Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said at his press conference Thursday that he hopes his team never plays in Australia again, less than a week after a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne.
“We’re not playing in Australia ever again, I hope,” McVay said. “Not because it wasn’t a great atmosphere; that’ll get taken out of context.”
The opener was the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia. It drew 100,021 fans to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the seventh-largest regular-season crowd in league history.
San Francisco spent the week in Melbourne before the game. The Rams landed about 28 hours before kickoff and stayed on Pacific time during their short stay.
McVay and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan both played down the travel difference afterward.
The result was hard to explain away. San Francisco outgained Los Angeles 379-290 and went 7-of-12 on third down, while the Rams converted 2 of 9.
Matthew Stafford completed 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards with an interception. The reigning NFL MVP finished with a 61.2 passer rating and came up short on two fourth-down tries.
Kyren Williams scored the Rams’ only touchdown on a 5-yard run, which gave Los Angeles its lone lead at 7-3.
Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes for the 49ers. Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel each caught one.
Seven points was the fewest the Rams had scored in a regular-season game Stafford played in. The loss also ended a 42-game streak of double-digit scoring, which was the third-longest active run in the NFL.
The Rams entered the season as Super Bowl betting favorites after trading for Myles Garrett. Garrett had no tackles in his debut. He is now out four weeks after knee surgery.
A return trip may come regardless of McVay’s wishes.
The NFL has a multiyear agreement to play in Australia, though no future matchups are scheduled. The Rams are one of four teams with marketing rights there through the league’s Global Markets Program, along with the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles and Las Vegas Raiders.
For now, McVay wants the week erased.
“It’s almost like you try to do the ‘Men in Black’ thing where you say, ‘Hey, I don’t remember what happened. That was so long ago,'” McVay said.
Only four teams have started 0-2 and reached the Super Bowl. The 2007 New York Giants were the last.
The Giants are next. New York beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 in Week 1, with Jaxson Dart throwing for 230 yards and three touchdowns.
McVay is 4-0 against the Giants. The Rams lead the all-time series 30-17.
Los Angeles hosts New York at SoFi Stadium on Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET.
