Purdy Throws Three, the Defense Does the Rest: 49ers Rout Rams 27-7 in Melbourne

The NFL's first regular-season game in Australia turned into a rout. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday night in the U.S., Friday morning at the MCG, behind three touchdown passes from Brock Purdy and a defense that held Matthew Stafford's offense to one score. The announced crowd was 100,021.

Purdy finished 25 of 34 for 205 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Stafford went 15 of 25 for 155 yards, no touchdowns and a pick, and Sean McVay pulled him for Stetson Bennett with 3:29 left and the game gone. Mike Evans, in his first game for San Francisco, caught six passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. Deebo Samuel added six catches for 48 yards and a score plus a 45-yard kickoff return. Puka Nacua led the Rams with five catches for 74 yards.

Eddy Pineiro's 20-yard field goal put San Francisco up 3-0 in the first quarter. Los Angeles took its only lead in the second quarter when Kyren Williams scored from five yards out, set up by a 41-yard Stafford throw to Nacua. Purdy answered with a 39-yard touchdown to Demarcus Robinson, and it was 10-7 at the half. Both quarterbacks threw second-quarter interceptions, Purdy to safety Quentin Lake and Stafford to Renardo Green.

Purdy's short third-down touchdown throw to Evans made it 17-7 in the third quarter. Then the game turned on one snap. The Rams drove to the 1 late in the third quarter with a chance to make it a one-score game. McVay kept the offense out there on fourth down, and rookie Gracen Halton and the San Francisco front stuffed Stafford's sneak. San Francisco then went 99 yards in 11 plays, Purdy scrambling before finding Samuel for a 15-yard touchdown and a 24-7 lead. Fred Warner knocked the ball loose from Tyler Higbee on the next possession, Keion White recovered with 11:08 to play, and Pineiro's 56-yard field goal finished it.

The 49ers outgained the Rams 379-290, had 23 first downs to 15 and ran for 174 yards, 68 from Christian McCaffrey on 10 carries and 65 from Kaelon Black on 14. Los Angeles converted 2 of 9 third downs. Warner had 11 tackles and the forced fumble. Nick Bosa, back from a torn ACL, had four tackles, two for loss. Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, went without a tackle in his Rams debut.

The Card had the Rams favored at -3.5 with a total of 48.5, and the game went the other way: San Francisco won by 20 and covered by 23.5, and the 34 combined points came in 14.5 under.

McVay did not look for excuses afterward. "First of all, congratulations to the 49ers. They outplayed us in every facet," he said. "I didn't do nearly a good enough job. This is a humbling day for us." The Rams landed Thursday morning, about 28 hours before kickoff. The 49ers had been there a week. McVay was asked whether that mattered. "I don't believe that's why we didn't play well enough, I really don't," he said. Samuel saw it differently. "I don't think you can fly 16 hours and be ready to play," he said. George Kittle, back from a ruptured Achilles, said: "What an atmosphere to get a win in. The boys played well, the juice was there all day."

The one bad note for San Francisco was rookie receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, who was carted off in the second quarter with a left ankle injury and did not return. The 49ers are 1-0 and open at home against Miami on September 20 at Levi's Stadium. The Rams are 0-1 and host the New York Giants on Monday night, September 21, at SoFi Stadium.