49ers go Rams take a look at with flying colours — now comes the laborious half

Beating the runaway Tremendous Bowl favorites was the simple half.

It didn’t essentially must look as easy as Kyle Shanahan made it seem within the 49ers’ 27-7 stomping of the Rams to start their season in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday night time.

However it was completely the naked minimal.

Linebacker Fred Warner mentioned it felt like their opponents “withered away” as the sport went on, and who may very well be shocked given the Rams had spent 16 of the earlier 44 hours on a jet?

The 49ers, however, had been well-rested and well-acclimated and regarded prefer it. Boarding their aircraft residence 1-0 turned a non-negotiable with the emphasis they placed on this recreation.

They had been those who arrived a full week prematurely and so they’re additionally those who must absolutely re-adjust their physique clocks upon their arrival again in San Francisco Friday afternoon.

The true take a look at can be how they appear subsequent Sunday, again within the good, ole’ U.S. of A.

However even in case you had been to place an asterisk on their win down below towards a foe that outsmarted itself, Shanahan must be feeling fairly good about his probabilities on an excellent enjoying discipline.

It wasn’t simply that the Rams had been out of whack from the get-go, hardly resembling the workforce that got here one win wanting the Tremendous Bowl final season.

The 49ers performed with an authority that solely comes by way of familiarity, and never solely from spending the previous week embracing their environment on the opposite facet of the world.

Warner was again on the coronary heart of the protection for the primary time since Week 6 of final season, teaming up with Dre Greenlaw to drive a fumble that each one however iced the sport within the fourth quarter. Deebo Samuel was dynamic anytime he touched the ball, together with a kick return to midfield that arrange a scoring drive.

Nick Bosa was a menace within the backfield, lower than a yr since tearing his ACL. The truth that George Kittle suited up in any respect lower than 9 months after tearing his Achilles tendon was a feat in and of itself and his presence alone needed to convey a sure stage of consolation.

These had been the San Francisco 49ers we’ve come to know, and so they regarded each little bit of the workforce that went all the way in which to the Tremendous Bowl solely three years in the past.

It was virtually straightforward to miss that Christian McCaffrey solely touched the ball 15 occasions.

The Rams’ 5 losses final season had been determined by 17 complete factors. The 49ers beat them by 20 with out getting important contributions from both Kittle or McCaffrey.

Let’s be sincere: Even a neutered model of those Rams is best than most groups within the NFL.

Certain, Aaron Donald might need been the one Ram who wasn’t jet-lagged as a result of they left him again in Los Angeles, and Myles Garrett additionally mentioned he wasn’t at 100%.

However that was information to Trent Williams, who mentioned “it doesn’t matter what he’s going by way of, it’s nonetheless not a straightforward out” and nonetheless dominated the matchup of future Corridor-of-Famers, stopping Garrett from recording a single deal with or strain. For all of the questions surrounding the 49ers’ offensive line, Brock Purdy couldn’t have requested for higher safety. The Rams didn’t sack him as soon as.

Connor Colby, the winner of the competitors at left guard, opened lanes within the working recreation for McCaffrey and Kaelon Black, the uncommon rookie who seems to have earned Shanahan’s belief.

The third-round choose was the 49ers’ solely energetic working again in addition to McCaffrey and took probably the most handoffs on the workforce, carrying the ball 14 occasions for 65 yards. They could not want McCaffrey to steer the NFL in touches once more if their second-string again runs like that.

Kittle admitted afterward that he was “not in form, under no circumstances” in his first recreation since tearing his Achilles in January. No drawback. Purdy discovered a brand new favourite toy to play with in Mike Evans, who connected for six completions, together with one for a landing and three third-down conversions.

It stands to purpose that this was the actual model of the 49ers, even when they had been enjoying towards a bleary-eyed mirage that was removed from the perfect the Rams have to supply.

Now, they should present that they will replicate it below regular situations.