The NFL is about to make history in Australia, but the biggest storyline may not be Matthew Stafford, Myles Garrett or the more than 100,000 fans expected at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It could be jet lag.
The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are preparing for the first-ever NFL regular-season game in Australia, a matchup that requires both teams to travel roughly 8,000 miles and deal with a 14-hour time difference. But the two NFC West rivals have taken completely different approaches to the challenge.
And that could make this game much more interesting than the betting line suggests.
The Rams enter the matchup as preseason Super Bowl favorites and are favored by around 3.5 points. They have one of the NFL’s most experienced quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford, reigning MVP honors behind him, Davante Adams joining an already dangerous offense, and Myles Garrett arriving to transform the defense.
On paper, Los Angeles looks like the better team.
But San Francisco may have found one advantage that cannot be measured simply by looking at the roster.
The 49ers got to Australia early.
The 49ers Chose the Long Game
San Francisco arrived in Melbourne more than a week before kickoff.
That wasn’t simply a sightseeing trip.
The 49ers designed their entire preparation around adjusting to Australia’s time zone and the unusual morning kickoff. The game begins at 10:35 a.m. local time in Melbourne, which is completely different from the normal NFL schedule players are accustomed to in the United States.
San Francisco has been practicing in the morning to get its players accustomed to the conditions.
The team has also worked with players on sleep and nutrition plans designed specifically for the trip.
That preparation matters because football is already one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. Add a 16-hour flight, a massive time-zone change and a kickoff at a time when players normally wouldn’t be preparing for an NFL game, and suddenly preparation becomes part of the matchup.
Kyle Shanahan even admitted that the time difference initially made him feel disoriented after arriving in Australia.
But by staying there for a week, the 49ers are hoping their bodies will be much closer to the local schedule when the game begins.
And that could be their secret weapon.
The Rams Are Taking a Completely Different Approach
This is where things get fascinating.
The Rams aren’t trying to spend a week getting comfortable in Australia.
They’re doing almost the opposite.
Los Angeles arrived roughly a day before kickoff, sticking with its normal training routine in the United States before making the long trip to Melbourne. The idea is to keep the players on their normal body clocks rather than spending several days adjusting to Australia and then having to readjust when they return home.
It sounds strange.
But there is actually logic behind it.
The Rams don’t want this game to disrupt their entire season-opening routine.
After Australia, they have to return to the United States and prepare for Week 2 against the New York Giants. Los Angeles believes spending too much time adjusting to Australia’s time zone could create another problem when the team returns home.
So Sean McVay and his staff are betting on familiarity.
The Rams have reportedly even tested different travel approaches with players earlier in the year to determine how their bodies responded to the journey.
This isn’t some random decision.
It’s a calculated gamble.
And that’s what makes the game so intriguing.
But Does the 49ers’ Preparation Give Them the Edge?
Here’s where I think San Francisco has the advantage.
Not necessarily because they’re more talented.
Not because Brock Purdy is better than Stafford.
Not because the 49ers have a better roster.
But because they have already spent days experiencing the environment in which they’re going to play.
Imagine two people running a marathon.
One arrives at the location seven days early, gets familiar with the surroundings, adjusts to the weather and changes their sleeping schedule.
The other arrives shortly before the race and trusts their preparation.
Both approaches can work.
But if the conditions are unusual enough, the person who has already adapted could have an advantage.
That’s exactly what San Francisco is betting on.
The 49ers have been learning how their bodies respond to the local schedule while also becoming comfortable with the stadium and surroundings.
And this isn’t just another international NFL game.
The Melbourne kickoff is unlike what these players normally experience.
That’s why the first quarter could be particularly important.
If the Rams come out sharp, their strategy could immediately look brilliant.
If they look sluggish, the questions will begin.
The Rams Still Have the Talent Advantage
Of course, we shouldn’t pretend travel is going to suddenly turn San Francisco into the better football team.
The Rams have serious firepower.
Stafford is coming off an MVP season in which he threw for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns, according to reporting ahead of the matchup. He also has an unusually familiar group around him, with the Rams retaining their six wide receivers from last season’s 53-man roster.
Then there’s Davante Adams.
Puka Nacua.
And a defense that now includes Myles Garrett.
Garrett is one of the biggest offseason additions in the entire NFL. The former Defensive Player of the Year gives Los Angeles a pass-rushing threat capable of completely changing how an opposing offense approaches a game.
Aaron Donald is also back from retirement, although he will not play in Melbourne.
That’s an enormous amount of talent.
And Sean McVay has already demonstrated that he knows how to prepare teams for international games.
So the 49ers aren’t walking into this matchup with an obvious talent advantage.
They’re walking in with a preparation advantage.
George Kittle Could Be Another X-Factor
There is another reason San Francisco shouldn’t be overlooked.
George Kittle is back.
The veteran tight end has spent months recovering from an Achilles injury and is expected to play in the opener. His return gives Purdy another major weapon and gives the 49ers an important piece of their offensive identity.
The 49ers also have Christian McCaffrey, one of the most versatile offensive weapons in football.
And the addition of Mike Evans gives San Francisco another major target. Kittle has already suggested that Evans’ presence could create more opportunities for everyone else on the offense.
That could become important against a Rams defense that will be trying to unleash Garrett.
If San Francisco can establish McCaffrey early, use Kittle underneath and force Los Angeles to account for Evans on the outside, the 49ers could make this a completely different game than the betting line suggests.
This Game Could Tell Us More Than Who Wins
The most interesting thing about this matchup is that the result may tell us something about both teams beyond Week 1.
If the Rams win comfortably, their unconventional travel strategy will immediately look like a masterstroke.
McVay will have proven that his team didn’t need a week in Australia to perform at a high level.
But if the Rams struggle early, everyone will start questioning whether they underestimated the impact of the journey.
For San Francisco, a victory would be even more significant.
The 49ers have already shown that they believe preparation can overcome some of the advantages Los Angeles has on paper.
If they win, the conversation changes.
Suddenly, people will start wondering whether San Francisco is more dangerous than its preseason Super Bowl odds suggest.
My Prediction
I’m taking the 49ers to make this much closer than expected.
The Rams are the more complete team on paper, and Stafford gives Los Angeles an enormous advantage at quarterback. Garrett could also create serious problems for the 49ers’ offensive line.
But I don’t think the 49ers spent a week in Australia for nothing.
They’ve adjusted their sleep schedule.
They’ve practiced around the unusual kickoff time.
They’ve experienced the environment.
And they should enter the game knowing exactly what their bodies are going to feel like when the ball is kicked off.
That doesn’t guarantee victory.
But in a game this unusual, every little advantage matters.
I’m taking San Francisco to pull off the upset, 27–24.
The Rams may have the bigger names.
They may have the better Super Bowl odds.
They may even have the better overall roster.
But the 49ers have something Los Angeles doesn’t have on game day:
A full week of preparation for Australia.
And when two division rivals meet thousands of miles from home in the NFL’s most unusual season opener yet, that could be the difference.
