2 shocking letdowns (and 1 pleasant surprise) in Rams' stunning loss vs 49ers

If there were a worse way to open the 2026 season for the Los Angeles Rams, it's tough to imagine what it would look like. The San Francisco 49ers dismantled the Horns in the NFL's first-ever game in Australia. Now they must limp home, regroup, and try to figure out what went wrong.

While it may be far too early to panic, it's certainly time to retreat from bold and lofty expectations. The Rams are, in fact, mortal. They can be beaten. And now, they have to prove they can win the next one.

No stars who headlined the offseason stole the spotlight in this one. LA let the 49ers rush 25 times for 205 yards, an average of 8.2 yards per carry. The Niners controlled the clock and, in doing that, won the game. No surprise there.

Here are a few:

3 observations from Rams' disastrous season opener

Matthew Stafford looked like a 38-year-old

Stafford was not in MVP form in this one. He closed out the first half just 4-of-11 for 65 yards and an interception. He ended the game at just 15 of 25 for 155 yards and no touchdowns. He connected on 41-yard and 23-yard passes to Puka Nacua, but for the most part, he was not his elite self.

If you remove those two completions, Stafford was 13-of-23 for 91 yards. Yikes! Those are Stetson Bennett numbers.

It was so bad that with 3:29 remaining, head coach Sean McVay sent Bennett into the game to mop up. Bennett drove the offense 41 yards on 10 plays before time ran out.

Myles Garrett was a non-factor, literally

Garrett was a non-factor in this game. Really. He had no tackles, pressures, sacks, hurries, or anything else. It may have been jet lag. It may have been Garrett's nagging lower leg injury that kept him out of much of training camp. But it was most likely due to a masterful 49ers game plan that neutralized him throughout the game.

Unfortunately, his teammates on the defensive front did little to help out. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula was schooled by his former mentor, now-49ers DC Raheem Morris.

Pleasant surprise: Shaun Dolac saw snaps on defense and stepped up

Starting linebacker Omar Speights was shaken up early and replaced with special teams standout Shaun Dolac, who put up three tackles by halftime. Speights did return in the second half, but Dolac proved his worth by stepping in and playing well.

Dolac finished the game with six tackles and supplied some much-needed energy, although to no avail. Not a bad day for a guy who had to jump in off the bench on short notice.

This was one game. There are 16 games remaining this season. But with the loss, LA finds itself not only a game behind the 49ers and Seahawks, but at a disadvantage in division tie-breakers as well.

Let's shelve the postseason talk for now. The focus should be on regrouping to try and win next Monday against the New York Giants.

As always, thanks for reading.

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