Rams embarrassed as 49ers turn Australian red sea into rising tide
Finally, all the talk about travel plans, body clocks, time zones, injuries, unprecedented comebacks, bitter rivalries, and Super Bowl aspirations gave way to the only thing that truly mattered.A football game.And after flying nearly 8,000 miles to the other side of the world, the Rams and 49ers delivered one Thursday night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.The 49ers will return home to the Golden State with a 27-7 win, an early advantage in the NFC West standings, and the comfort of knowing the next time they take the field against their long-time rivals it will be on their home turf at Levi’s Stadium.As for the Rams, they are left to confront the question that will follow them all the way home: Did their heavily scrutinized decision to parachute into Australia barely a day before kickoff leave their bodies too little time to adjust to the massive time difference?But more on that in a bit.The game’s defining swing arrived in one emphatic sequence.First, Deebo Samuel ripped off a 49-yard kickoff return to open the second half, setting up a seven-play, 51-yard touchdown drive and a 17-7 lead.Brock Purdy finished it with a perfectly placed 2-yard throw to Mike Evans, who climbed over Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson and ripped the ball out of the air.Then the 49ers delivered the defensive answer.
On the Rams’ ensuing possession, Stafford moved them to the doorstep of the end zone, only to be stonewalled on a quarterback sneak inches from pay dirt.What followed was a backbreaking 99-yard touchdown march, with Purdy delivering the dagger on a 15-yard strike to Samuel.In a matter of minutes, the 49ers had seized a 24–7 lead and complete control of the game.Meanwhile, what some assumed would be a smooth procession toward a Super Bowl coronation for the Rams suddenly looked far more treacherous.Yes, the additions of Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie will help.
And Aaron Donald’s eventual return from retirement could change the entire complexion of this defense.But th...