By admin 
Melbourne, Australia – The Los Angeles Rams tried to downplay the effects of jet lag with their travel plans. Sean McVay was adamant that arriving in Melbourne 24 hours before the game was the right call. However, the Rams were unable to overcome a slow start and jet lag, losing 27-7.
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“This is a humbling day for us,” said McVay. “Sometimes sports can humble you, and today was one of those days. I make no excuses. Whether you want to say it was about the travel, we just weren’t good enough in that window.”
Matthew Stafford and the offense struggled to get much of anything going in the first half. The Rams quarterback was 4-for-11 for 65 yards in the first two quarters, and the offense was just 1-for-5 on third down. Without a 41-yard completion to wide receiver Puka Nacua that set up a Kyren Williams touchdown, the Rams would have been held scoreless.
The Rams were better defensively, but edge rusher Myles Garrett didn’t record a single stat in the game. It was the first time since 2018 that he was held without a pressure. Garrett said after the game that he didn’t feel 100 percent and felt pain throughout the game.
“This was the worst version of myself,” said Garrett. “I’ve got to find a way to recover and get back to the player I know I can be and I’ve shown before.”
When Quentin Lake intercepted Brock Purdy in the first half, Stafford threw an interception of his own on the next drive. Purdy then hit Demarcus Robinson for a 39-yard touchdown over cornerback Trent McDuffie to capitalize. The Rams’ biggest stars were coming up short in the first game of the season.
While McVay didn’t want to talk about jet lag and the team’s travel plans, it was clear that the Rams were out of sync and lacked cohesiveness to start the game. Both McVay and Stafford mentioned a lack of communication on the offensive side of the ball.
“We just didn’t do things that we’re accustomed to doing,” said Stafford. “That’s just communication and operating. Too many times we’re on different pages.”
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Following a halftime performance from the Jonas Brothers, the Rams should have sent out an SOS. Deebo Samuel returned the opening half kickoff 45 yards, and six plays later Purdy found Mike Evans over Jaylen Watson in the end zone for a touchdown.
Needing a response, the Rams drove all the way down the field to the one-yard line. Very Similar to the Week 5 loss last year, the 49ers came up with a big stop on fourth down. Instead of making it a one-score game, McVay opted to go for the touchdown. The Rams dialed up a quarterback sneak for Stafford, who was stopped short. On cue the 49ers drove 99 yards in 11 plays to take a 24-7 lead.
To say it was a total team loss would be an understatement. Stafford had nine completions through the first 47 minutes of the game. Defensively, the Rams’ pass rush was nonexistent as Purdy was hit once. They only created six pressures, and no player had more than two. The special teams that the Rams tried to fix this offseason allowed a big kickoff return. From a coaching standpoint, McVay was not at his best with his play-calling or decision-making in big momentss.
Right now, this is the only game that we’ve seen from this 2026 Rams team, and it’s more than fair to be upset with the overall performance. However, it would also be fair to say that a loss in Week 1 doesn’t have to define them. The Rams will have a long flight back to Los Angeles and then 10 days to prepare for the New York Giants. If the Rams still manage to reach the goals they’ve set for the season, few will remember a loss from Week 1. It all depends on how this team decides to respond.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/onsi as Rams’ Biggest Stars Come Up Short in Humbling Week 1 Loss to 49ers.
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