The San Francisco 49ers came out firing on every cylinder to deliver a 27-7 beatdown Down Under of the Los Angeles Rams. From the decision to arrive early to their piling on late scoring, how well did Brock Purdy, Kyle Shanahan and the crew do in upsetting the Super Bowl favorites to start the season?
Offense: A-
The old guys ruled. And that Kaelon Black kid wasn't too shabby. A 30-something (Demarcus Robinson, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel) accounted for their three TDs and an almost 40-something, Trent Williams, was the best of the bunch, because you and I had as many tackles, QB hits and sacks as Rams' All-Universe pass rusher Myles Garrett. Less happily, De'Zhaun Stribling and Jake Tonges were carted away in the second quarter. George Kittle was a rumor. Yet Brock Purdy didn't notice. Outside of a horrific interception, Purdy was terrific with his arm, legs and swaggy first-down celebrations. Does Christian McCaffrey finally have a caddy? Yes. Rookie Black looked excellent in a real game after resembling a third-round find in the spring and summer.
Defense: A+
Raheem Morris in 2028? The well-respected new defensive coordinator looked like Bill Belichick (the pre-2022 version) while his unit made the reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford look ordinary. Sorry, correction: not just ordinary, but awful. Having Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw (combined games played for 49ers in 2025: 9) back together did give Morris some added IQ points. The LB duo turned out the lights on the Rams when Greenlaw held up Tyler Higbee and Warner peanut-punched the ball out. The 49ers didn't have a sack, but they made Stafford unsettled. Osa Odighizuwa had four of their eight QB hits, including a pressure that led to Stafford's INT.
#greenlaw
Offense: A-
The old guys ruled. And that Kaelon Black kid wasn't too shabby. A 30-something (Demarcus Robinson, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel) accounted for their three TDs and an almost 40-something, Trent Williams, was the best of the bunch, because you and I had as many tackles, QB hits and sacks as Rams' All-Universe pass rusher Myles Garrett. Less happily, De'Zhaun Stribling and Jake Tonges were carted away in the second quarter. George Kittle was a rumor. Yet Brock Purdy didn't notice. Outside of a horrific interception, Purdy was terrific with his arm, legs and swaggy first-down celebrations. Does Christian McCaffrey finally have a caddy? Yes. Rookie Black looked excellent in a real game after resembling a third-round find in the spring and summer.
Defense: A+
Raheem Morris in 2028? The well-respected new defensive coordinator looked like Bill Belichick (the pre-2022 version) while his unit made the reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford look ordinary. Sorry, correction: not just ordinary, but awful. Having Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw (combined games played for 49ers in 2025: 9) back together did give Morris some added IQ points. The LB duo turned out the lights on the Rams when Greenlaw held up Tyler Higbee and Warner peanut-punched the ball out. The 49ers didn't have a sack, but they made Stafford unsettled. Osa Odighizuwa had four of their eight QB hits, including a pressure that led to Stafford's INT.
#greenlaw
2 hours ago
