Based on the 49ers’ Thursday night smothering of the Rams, it appears San Francisco’s early-arrival approach worked better than the Rams’ blitz strategy. But Week 1 is only part of the equation. The Rams were surely thinking about recovering from the long trip, with the goal of being ready for the next game, against the Giants to close Week 2. And it doesn’t get easy after that. The Rams travel to Denver for a Sunday night game before playing in Philadelphia next Sunday afternoon. After that, it’s another Monday night game: against the Bills. The 49ers will have to fly home after fully acclimating to Australia and reacclimating to the United States. The Dolphins come to town in Week 2, followed by visits from the Cardinals and Broncos. In Week 5, the 49ers make their annual visit to the Seahawks. In many ways, Thursday night’s game is just the beginning. The fate of both teams from here after returning home will be shown a lot.
