NewsMV
← News·MarketsMarkets

Rams arrive 28 hours before kickoff and leave Melbourne with a 27-7 loss

The consensus coming into the 2026 season had the Los Angeles Rams as a superteam and Super Bowl favorites. Week 1 in Melbourne supplied the counter-argument: a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne…

NM
NewsMV Markets Desk
3 min read
11 September 2026Markets desk
Share this dispatch

Key takeaways

  • The Los Angeles Rams lost 27-7 to the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the NFL's first-ever game in Australia.
  • The Rams arrived in Melbourne 28 hours before kickoff, while the 49ers spent close to a week in Australia consulting sleep experts and practicing in local time.
  • The Rams scored the game's first touchdown and trailed by only three at halftime before the 49ers pulled away in the second half.
  • Matthew Stafford was stuffed on a fourth-and-goal quarterback sneak and was intercepted by Renardo Green, and backup Stetson Bennett finished the game.
  • Rams newcomer Myles Garrett recorded no statistic in his debut, and Aaron Donald did not travel to Australia and has not played a down in 2026.

The consensus coming into the 2026 season had the Los Angeles Rams as a superteam and Super Bowl favorites. Week 1 in Melbourne supplied the counter-argument: a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the NFL's first-ever game in Australia. Before the overreaction takes hold, the more specific question is whether arriving in Melbourne 28 hours before kickoff is what undid a team that has not yet played its full hand.

The preparation split

The 49ers spent close to a week in Australia before the game, consulting sleep experts and running multiple practices in local time. San Francisco offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak called it an unprecedented situation and said his team believed in its approach. Sean McVay went the opposite direction. He said he was not going to make the logistics a big deal and framed the preparation as getting ready for a three-hour game. His players, he argued, still felt like they were on Los Angeles time, meaning the 10:35 a.m. local kickoff registered as 5:35 p.m. PT Thursday.

The first half gave McVay some cover. The Rams scored the game's first touchdown early in the second quarter and trailed by only three at the break, even with reigning MVP Matthew Stafford unsettled through most of it. The second half opened with a 49ers touchdown that pushed the lead to 17-7, and on fourth-and-goal with half a yard to go McVay called a quarterback sneak. Stafford was stuffed before the goal line, and the 49ers answered with a 99-yard touchdown drive. Stafford was also picked off by Renardo Green on a throw to Puka Nacua; Nacua had failed to break the plane on a third-and-goal play that created the sneak situation. McVay eventually sent in backup Stetson Bennett to close it out.

With the NFL continuing to expand its global reach, Australia will not be the last time franchises face this question.

What to watch

Myles Garrett, acquired from the Cleveland Browns in a blockbuster offseason trade, finished without a statistic in his Rams debut and appeared to tire in and out as the contest went on. He dealt with a knee situation through training camp. Aaron Donald, whose return from retirement was central to the superteam narrative all offseason, did not travel to Australia at all. Donald has not yet played a down in 2026. The tape from Week 1 is a partial read until both are on the field together.

Categoryenergy

Filed via foxnews.com

← Back to all dispatchesFront page →
Keep reading

More from the markets desk

MarketsMarkets

PAI declares $0.0525 monthly cash dividend with November payment date

In focus for PAI ($PAI) income shareholders, a monthly cash dividend of USD 0.0525 per share has been declared. The ex-dividend and record dates are both set for November 20, 2026, with payment scheduled for N

NM
NewsMV Markets Desk
3 min read
MarketsMarkets

Luckin Coffee draws $1 billion from Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund

Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund is committing $1 billion to Luckin Coffee, placing Gulf state sovereign capital behind one of China's most prominent coffee chains. A commitment at that scale from a sovereign balance…

NM
NewsMV Markets Desk
3 min read
MarketsMarkets

Enbridge buys Tallgrass crude pipeline network for $2.55 billion, deepening Rockies-to-Cushing reach

A $2.55 billion all-cash agreement puts Enbridge (ENB) in control of Tallgrass Energy's crude transportation network, adding the 1,050-mile Pony Express Pipeline and roughly 8.4 million barrels of storage that bridge…

NM
NewsMV Markets Desk
3 min read

Frequently asked

What was the final score and where was the game played?

The San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the NFL's first-ever game in Australia.

How did the Rams' preparation differ from the 49ers'?

The Rams arrived just 28 hours before kickoff with Sean McVay downplaying the logistics, while the 49ers spent nearly a week in Australia, consulted sleep experts, and ran multiple practices in local time.

What time did the game kick off locally?

Kickoff was 10:35 a.m. local time, which registered as 5:35 p.m. PT Thursday for players still on Los Angeles time.

What happened on the Rams' fourth-and-goal in the second half?

With half a yard to go and trailing 17-7, McVay called a quarterback sneak, but Matthew Stafford was stuffed before the goal line and the 49ers answered with a 99-yard touchdown drive.

Why is the Week 1 result considered only a partial read on the Rams?

Myles Garrett finished without a statistic and dealt with a knee situation, while Aaron Donald did not travel to Australia and has not yet played in 2026, so the tape is incomplete until both are on the field together.