The Los Angeles Rams lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night in Melbourne, 27-7. It was not the start that the Rams would have wanted heading into a season with high expectations. They will now have 10 days to prepare for the New York Giants on Monday Night Football next week. Here are the winners and losers from Week 1 for the Rams. 

Loser: EDGE Myles Garrett

It would be fair to put the entire Rams pass rush here, but given the expectations around Garrett, he lands here. For the first time in a game since 2018, Garrett was held without recording a pressure on the quarterback. There also seems to be some concern about the health of his knee. 

“I didn’t feel like I was the player I wanted to be and the player I’ve been before when I step onto that field,” said Garrett. 

If the Rams’ defense is going to hit its ceiling in 2026, they are going to need Garrett to be healthy. There now seem to be serious concerns about Garrett’s knee injury and what level he’s going to be able to play at this season.

Winner: S Quentin Lake

In another world, Quentin Lake might have changed the game against the 49ers. Right after the Rams scored a touchdown to take the lead, Lake intercepted Brock Purdy and seemed to shift the momentum heavily in the Rams’ favor.

Instead, Matthew Stafford threw an interception to give the ball right back to the 49ers. Nine plays later, Purdy hit Demarcus Robinson for a touchdown to give the 49ers a 10-7 lead and they didn’t look back. Lake continues to show that he is one of the more important players in the Rams’ secondary, but the offense unfortunately couldn’t take advantage of his turnover. 

Loser: DL Aaron Donald

When Aaron Donald opted to come out of retirement after two years, the thought was that he was joining a Rams team on the cusp of a Super Bowl. It’s very possible the Rams are still that team. However, losing 27-7 to the San Francisco 49ers to start the year is certainly concerning. 

It’s highly unlikely that Donald is having second thoughts. It’s a long season and at the end of the day, Thursday’s game against the 49ers is just one of 17. With that said, this team didn’t look like the one with Super Bowl expectations. 

Winner: RB Blake Corum

There wasn’t a lot to feel excited about when it came to the offensive side of the ball. Matthew Stafford and the passing game looked out of sync and lacked cohesiveness most of the afternoon. For a team that wanted to lean into 12 and 13 personnel, a tight end didn’t have a reception until the third quarter. 

If there was one silver lining on offense, it was Blake Corum. Corum had 10 carries for 54 yards. When the offense was at its best, Corum was picking up chunk gains in the run game. There were some questions about what the split between Corum and Kyren Williams would look like this season. If Week 1 was any indication, it could be very close to 50-50. Corum had 10 carries to Williams’ 11. 

Loser: Rams’ Travel Plans

One of the main talking points over the last week was the difference in travel plans between the Rams and 49ers. The 49ers arrived in Melbourne last week to adjust to the time change while the Rams arrived a little more than 24 hours before they were set to play. With how the Rams started, they didn’t help any notion that they wouldn’t be affected by jet lag. The Rams looked sluggish on both sides of the ball at times and simply weren’t as sharp and didn’t look as prepared as the 49ers. 

The Rams coaches and players may never admit how much the travel affected them. Had it been a close loss and the Rams played better, it may not have been discussed at all. However, following a blowout loss to a division opponent, it’s certainly worth discussing.

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