San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams take completely different approaches to Australia travel ahead of Week 1 opener
Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are utitilizing different strategies for their season opener in Melbourne, Australia, and it has much of social media running wild.
The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are set to kick off in Australia soon. The two NFC West rivals have taken drastically different approaches to the 17-hour flight and the time change that comes with it. The 49ers left for Australia last Thursday night, arriving Friday local time, giving themselves a full week to adjust. The Rams? They’re leaving tonight, Sept. 8, trying to minimize the window for jet lag to set in before the season opener.
It’s a fascinating split in philosophy, and I don’t know if we’ve seen anything quite like it.
Kyle Shanahan likes where San Francisco stands
The 49ers committed to the early-arrival approach, prioritizing time on the ground to let their bodies adjust and get comfortable in the game environment. San Francisco has had multiple practices on the actual field where the game will be played, and that kind of familiarity matters.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the travel and the comparison to the Rams’ approach. Shanahan said:
“I mean, I’m not comparing us to them, but yeah, I was glad that we did it our way. I mean, I know how it felt the last couple two days. So it’s a little different for a coach, you know, just toughening through how you use your mind for 3.5 hours, a little bit different than your body. But yeah, I’m glad that we’ve been out here because we feel really good today.”
Before a single snap has been played, I agree with how the 49ers have approached this. When you think about it rationally with athletes going through a 17-hour flight, spending a longer amount of time in a place gives you more time to adapt.
Also being able to practice on the actual game field multiple times before kickoff and getting truly acclimated into that setting is important. The 49ers are the ones capitalizing on that opportunity.
The Rams are betting on a quick turnaround
Los Angeles is taking the opposite route. The Rams are flying in late, spending as little time in Australia as possible, and essentially trying to go in, get a win, and get out. The logic makes some sense on the surface. Less time away from home, less disruption to routine, and maybe less opportunity for jet lag to creep in if you just power through it.
Sean McVay talked about the schedule and stated:
“It’s Tuesday night for you guys (players), but it would be the equivalent of Friday evening (for a Sunday game). Sleep through the night and then we’ll get there and we have kind of a rhythm. The most important thing to me is they (players) know that, hey, everything we do is what we think is best.”
It’s a good mindset, but I think there’s real risk in that approach with a flight this long. This isn’t a cross-country trip from L.A. to the East Coast.
It’s 17 hours in the air and a massive time difference. Will the Rams come out sluggish? Will San Francisco look fresh and ready to go, or will they be the ones who feel flat?
What to watch for on game day
Now, I want to be clear. The better team is probably going to win regardless of how either side handled the travel. But this is a unique situation, and I think we should be able to tell, at some point in the game, how the different approaches have impacted both teams. Maybe it shows right away, or maybe it reveals itself as the game wears on.
I know that nobody is thrilled about a divisional game being played in Australia. But it is what it is, and this is a huge game for both teams. Starting the season 1-0 in the NFC West is a big deal. Both the 49ers and the Rams could use a win here to set the tone.
We’ll see how it all plays out Thursday night, at 5:35 United States Pacific time. The Rams and 49ers however, they’ll be kicking off Friday at 10:35am Australia time.
