Rams vs 49ers: ULTIMATE GUIDE to historic NFL at the MCG with QBs, players to watch & who will win
The longest road trip in NFL history is culminating at the MCG this morning as the Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in the latest instalment of one of the game’s greatest rivalries.
The longest road trip in the history of America’s biggest professional sport is culminating at the MCG on Friday morning as the Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in the latest instalment of one of the game’s greatest rivalries.
This season opener for both teams pits a prohibitive Super Bowl favourite in the Rams against a true blue-blood franchise in a divisional matchup with potential playoff implications.
To ensure you’re ready for this historic moment in Australian sport, here’s the ultimate guide to NFL at the MCG.
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Rams: This time last year, Matthew Stafford was confined to a futuristic, chrome-styled wellness trailer during training camp as rumours swirled that a niggling back injury could derail the then-37-year-old passer’s season.
We needn’t have worried. Stafford went and had the best season of his career, throwing for an astonishing 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns en route to winning his first MVP award.
It’s hard to see him replicating that level of production (38 is old in any contact sport), but this previous Super Bowl winner has been durable throughout his career and still possesses a canon for an arm that very few QBs in the league can match.
49ers: Brock Purdy was limited to nine regular season games last year due to injury, as well as two playoff starts, and it’s in the latter he struggled
That’s nothing to quieten the doubters, but he’s used to it as a player who was literally taken with the last pick in the draft, a slot famously referred to as Mr Irrelevant.
But the 26-year-old has been very relevant to the Niners, operating as the ultimate point guard for the offence, which saw him rewarded with a five-year contract worth more than the salary cap of all AFL teams combined.
Now he just has to make sure his play lives up to his pay.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Rams
Myles Garrett: The reigning Defensive Player of the Year broke the all-time record for most sacks in a regular season last year, notching 23 QB takedowns as the centerpiece of the Cleveland Browns front.
The Rams swung one of the biggest trades in recent NFL history this offseason to acquire this game-wrecker - don’t take your eyes off him.
Puka Nacua: This receiver is comfortably a Top 5 wideout, with his elite physicality and route running making him a yards-after-the-catch monster.
He was in line for a massive contract extension until off-field issues put those talks on hold.
Nacua sought professional help, but he’ll have to wait for that payday. Expect an extremely motivated Puka.
Davante Adams: At this stage of his career, the 33-year-old Adams is mostly a red zone weapon. But what a weapon.
He led all receivers last season with 14 touchdowns, and rumour has it his chemistry with Stafford is even better after this preseason.
49ERS
Christian McCaffrey: A true Swiss Army knife of a player, McCaffrey rushed for more than 1200 yards and 10 TDs last season, while also catching 102 passes for seven TDs. That’s insane.
The Niners can’t afford to load McCaffrey up with 413 touches again or something’s gonna give.
Nick Bosa: The 49ers pass rusher is a former Defensive Player of the Year winner, and could easily end a 38-year-old QB’s game with one sack.
The question is whether the superstar is fully healthy after a season-ending injury last year.
Mike Evans: The Niners brought in the veteran wideout, who instantly became the best target Purdy has ever had. But this is another San Francisco player battling injury concerns.
COACHES
Rams: Sean McVay became the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl at 36 in 2022, and is widely regarded as one of the brightest offensive minds in the game. He brings an extreme level of energy to the sideline and is beloved by players and media alike.
49ers: Kyle Shanahan needs a Super Bowl victory to complete a resume that otherwise suggests he’s on the shortlist of best coaches in the NFL. Famous for doing more with less, Shanahan is best mates with McVay. Shanahan was lucky to escape a car accident in July with a broken nose and ribs.
THE HISTORY
Shanahan’s 49ers have an 11-8 advantage against McVay’s Rams during their tenures as head coaches, but McVay, of course, has a Super Bowl ring.
And that title came after the Rams came from behind to beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game in 2022.
Six of their last seven regular-season meetings have been decided by one possession.
PREDICTION
On paper, the Rams are stacked on both sides of the ball and a 49ers team carrying a number of banged-up players into the contest appear out-gunned.
The X-factor is how playing in Australia will impact both teams, especially with the Rams employing the wildly different travel strategy of arriving the day before the game.
PICK: Rams 27 - 49ers 23
