McVay takes blame as 49ers rout Rams 27-7 in Melbourne

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 on Friday in Melbourne in the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia, with Rams head coach Sean McVay taking responsibility for a performance he described as humbling. The Rams led 7-3 early in the second quarter after Kyren Williams scored a five-yard rushing touchdown, but San Francisco answered with 24 unanswered points and shut Los Angeles out in the second half. Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes, going 25 of 34 for 205 yards with one interception, as the 49ers totaled 379 yards at 5.9 yards per play. Matthew Stafford completed 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards and an interception before Stetson Bennett replaced him late in the fourth quarter. McVay credited 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and said his team was outplayed in every facet. He said he did not do a good enough job getting the Rams ready to go, calling it a humbling day and adding that the loss would define the team only if it allowed that to happen. He also acknowledged missed opportunities where the game could have flipped. The lopsided result prompted speculation that the Rams' compressed travel schedule contributed to the defeat.