‘I Overreacted To How Good The Rams Could Be’ — Former NFL Veteran Forced to Swallow His Words as 49ers Dominate In Down Under Showdown
‘I Overreacted To How Good The Rams Could Be’ — Former NFL Veteran Forced to Swallow His Words as 49ers Dominate In Down Under Showdown
Abhilasha Aditi Fri, September 11, 2026 at 2:07 PM UTC
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San Francisco 49ers players.
The first NFL game in Australia produced more than a historic setting for the league. It also gave the San Francisco 49ers an early chance to establish themselves in the NFC West while forcing a reconsideration of preseason expectations for the Los Angeles Rams.
For former NFL linebacker Will Compton, the result meant acknowledging that his read on the Rams may have been too optimistic.
Will Compton Admits He ‘Overreacted’ After 49ers Rout Rams 27-7
Compton did not wait long to reassess his prediction following San Francisco’s 27-7 victory over Los Angeles at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The former NFL veteran wrote on X, “I’ll just go ahead and say it: I overreacted to how good the Rams could be this year.”
Compton’s admission came after a matchup in which the 49ers controlled the game for long stretches and left the Rams searching for answers on both sides of the ball.
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The result was particularly striking because Los Angeles entered the season with considerable expectations. San Francisco, however, looked better prepared for the unusual circumstances surrounding the international opener. The 49ers arrived in Melbourne a week ahead of the game to adjust to the time difference, while the Rams started their travel roughly 28 hours before kickoff.
The preparation gap became an important part of the postgame discussion as San Francisco steadily pulled away after the Rams briefly took the lead.
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Brock Purdy guided the 49ers’ offense with 205 passing yards and three touchdowns, while San Francisco’s rushing attack added 174 yards. Christian McCaffrey contributed 68 rushing yards on 10 carries, and rookie Kaelon Black added 65 yards on 14 attempts.
Los Angeles struggled to create the same rhythm. Matthew Stafford finished with 155 passing yards and an interception, while the 49ers’ defense stopped a fourth-and-goal quarterback sneak at the 1-yard line in the third quarter.
Myles Garrett, who ranked first on PFN’s EDGE Impact Metric last season, the Rams’ major offseason addition on defense, was also held without a sack, tackle, or quarterback hit in his Los Angeles debut.
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Fred Warner later described the Rams as appearing to “wither away” as the game progressed, a fitting assessment of how the game developed after halftime.
“I think it was definitely a matter of us feeling like we got stronger as the game went on,” Warner said. “The opposing team, it felt like they withered away.”
The game drew 100,021 fans to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the NFL’s first regular-season contest in Australia, with the Jonas Brothers performing at halftime. Yet for Compton, the lasting takeaway was more about the football itself.
The 49ers’ convincing win gave him reason to reconsider just how strong he expects the Rams to be in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Source: “AOL Sports”
