49ers vs. Rams overreactions: Matthew Stafford loses MVP form, Christian McCaffrey in RB committee & more

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49ers vs. Rams overreactions: Matthew Stafford loses MVP form, Christian McCaffrey in RB committee & more originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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The Los Angeles Rams were getting hyped as a heavy favorite to win the NFC West and Super Bowl 61 going into the 2026 NFL season. There was even some buzz, with the trade for edge rusher Myles Garrett and the return of tackle Aaron Donald, they would have a dominant enough defense to go undefeated.

That narrative was all blown up by one game. Instead of flexing on their division rival San Francisco 49ers in the first-ever NFL game in Melbourne, Australia, the Rams were the ones dominated in a 27-7 loss to start 0-1.

With the reigning Super Bowl and NFC West champion Seattle winning on Thursday night, the Rams are in last place, with the 49ers joining the Seahawks at 1-0 and the Cardinals not playing until Sunday. 

Donald didn't play in the far-away "home" opener. Thanks to the 49ers' offensive line and the rest of their blockers, it also felt like Garrett wasn't playing in the game, either.

The 49ers didn't let Garrett or any other Ram sack quarterback Brock Purdy (25-of-34, 205 passing yards, 3 TDs, INT, 6.0 yards per attempt, 105.6 rating). They also rushed for 170 yards on 30 attempts. The Rams ran well, too, with 122 yards on 22 attempts. But they had no chance to keep up with the 49ers with reigning MVP Matthew Stafford (15-of-25, 155 yards, 6.2 yards per attempt, 61.2 rating) having his first passing TD-less game since 2024.

Looking at the lopsided results and performances of both teams, there will be some rash judgments being made. Here's throwing some cold water on those warm takes:

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49ers-Rams overreactions

Matthew Stafford has already lost his MVP mojo

Stafford was incredible in leading the Rams to the NFC championship game, passing for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns; he had an all-time prolific season in 2025 at age 37.

His first game at 38 was an absolute clunker. Although Stafford, like Purdy, wasn't sacked, he was under some good pressure from the 49ers' top edge rusher Nick Bosa and others. There were 8 recorded hits on Stafford, on top of the downfield interception by cornerback Renardo Green. No. 1 wide receiver Puka Nacua made a few big plays, but in the end he led the Rams with only five catches for 74 yards 

Because of Stafford's struggles to connect with Nacua, Davante Adams and others, the Rams had more running back rushing attempts than Stafford dropbacks (26 vs. 25). When there was no chance at a comeback late, down by 20, Stafford was relieved from mop-up duty by Stetson Bennett.

Stafford has had his share of bad days. They haven't happened much for the Rams, in contrast to his long time with the Lions. The 49ers' defense, with Bosa and Warner, got better in the front seven with the addition of former Cowboys tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who often was in Stafford's face.

It will be difficult for Stafford to repeat as MVP, with so many good QB candidates around the league. He was bound to come down to earth, but to think he's gone "Down Under" again is extreme. Look for Stafford to raise his standard again in Week 2 vs. the Giants.

MORE: Five factors that could hurt Rams' Super Bowl chances

Christian McCaffrey is now a change-of-pace back again

Between McCaffrey and rookie backup Kaelon Black, they rushed for 133 of their 174 yards against the Rams. Early, the 49ers were giving Black the carries (14) while McCaffrey (10) was worked to get high-leverage touches. 

Black getting more carries than McCaffrey was an unexpected development. McCaffrey added 5 catches for 20 yards, while Black had only one reception in his NFL debut. San Francisco is playing the long game with CMC, trying to keep him healthy throughout the regular season and playoffs like it did last season. Black was impressive enough as a power option to earn the workload.

McCaffrey did have a big 2025 season, but much of it was tied efficiency-wise to his work in the passing game. The 49ers, despite having a fully healthy McCaffrey, average only 3.8 yards per rushing attempt. Black getting more chunks (4.6 yards per carry) set it up for the quickness of McCaffrey (6.8 yards per carry), restoring a key strength in Kyle Shanahan's offense. CMC is still the 49ers' lead feature back, but they are working to set up his durability and availability for the entire season.

MORE: How Kaelon Black impacts Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers RB committee

The Rams can't dig out of this tough early hole in the NFC West

The Rams have started 0-1 overall and in division play while the 49ers are 1-0 in the division. The Seahawks also lead them by a full game early. 

Although it was a critical early battle, the Rams don't see either Seattle at all or San Francisco again until December. The Rams should beat the Giants at home in Week 2 and also should have a much better chance than they did against the 49ers to beat the Broncos in Week 3. There's little room now for early error with the Eagles in Week 4 and the Bills in Week 5.

There should be trust in Sean McVay and Chris Shula to turn the offense and defense around with mid-season adjustments, because they have done it before. The Rams are still looking like a strong playoff favorite and were playing out of their element in an Australia game they didn't really want to play.

The Rams' defense may not be improved at all with Myles Garrett

Los Angeles did give up a promising young pass rusher, Jared Verse, in the deal with Cleveland. That means in the short-term, they're expecting Garrett to provide much better all-around impact coming off the edge.

That will happen in time in more favorable matchups against lesser offenses than San Francisco. The Rams can still live up to high defensive expectations, but the key also will be getting more complementary offense so Garrett can pin his ears back with the rest of the pressure sources.

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