The Rams took a 7-3 lead over the 49ers on the first play of the second quarter on Thursday night, but it was not a sign that things were going to go their way for the rest of their time in Melbourne, Australia.
A Demarcus Robinson touchdown catch put the 49ers up 10-7 at halftime and the 49ers would score 17 more points in the second half while shutting out the Rams. The biggest defensive play of that effort came when the Niners stoned the Rams on four goal-to-go plays in the third quarter, including a Matthew Stafford sneak on fourth down that went nowhere.
Linebacker Fred Warner was at the point of attack on that play and many others over the course of the 27-7 win. He finished his first game back from a serious ankle injury with 11 tackles and a forced fumble in the fourth quarter. After it was over, he pointed to the different approaches the two teams took in going to Australia â?? the 49ers were there for a week, the Rams got there the day before â?? in helping to fuel the way things played out.
"I think it was definitely a matter of us feeling like we got stronger as the game went on," Warner said in a postgame...
Mentioned in this article: Demarcus Robinson, Fred Warner