49ers’ Australia preparation pays off in historic rout of Rams

The San Francisco 49ers approached the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia as something much bigger than a typical road trip.

Their preparation appeared to pay off.

San Francisco arrived in Melbourne approximately one week before Thursday night’s game, giving players time to adjust to the dramatic time difference, recover from the long flight and grow comfortable in their new surroundings. The Los Angeles Rams took a different approach, remaining in California until arriving in Australia just more than one day before kickoff.

The difference was impossible to ignore once the teams stepped onto the field.

San Francisco scored the final 24 points and cruised to a 27-7 victory in front of 100,021 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The crowd was the seventh-largest for a regular-season game in NFL history, according to Reuters.

Travel alone did not decide the game. However, the 49ers made sure it did not become an obstacle.

Brock Purdy completed 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Purdy recovered quickly from his early turnover and threw touchdown passes to Demarcus Robinson, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel. San Francisco also rushed for 174 yards, allowing Kyle Shanahan’s offense to control possession and wear down a star-studded Los Angeles defense.

The 49ers trailed 7-3 early in the second quarter before taking complete control.

Los Angeles never found the same rhythm. Matthew Stafford completed 15 of 25 passes for only 155 yards, and the Rams went 2-for-9 on third down. Their only touchdown came on a 5-yard run from Kyren Williams. San Francisco delivered the game’s defining defensive stand late in the third quarter. The 49ers stopped Stafford on a fourth-and-goal quarterback sneak inside the 1-yard line before Purdy directed a 99-yard touchdown drive.

By the fourth quarter, the Rams looked exhausted and out of answers.

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Sean McVay did not blame the Rams’ travel schedule for the loss, but he acknowledged that criticism of the decision would fall on him.

That scrutiny is unavoidable after such a lopsided result. Traveling to London or Germany already forces NFL teams to make significant adjustments. Australia presents a much greater challenge because of the flight time and extreme time-zone change.

The 49ers accepted that reality and built their entire week around it. Players had time to recover, practice and experience Melbourne before game day. San Francisco also developed a connection with the local crowd, which overwhelmingly favored the 49ers despite the Rams serving as the designated home team.

Los Angeles attempted to preserve its normal schedule by remaining in California as long as possible. The plan allowed the Rams to keep their internal clocks closer to U.S. time, but their performance will make that approach difficult for future teams to copy.

The result offered a valuable lesson for every NFL franchise selected to play in Australia.

International preparation cannot be treated as a background detail when teams travel halfway around the world. San Francisco made it a central part of the game plan and left Melbourne with a historic victory.