Rams vs 49ers: First NFL Game in Melbourne — SkimNews
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- Rams and 49ers meet Thursday, Sep. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the first NFL game ever played in Australia, streaming on Netflix with L.A. favored by 3.5 (O/U 48.5 via DraftKings)
- Rams rebuilt their defense by trading for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett (a record 23 sacks last year) and former All-Pro Trent McDuffie, then lured three-time DPOY Aaron Donald out of retirement
- 49ers signed Mike Evans, traded for Osa Odighizuwa, and are activating stars George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Nick Bosa from major injuries, while coach Kyle Shanahan was hurt in a car accident and owner Jed York was arrested this offseason
- George Kittle tore his Achilles less than eight months ago but will suit up for Week 1 — a remarkable recovery for a 33-year-old tight end whose game depends on explosiveness
- Christian McCaffrey logged 450 touches across 19 games last season (413 regular-season plus 37 postseason), and the article notes that each of the last three times he led the league in touches (2019, 2023) he got injured the following year
- The two clubs took opposite travel approaches — 49ers arrived in Australia nearly a week early, while Rams are spending barely 24 hours in Melbourne after landing Tuesday
Why it matters: The Rams' massive defensive makeover — pairing Garrett, McDuffie, and a unretired Donald — gets its first real test against a 49ers team that added Mike Evans but must absorb Shanahan's car accident, York's arrest, and three stars coming back from major injuries. The writer picks the Rams 31-21 and tabs them as his preseason Super Bowl pick.
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