The San Francisco 49ers opened the 2026 regular season with a dominant 27-7 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, marking the first-ever regular-season game played in the country on Friday.
Nearly 8,000 miles away from home, San Francisco established early control in the NFC West matchup. Quarterback Brock Purdy orchestrated an efficient offensive night, completing 25 of 34 pass attempts for 205 yards and three touchdowns. The defense smothered reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, holding the Rams scoreless through the final three quarters after surrendering an early touchdown.
Mike Evans Makes Immediate Impact in Red and Gold Debut
Veteran newcomer Mike Evans wasted no time becoming Purdy’s favorite target in his first regular-season appearance for San Francisco. Evans hauled in five receptions for successful third-down conversions during the opening 35 minutes alone.
The connection peaked early in the third quarter when Purdy connected with the veteran wideout for a two-yard score in the back left corner of the end zone over cornerback Jaylen Watson, whom the Rams signed as a free agent from Kansas City in the offseason. Evans finished the night with six catches for 49 yards and a touchdown on seven targets.
“Mike’s been great. Today was my first time doing it with him… It was nice to be able to have a type of receiver to throw a fade to like that at Red Zone.”
Kyle Shanahan, head coach
Evans admitted that the scoring connection was the result of practice repetitions over the preceding weeks.
“Brock threw a great ball. We actually repped that a lot the last couple of weeks, so I was happy it paid off.”
Mike Evans, wide receiver
Purdy Spreads the Ball as Ground Game Rolls
Purdy distributed his three touchdown passes to three different receivers. Aside from Evans, Purdy found Demarcus Robinson late in the second quarter for a 39-yard touchdown that capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive and traveled 44 yards in the air relative to the line of scrimmage—marking the longest completion by air yards in Purdy’s career. Deebo Samuel Sr., in his first game back, added a 15-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 24-7.
On the ground, the 49ers relied on a two-pronged rushing attack. Christian McCaffrey led the ground game with 68 yards on 10 attempts, while rookie Kaelon Black contributed 65 yards on 14 carries in his NFL regular-season debut, helping San Francisco keep the offense moving throughout the game. Black entered the game after just a handful of plays on the 49ers’ first drive and had seven carries for 36 yards in the first half, including three consecutive rushes for 18 yards to set up a 39-yard touchdown pass following a play fake.
Fred Warner Breaks Franchise Tackle Record
Linebacker Fred Warner marked his return to regular-season action following a 2025 ankle injury by etching his name into the 49ers record books. Entering the game needing two tackles to tie Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis’ franchise record of 950 career tackles, Warner recorded five solo tackles, six assists, and 11 combined tackles to surpass Willis as the franchise leader.
San Francisco’s defensive front consistently disrupted Stafford, who finished with 15 completions on 25 attempts for 155 yards and an interception. Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa added relentless pressure in the first half with three quarterback hits, while cornerback Renardo Green intercepted a deep pass intended for Puka Nacua in the first half. Later, when the 49ers needed a big goal-line stand near the end of the third quarter on a fourth-and-goal from the 1, rookie Gracen Halton and Warner stopped Stafford for no gain on a push up the middle, with defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa credited with the stop to force a turnover on downs. Early in the fourth quarter, Warner forced Rams tight end Tyler Higbee to fumble, and defensive lineman Keion White recovered the ball, leading to a 56-yard field goal from kicker Eddy Piñeiro that pushed the lead to 27-7.
“Fred means everything to me. I don’t want to coach very much when Fred’s not around… He is one of the most impressive people I’ve been around.”
Kyle Shanahan, head coach
International Logistics and What Comes Next
The defeat handed Rams head coach Sean McVay his first loss in the international series, dropping his record to 3-1 and trailing only Doug Pederson’s four international victories. Meanwhile, the 49ers successfully game-planned around Los Angeles offseason acquisition Myles Garrett, who was completely shut out from the stat sheet through three quarters of action with no tackles and no sacks. Aaron Donald, who recently came out of retirement and stayed back in California for the Week 1 game, had the same stat line.
Having completed their historic trip nearly 8,000 miles from home, the 1-0 49ers return home to the United States and will enjoy a long break before hosting the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Levi’s Stadium.
