Los Angeles Rams linebacker Desjuan Johnson (94) takes the field before an NFL football game between the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Doug Benc)
Former Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko has criticized the Los Angeles Rams after their decision to arrive in Australia just before their Week 1 game backfired. The Rams lost 27-7 to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, while San Francisco had arrived a week earlier. Fehoko questioned the research behind Los Angeles’ travel plan, saying staff members could not represent the physical demands placed on NFL players.
The team sent 15 staff members to Australia and tracked their sleep and body data before deciding that arriving shortly before the game was the best option, according to Peter Schrager. “Not anyone wanted to mention that 15 regular Joe Shmos from HR don’t compare to Myles Garrett, Puka Nacua, & Matthew Stafford in body functionality?? Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL MVP, completed 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards and threw one interception. Myles Garrett, who joined the Rams after winning the 2025 AP Defensive Player of the Year award, also had a quiet debut. The 49ers, meanwhile, had Brock Purdy lead the offense with 205 passing yards and three touchdowns. But the 27-7 result has now given critics a clear reason to question whether the approach works for an entire NFL team.
“The Rams had 15 staffers travel to Australia for two years to get ‘data’ for this game,” Fehoko wrote on X. He stood by the decision and said the 49ers simply played better. “I don’t believe that’s why we didn’t play well enough, I really don’t,” McVay said after the game, according to ABC News. This is a humbling day for us,” he said.
The Rams spent two years studying how to handle the long trip to Australia. The Rams then landed in Melbourne about a day before kickoff. That plan looked very different from the 49ers’ approach. The Rams instead kept their usual routine in Los Angeles and traveled later. Fehoko did not think the two approaches could be compared so easily. He questioned whether data from staff members could tell the Rams enough about how star players would handle the trip. Fire whoever came up with this asap. His criticism came after the Rams struggled badly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He did not throw a touchdown and did not finish the game. San Francisco’s defense also kept the Rams from finding any rhythm for long stretches. Despite the result, Sean McVay did not say the late arrival was the reason for the defeat. “It’s easy in hindsight to be able to say it was a miss but those are responsibilities that I’ll take, and then you try to be able to look at it. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines McVay also accepted responsibility for the way his team performed. “First of all, congratulations to the 49ers. They outplayed us in every facet. I didn’t do nearly a good enough job. The Rams had reasons for trusting their plan. For Fehoko, the biggest issue is whether staff research can truly match what players such as Stafford, Nacua and Garrett experience. The Rams have defended their decision, but their first game in Australia has made that debate much harder to ignore. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
San Francisco arrived in Melbourne about a week before the game and had time to adjust to the time difference. The team had previously used a late arrival for its London game and had conducted its Australia research before making the decision.