Our picks and predictions for the 2026 NFL season
Joe Rivera, Chris Bumbaca and Adam Kaufman break down their predictions for the 2026 NFL season on the latest episode of the Sports Seriously NFL Vodcast.
The Los Angeles Rams’ travel plans for their season opener in Australia were viewed by many as questionable. The Rams had pursued a different philosophy compared to the San Francisco 49ers, deciding to arrive a little more than 24 hours before kickoff.
Coach Sean McVay and the Rams fell short on the field, losing 27-7 to the San Francisco 49ers, who arrived in Australia several days ago, in an NFC West contest.
“I know there’s gonna be a lot of narratives that appropriately put the blame on me, and then we’ll move forward the right way,” McVay told reporters after the game. “… I don’t believe (the travel plan) is why we didn’t play well enough. I really don’t.”
Los Angeles treated the Week 1 game as practically a normal business trip. The Rams have also decided to leave Australia as soon as possible. The 49ers traveled eight days early to prepare for the 17-hour time difference.
“The game (plan) worked,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game. “I knew, win or lose, I knew everyone was going to make a big deal about that for either team. You never know how much that factors into it, and you just try to do the best you can to prepare. … I like how we prepared and more importantly, I like how we played.”
While football fans and pundits questioned the Rams’ approach, the team had spent the past two years preparing for this trip, sending “15 staffers over the last two years and (they) have tracked their bodies and sleep rhythms,” according to ESPN’s Peter Schrager.
Did jet lag play a factor? The Rams allowed a touchdown in each of the final three quarters. The Rams’ offense also managed to turn the ball over twice, including an interception thrown by veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Mike Evans comments on Rams’ travel plan
49ers receiver Mike Evans shared his thoughts on the Rams’ travel situation when he was asked about it during the postgame press conference.
“You have to give your body time to adjust,” Evans told reporters after the game. “Whenever the game is scheduled, you have to be ready to play, but maybe a few days earlier would’ve been ideal, but we don’t care if they came a week or two earlier; we had it on our mind to come out and execute, and we did that.”
When do the Rams play next?
The Rams return to action for a Week 2 game against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football on Sept. 21.