the office in New York takes a closer look. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Hit On Brock Purdy Could Bring NFL Punishment
Brock Purdy still delivered a productive outing in Melbourne, but one of the biggest moments in the 49ers game came on a hit from Rams defensive tackle Tyler Davis that drew a roughing-the-passer flag and raised the possibility of a helmet-to-helmet call. The play stood out not just because of the contact itself, but because it landed on a San Francisco quarterback who kept the offense moving anyway, finishing 25 of 34 for 205 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
For the NFL, the question now is whether the play turns into more than a penalty on the field. League discipline can follow this kind of hit if officials and review determine it crossed the line, though it remains to be seen whether fines will actually come down. For the 49ers, the larger concern is the same one every team has in moments like this: protecting Purdy while keeping him upright enough to do what he did in Melbourne. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Bosa's 49ers Return Took A Strange Turn After The Rams Win
Nick Bosas return in the 49ers season opener against the Rams was one of the biggest on-field positives of the night. Coming back from a torn ACL, he made his presence felt with four tackles, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit, a reminder of how much San Francisco missed him when he was out. For a player whose impact is usually measured in pressure and disruption, simply getting through that first game healthy mattered as much as the stat line.
The strange part came afterward, when a social media post began circulating with a quote falsely attributed to Bosa about honoring Charlie Kirk, a statement he never made. It was the latest example of how quickly fake quotes can spread around NFL players, following similar fabrications that have previously targeted George Kittle and C.J. Stroud. For the 49ers, it turned a straightforward comeback story into an unnecessary off-field distraction. [Read more 🡒]