While the atmosphere and theatrics leading up to the first-ever NFL game in Australia between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams had the feel of a playoff game and maybe even a Super Bowl, the Jonas Brothers performed at halftime for crying out loud, the Rams seemed to treat it more like a preseason game.
They showed up just a day before the game, while the Niners got there well before so they could acclimate to the different country. Then, when the Rams were down in the fourth quarter, they basically waved the white flag by refusing to use their timeouts to try to stop the clock, and then removing quarterback Matthew Stafford late in the fourth.
It just had the look and feel of a team that didn't want anything to do with this game.
Keep in mind, the Rams were technically the home team and were the ones who wanted to face the Niners so they wouldn't have to deal with a sea of red and gold taking over SoFi Stadium this season.
Well, there were clearly more 49ers fans there in Melbourne, including our own Jeremy Wolfhart, and they made themselves heard throughout the contest.
Rams' embarrassment works heavily in 49ers' favor
Now, the Niners will at worst split the season series with Los Angeles, which is a big deal. There's a decent chance they can take both games, assuming they're still fairly healthy when the two teams meet again in December.
Every game the Niners play against the Rams and Seattle Seahawks this season will feel like a playoff game. The NFC West was incredibly tight last season, and no one would be shocked if it is a three-horse race yet again.
It's sort of convenient for the Rams that they have this travel excuse to point to. Seemingly everyone was ready to crown them as the NFC champion before the season even began, but their defenders can now just point to the travel and say that the NFL screwed them by sending them to Australia.
The narratives don't matter, though. The Niners are 1-0 on the season and looked good on both sides of the ball. Now, they will get to carry this momentum forward with them going into Week 2 in Santa Clara and will have a nice advantage over the Rams, who got punched in the mouth and now have to prove that all the hype surrounding them wasn't just a mirage.
Add us as a preferred source on Google