Sean McVay Defends Rams' Travel Plan After Blowout Loss to 49ers in NFL Australia Game

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay expressed doubt over his team's late arrival in Melbourne being the culprit behind their surprising 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.

Speaking to reporters following the Rams' uncharacteristic performance, McVay said, "I don't believe that that's why we didn't play well enough. I really don't. ... I'll always make decisions that I think are best for the football team. It's easy in hindsight to be able to say it was a miss, but those are responsibilities that I'll take."

The Ringer's Sheil Kapadia pointed out that the Rams' showing on Thursday was worse than any from last season by multiple metrics:

While the 49ers arrived in Melbourne a week ahead of the game, the Rams didn't land until the day before the game, calling into question whether jet lag played a legitimate role in their poor outing.

The Rams entered the season as the clear Super Bowl favorite, and they still are, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, at 6-1 odds.

In addition to bringing back a superstar cast that includes the reigning NFL MVP in quarterback Matthews Stafford, wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and running back Kyren Williams, the Rams made a few massive offseason additions as well.

Fresh off breaking the single-season sack record, Myles Garrett was traded to L.A. for Jared Verse and three draft picks.

The Rams also acquired one-time First Team All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, plus future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald came out of retirement.

Donald didn't play as he continues the ramp-up process after returning to the team, while Garrett was in and out of the game often, coming off knee swelling that impacted him during training camp.

All that is to say the Rams weren't truly at full strength on Thursday, which lends hope to fans of the team that they will improve significantly once they get healthier and more complete.

The Rams will also have the benefit of returning to more familiar surroundings when they host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 2.

Should the Rams' performance from Week 1 carry over, it might start to become a concern, but a better showing against the Giants would suggest that the loss to the Niners may have only been a blip on the radar.