49ers game grades: Spread the credit as Niners stuff Rams in every way
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The San Francisco 49ers came out firing on every cylinder to deliver a 27-7 beatdown Down Under of the Los Angeles Rams. From the decision to arrive early to their piling on late scoring, how well did Brock Purdy, Kyle Shanahan and the crew do in upsetting the Super Bowl favorites to start the season?
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Offense: A-
The old guys ruled. And that Kaelon Black kid wasn't too shabby. A 30-something (Demarcus Robinson, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel) accounted for their three TDs and an almost 40-something, Trent Williams, was the best of the bunch, because you and I had as many tackles, QB hits and sacks as Rams' All-Universe pass rusher Myles Garrett. Less happily, De'Zhaun Stribling and Jake Tonges were carted away in the second quarter. George Kittle was a rumor. Yet Brock Purdy didn't notice. Outside of a horrific interception, Purdy was terrific with his arm, legs and swaggy first-down celebrations. Does Christian McCaffrey finally have a caddy? Yes. Rookie Black looked excellent in a real game after resembling a third-round find in the spring and summer.
Defense: A+
Raheem Morris in 2028? The well-respected new defensive coordinator looked like Bill Belichick (the pre-2022 version) while his unit made the reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford look ordinary. Sorry, correction: not just ordinary, but awful. Having Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw (combined games played for 49ers in 2025: 9) back together did give Morris some added IQ points. The LB duo turned out the lights on the Rams when Greenlaw held up Tyler Higbee and Warner peanut-punched the ball out. The 49ers didn't have a sack, but they made Stafford unsettled. Osa Odighizuwa had four of their eight QB hits, including a pressure that led to Stafford's INT.
Special teams: A
That sound you kept hearing was the Rams kickoff returners getting smacked. Malik Mustapha began the hit parade by drilling punching bag Jordan Whittington at the 17-yard line on the opening kickoff, and Ashtyn Davis, Siran Neal and Garret Wallow later joined the party. Samuel got the second-half slaughter started by opening the third quarter with a 45-yard kickoff return that set up a 51-yard TD drive. Mr. Automatic, Eddy Piñeiro, made FGs of 56 and 20 yards, though he did have a 52-yarder clang off the right upright.
Coaching: A+
Williams did have help blocking Garrett. His trusty assistant? Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan's game plan was all about quick passing, particularly early, to make sure the reigning Defensive Player of the Year didn't take over. Shanahan set the tone with four screen passes on the 49ers' game-opening 15-play, 65-yard FG drive. The Rams have a roster building strategy: They don't invest heavily in linebackers. Shanahan has a strategy when he faces L.A: Expose those mid-tier LBs. It happened again. Also, it appears Shanahan might finally follow through on not grinding McCaffrey into a fine powder. The 30-year-old looked spry as he opened the second half with back-to-back runs of 14 and 16 yards. That could have been because CMC had just seven first-half touches, one fewer than Black.
Overall: A
The 49ers outclassed the Super Bowl favorites in every area. And that includes their logistics people. Maybe the 49ers' decision to arrive in Australia early and the Rams' call to stroll in just before kickoff had no bearing on the outcome. But the underdog 49ers ended the game played more than 7,000 miles away from California by scoring 24 straight points, outscoring L.A. 17-0 in the second half. It was a statement: The 49ers' championship window isn't closed. The only discouraging note for the winners: Stribling and Tonges were carted away on back-to-back second-quarter drives. If that's a here-they-go-again sign, that Super Bowl drought won't be ending.
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