The San Francisco 49ers can leave the NFL's historic night in Australia with a 1-0 record. And there are plenty of reasons to believe they are ready to do exactly that.
Here are eight factors that could lead the 49ers to an opening-night victory over the Rams.
Mr. Relevant
Brock Purdy played through a lingering toe injury last season and dealt with a receiving corps that gave him limited options. Yet, he still finished among the league's most efficient quarterbacks. Now healthy and entering his fifth season in Kyle Shanahan's offense, Purdy has looked sharp throughout the preseason, whether attacking underneath, going deep, or doing what he does so well, layering throws over the defense. He remains one of the league's toughest quarterbacks to sack and has been at his best when it matters most on third down.
This year, Purdy also has something different around him. He has already established a rapport with his new receivers, while Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle remain two of his most trusted weapons. Add Evans, Stribling and Deebo to a quarterback who now has more experience commanding this offense, and Purdy enters tonight with everything he needs to take another step. Mr. Irrelevant is long gone. Mr. Relevant looks ready to make another run at MVP.
Purdy's New Arsenal
The 49ers' biggest offseason addition was future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, and even Kyle Shanahan has admitted he's never had a receiver with Evans' credentials and qualities at his disposal. Neither has Brock Purdy. At 6-foot-5, Evans gives Purdy a target who can win contested catches and come down with touchdowns even when he isn't open by much. The two have already developed a rapport, giving Purdy a safety net when a play breaks down.
Rookie De'Zhaun Stribling has turned heads throughout the offseason, even earning praise from Evans. His 4.3 speed, soft hands, ability to separate and willingness to block give Purdy another weapon, while Deebo Samuel brings a familiar one. Deebo may no longer be the "Half-Back" from his best years, but a motivated Deebo is a dangerous Deebo. With Evans and Stribling demanding attention alongside Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, there may finally be room for Deebo to get back into space and remind everyone what made him so difficult to tackle in the first place.
The Returns
The 49ers lost Nick Bosa in Week 3, and their pass rush seemed to disappear with him. San Francisco finished the season last in the NFL with just 25 sacks and struggled to generate consistent pressure. Bosa returns after his second MCL reconstruction on the same knee and has dealt with tendinitis during camp, but he has looked good heading into the opener. We've also seen Bosa return from major knee surgery before and quickly remind everyone who he is.
Fred Warner was playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level before his season ended in Week 6, leaving the defense without his production and leadership in the middle. Now he's reunited with his partner-in-hits, "The Enforcer" Dre Greenlaw, after Greenlaw spent last season in Denver. This is the same player who was enforcing the law against Kansas City in the Super Bowl before tearing his Achilles, and the last time he faced the Rams in a 49ers uniform, Los Angeles wasn't moving much of anything. Greenlaw had eight tackles in limited action before leaving the game.
Then there is George Kittle. He missed the Week 5 upset win over the Rams and returned for the Week 10 loss at Levi's Stadium, but the offense around him that day looked very different. Purdy wasn't the quarterback, and Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel and De'Zhaun Stribling weren't there either. Tonight, Kittle returns with all of them around him.
The Overlooked Addition
The trade for Osa Odighizuwa may end up being one of the 49ers' most important offseason moves. San Francisco needed more pressure from the middle, and Odighizuwa gives Nick Bosa the inside complement the defense has been missing. He generated 52 pressures for Dallas last season, while the 49ers' six interior defensive linemen combined for 56. He also had 60 pressures in 2024, so getting into the backfield has been a consistent part of his game.
The 49ers tried to create that inside-outside combination with Javon Hargrave, but injuries kept it from becoming what they envisioned. Now they are taking another shot with Odighizuwa, who had an excellent offseason and training camp. If that carries into the regular season, opposing quarterbacks could have a problem deciding where the pressure is coming from. The Rams get the first chance to figure it out tonight.
The Workhorse's Support
Christian McCaffrey is still the workhorse, and nobody behind him is CMC. Nobody is. But for the first time in a while, Kyle Shanahan may be able to give McCaffrey a few plays off without sacrificing much of the offense. Rookie Kaelon Black and second-year back Jordan James are different types of runners, but both have shown they can keep the offense moving while McCaffrey gets a breather.
Black has been tough after contact, has shown impressive pass-blocking skills during the preseason, and brings more to the receiving game than he gets credit for. James flashed his ability last year before injuries got in the way, and another injury early in camp may have cost him the RB2 job this season. Now healthy, he gives Shanahan another capable option behind Black. Neither has to replace McCaffrey. They just need to keep the 49ers at full speed for two or three plays until the workhorse returns.
An Advantage That Could Be Even Better
Special teams became an advantage for the 49ers last season, ranking among the league's best in efficiency while the Rams struggled in that area. San Francisco may have improved further with Corliss Waitman, whose ability to pin opponents deep gives the 49ers another weapon when drives stall around midfield. Being left-footed adds another wrinkle, with the ball spinning differently than the punts returners typically see.
The return game carries more uncertainty because of Jacob Cowing's health, but the addition of former All-Rookie returner Brandon Codrington to the practice squad gives them another option. The 49ers faced uncertainty there last year when Skyy Moore initially struggled after arriving in a trade before developing into one of the league's better returners. If they can get similar production again, special teams could remain an advantage tonight and throughout the season.
Levi's Down Under
The Faithful travel like few fan bases in the NFL, often bringing a sea of red with them wherever the 49ers play. The Rams liked the idea of playing in Australia as a neutral site, but judging by the videos coming out of Melbourne this week, they may not get the neutral crowd they were hoping for.
The excitement surrounding the 49ers has been hard to miss, and if that carries into the Melbourne Cricket Ground tonight, 100,000 fans could make the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia feel a lot closer to Santa Clara than Los Angeles expected. The Faithful have already claimed plenty of opposing stadiums over the years as "Levi's South." Tonight, they have a chance to give the 49ers something new: Levi's Down Under.
Travel Strategy
The 49ers decided early that if they were going to travel halfway around the world to play a football game, they wanted time to adjust. They arrived in Australia a week ago, giving players time to acclimate to the time difference, practice on local time, and settle into a routine before opening night.
The Rams took the opposite approach. They stayed in Los Angeles as long as possible, arrived in Melbourne yesterday, and will play tonight while trying to keep their bodies closer to their normal time.
There is logic behind both strategies, but San Francisco's seems better suited for actually playing a football game in Australia. By kickoff, the 49ers will have spent a week living, sleeping, and practicing there, while the Rams are essentially asking their bodies to act like they never left Los Angeles.
We won't know which approach worked better until the game is played, or even whether the winning team got it right. But whoever wins will claim their strategy worked.
The bottom line is the 49ers came to Australia prepared; they have legitimate reasons to be confident, and now they have a chance to prove it. If the offseason improvements translate onto the field tonight, the long trip could end with a 1-0 record and the opening-night statement they came here to make.
Mentioned in this article: Kaelon Black, Nick Bosa, Brandon Codrington, Jacob Cowing, Mike Evans, Dre Greenlaw, Jordan James, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Osa Odighizuwa, Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, De'Zhaun Stribling, Corliss Waitman, Fred Warner
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