The NFL’s desire to expand internationally reaches its most aggressive point on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are traveling a little less than 8,000 miles to play in Melbourne, Australia. It’s the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia and one of the biggest challenges teams have faced for international travel. They approached it differently as well.
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The 49ers flew to Australia more than a week before the game, while the Rams set a plan to fly in the day before the game. The teams’ contrasting travel plans will be a big discussion point after the game, no matter how it turns out.
The NFL didn’t send two random teams to Australia, either. The league set up an exciting divisional matchup between the Rams, the clear Super Bowl favorite heading into the season, and their NFC West rival 49ers, coming off a playoff season.
The Rams have been the talk of the offseason. After coming up just short in the NFC championship game, they acquired defensive end and Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, and cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Then future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald came out of retirement to join the team, though he won’t be playing on Thursday.
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Garrett and Matthew Stafford will make history as the first reigning MVP-DPOY combination ever on the same roster. The Rams are loaded and will be fun to watch all season.
Don’t rule out the 49ers. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has an 11-7 regular-season record against his Rams counterpart Sean McVay, though McVay won the lone playoff matchup. The 49ers have tremendous top-end talent, like quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, offensive tackle Trent Williams, new receiver Mike Evans and tight end George Kittle, who is coming off a torn Achilles.
The Rams will be the headliner in this Week 1 game, as they will be most of the season. The 49ers could help provide a good show in Australia.
Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams split their two games against the San Francisco 49ers last season. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Ezra Shaw via Getty Images)
Who needs it more?
Given how much hype the Rams got this offseason, starting 0-1 would lead to a long week of ridicule, and also second-guessing over their travel plan. The Rams will be fine either way, as will the 49ers if they lose, but the talk of the Rams being a runaway favorite will slow down a bit. That might not even be the worst thing, as the Rams probably wouldn’t mind a few weeks under the radar even though they’ll be in prime time in four of their first five games. But starting the season with a win could set them on a path to a historic season.
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Key player: Rams DE Myles Garrett
Garrett could be the best player, in terms of where he is in his career arc, to be traded through NFL history. He is coming off the single-season sack record and is arguably the best player, regardless of position, in the NFL. The players believe he is indeed No. 1.
The Rams gave up a lot to get Garrett, but it shouldn’t take long for everyone to realize what Los Angeles was investing in. Having Garrett playing his first game in prime time, with a rabid NFL fan base excited for the regular season to start, will put an intense focus on his Rams debut. Kyle Shanahan is a smart coach and will have a plan to at least minimize the wreckage Garrett can inflict on San Francisco’s offense. But it’s a good bet that Garrett makes some impact in his first game with the Rams.
Betting market watch, by Ben Fawkes
This is a fascinating game from a betting perspective because how you handicap the differing travel strategies will have a big impact on how you see the game playing out. I asked several oddsmakers both here in the U.S. and in Australia for their thoughts on that topic, and while there was far from a consensus, the general opinion was the Rams’ travel itinerary would be better than the 49ers’ for both Week 1 and Week 2. The odds have been static for this game — L.A. -3.5 and a total of 48.5 — so it seems like sharp bettors are taking a wait-and-see approach as well. The betting public likes the Rams to cover; I’d side with a few oddsmakers and look to the under.
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Check out more of Ben’s work at the Yahoo Sports betting hub.
There’s plenty of fantasy juice in play as the Rams and 49ers get after it in Australia. Here are three things to watch for from a fantasy angle:
1. Can two top offenses buck recent international trends? If you get a little nervous when your fantasy players have an international game, it’s justified. Only three of the last 17 games played outside the United States since 2023 have gone over 48 total points.
2. Will the older Niners answer the bell? San Francisco has an intriguing but old offense, with Christian McCaffrey in his age-30 season, and Mike Evans and George Kittle negotiating their age-33 laps. All three also have injury concerns to consider; McCaffrey missed time this summer with undisclosed physical issues, Evans dealt with a groin problem, and Kittle is coming back from an Achilles tear in January. With all the age on this depth chart, rookie WR De’Zhaun Stribling becomes an intriguing player.
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3. How will the Rams handle the backfield? Kyren Williams has been fantasy royalty for three straight seasons, but Blake Corum joined the party down the stretch last year, averaging double-digit carries over the last 11 games. Perhaps both LAR runners can pay off this season, with the Rams a Super Bowl favorite and often headed for positive game scripts (an upgraded defense also helps).
Check out more of Scott’s work at the Yahoo Sports fantasy hub.
