49ers vs. Rams preview Week 1
Here's everything you need to know when the San Francisco 49ers play the Los Angeles Rams Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
Video Transcript
I don't know if you can feel the energy already in the building, man, but it's gonna be a great one.
That's not NFL beef.
This is NFL beef.
San Francisco 49ers may not come from the land Down Under, but that's where they're going to open up 2026, ready to squabble up with the team their faithful love to hate.
Hell, yeah.
Remember who the you are.
They meet up with the LA Rams where the beer does flow, women apparently glow, and the men plunder and chunder, eager to make an early statement that they are, in fact, Super Bowl faves.
May snack on a Vegemite sandwich while they're at it.
Don't let them off the hook.
We finished the job.
There's no coincidences.
Let's go.
Welcome to week one.
I'm game preview guy, same as I was 10 years ago.
Amazing how time flies and how, a decade later, I have to clarify, I'm only human, of flesh and blood I'm made.
There, AI couldn't carry a tune like me.
Last year's numbers only sort of matter contextually.
Better to just lay out key storylines you can watch for in the opening bout of this NFC West contest.
Today there's no choice.
Starting with the Rams new look front four, which will feature at least one future Hall of Famer, maybe two.
There's no one who can stop him, period.
He's unblockable.
Look, this preview went up September 2nd and Sean McVay wasn't committing to Aaron Donald making his debut in Australia week one.
Wasn't not committing either.
You're all smart fans.
You get why everybody would be excited or fascinated if he plays.
He can rush inside, outside, left side, right side.
You know, he has every move in his arsenal.
No matter what, the other half of their defensive dynamic duo will debut as a Ram.
Myles Garrett just broke the single-season sack record, then gets let out of jail, traded out of Cleveland to the Rams in a blockbuster.
And who is it?
None other than Myles Garrett.
So how good does LA's defense look with at least him in the lineup?
There it is.
Myles Garrett has five sacks today.
The front four San Francisco's O-line is having to try and slow is stacked.
Kobe Turner in the middle, coming off a seven-sack year.
Kobe, the conductor, breaks the sack drought.
Brayden Fisk by his side, and Byron Young across from Garrett, coming off a 12-sack campaign.
It's as fearsome a foursome as you'll find.
Here it's the Rams making plays, as Byron Young gets home for the sack.
Garrett isn't the only superstar debuting with a new team.
Key storyline number two, Mike Evans playing his first game with a Niners helmet on.
I think the ball got away from Mike Evans.
Watch this.
He has to take it back, away from Kobe Bryant.
He was dealing with a tight groin ahead of the game, was expected to play, but track his status.
Assuming he's a go, Brock Purdy's newest option is a huge red zone target.
Mike Evans, touchdown Tampa Bay.
Second-round pick Dejon Stribling.
I can't wait to see him get in the end zone, 'cause I'm gonna call it the Strib Club.
There seems to be a good chance George Kittle will have made it all the way back from his injury to play week one.
And hear that squeaky bike?
Yep, Deebo's back.
Samuel making his 49ers encore appearance, as it were.
Deebo fights for it.
What an effort.
Deebo into the end zone.
In at number three, with Evans in the fold, will San Francisco's offense still be as CMC heavy as it was last year?
He somersaults into the end zone.
He was handed the ball 311 times in 2025, over 1,200 rush yards.
Not once, not twice, but thrice for McCaffrey.
Caught over 100 passes for 900-plus receiving yards.
And he's got it.
McCaffrey caught it.
Will it be foot on the McCaffrey gas pedal all game long, or will they ease off some?
Check is to the five, still on his feet.
Into the end zone.
Matthew Stafford, our fourth storyline, led the NFL in touchdowns with 46.
MVP, MVP, MVP.
Won the MVP, has a few more gray hairs.
Does his age show at all, or is he gonna show age is just a number and start hot?
Throws left.
It's Kyren Williams.
Yeah, yeah.
He walks in for a receiving touchdown.
Stafford's fave target takes storyline number five.
Puka Nacua, 16 games, over 1,700 yards.
I live, boy .
I live, boy.
He doesn't miss that one game, he probably woulda taken the receiving yards title from JSN.
What's up?
What's up?
50-plus more targets than Davante Adams saw.
Is their pizza pie gonna be heavy with Puka shells again?
Best in the world, brother.
Best in the world.
Don't you ever forget that one, too.
Ain't nobody better than you, boy.
Put it on tape today.
Love you, love you, dog.
He and Adams are a Mario/Luigi-level duo.
They will test San Francisco's secondary.
When he wasn't chowing tacos in his living room last year, he was catching TDs.
He led the NFL in receiving scores.
One of them days.
Show up.
One of them days.
Hey, if they put a safety on you, you kill a man with a sledgehammer.
Bam.
Stafford's O-line gave him plenty of time last year.
He wasn't sacked much.
I love it.
I love it.
Primary guy he'll be watching for out of the corner of his eye in this one, Nick Bosa.
Pocket collapsing, down he goes.
Nick Bosa.
Assuming he plays, as he comes back from that torn ACL that cost him most of last year.
49ers pass rush had as many teeth as Mr. Herbert without him.
Does Bosa look the same pre-injury?
Are the Niners able to turn up the heat on Stafford with him back in the fold?
His return checks in as storyline number six.
The 49ers have it.
It's Bosa.
Lucky number seven, the guys behind Bosa at linebacker.
Former Niner Dre Greenlaw missed the Bay Area.
He's back after a stint in Denver, and he'll be back next to Fred Warner.
You know how we coming out.
Ha.
You know we strike this .
We tattoo on they ass the whole game.
Who is returning after that broken ankle.
Will he be back looking as good as usual, or will there be some rust?
Fred Warner- He's just set the new San Francisco record for forced fumbles They will test themselves against a nice running back duo.
In at the eight spot, LA's Blake Corum, over 700 yards, over five yards per carry last year.
Uh-huh.
Run up the field, see what happens.
Run up the field, see what happens.
Kyren Williams, close to five a pop, over 1200 yards, 16 TDs between the two.
A go-ahead touchdown for the Rams!
Number nine, number nine, number nine, BCB.
He missed a few games due to injury a year ago, only played in nine.
Brock is gonna keep it.
Brock is to the end zone!
Niners need Purdy's play to match his salary, not only in this game, but all year long.
What kind of start does he get off to?
Deep ball, and there's Robinson!
Touchdown!
Purdy will not only have to perform with that front chasing him around, he has to beat LA's new look secondary.
Our final storyline to make it into our 10, Jalen Watson, former Chief.
In the end zone.
It's gonna be intercepted!
Intercepted by Jalen Watson.
And his teammate, Trent McDuffie, who was also part of a huge trade, making their LA debuts.
Both guys showed out well for Kansas City in 2025.
McDuffie is expected to make it hard for Evans and company to get open.
This is a pick, going the other way, and it's McDuffie.
Thursday night game, perfect time to Netflix and chill and watch some NFL.
Great job, man.
Proud of you guys.
Man.
What else are you watching for?
You complete me.
So take to the comments section and expand on all of this.
Niners O-line, their secondary maybe.
Rams tight ends maybe.
Plenty more that can be touched on.
Niners hold a 79 to 72 advantage over the Rams.
Three ties in there.
Before we close things out with our retooled picks panel, let's take a moment to soak in a little of the greatest NFL voice in history as he retells a San Francisco-LA nail-biter from back in 1982.
Going into the final game of 1982, the strike-shortened season had been agonizingly long to the one-and-seven Rams.
Facing the Super Bowl champion 49ers, Los Angeles had one last chance to regain some of the pride that had been surrendered with each defeat.
But just as the Rams had done to other teams, they spotted the 49ers a big halftime lead.
Los Angeles had nothing to play for except its self-respect, but sometimes that can be the greatest inspiration of all.
Wide to the left, Denard.
Wide to the right, George Farmer, back split.
Wendell Tyler and Goodman.
Tyler to the right side.
Second and two, back to throw Ferragamo.
Looking, going deep and down the middle.
He's going for Farmer.
He's there.
Touchdown!
The Rams went on top, 21-20, late in the game.
But like everything else in 1982, nothing was going to come easy as the 49ers set up for the winning field goal.
The blocked kick meant much more to the Rams than just a final game win.
