The Los Angeles Rams are sticking to their plan for Week 1, despite criticism from many people suggesting it isn't the best strategy for the team. They'll face division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, in their season opener, and the game will take place far from California in East Melbourne, Australia. According to NFL Network's Taylor Bisciotti, the 49ers revealed they planned to get to Australia a week ahead of time, but the Rams have a much different plan.
Bisciotti reported that they'll arrive "in Melbourne 24 hours before their season opener," which definitely raised eyebrows with fans about the proximity between arrival time and kickoff time. However, ESPN's NFL insider, Adam Schefter recently appeared on Monday's "The Pat McAfee Show," where he provided a defense of the Rams' decision. "This is what the Rams have done for international games, I think, in Europe, too," Schefter said.
"I think they played the last time in London. They flew in the day before. They played the game, won the game, and flew right back home." More news: Cowboys Part Ways With 2-Time Super Bowl Champion After Preseason Finale "So they are of the mind that maybe you don't need to adjust, you don't do any adjusting, you just go in and play the game and come back and that's the best way to do it," he said.
According to Schefter, the 49ers have spoken to various individuals, including scientists and nutritionists, who believe it's best to get to Australia a week in advance of their game. Rams general manager Les Snead indicated on McAfee's show, "This is the same way we traveled when we went to London. ... We will see if it works in Australia." As one might expect, the Rams' decision wasn't one that everyone agrees with, due to it being such a long amount of travel to a different country and time zone.
"As someone who’s made the trip to Australia, are the Rams crazy?" a commenter replied to Bisciotti's X post. Another said, "I think the Rams are asking for it with that kind of time schedule." "As a lifelong 49er fan and someone who lived in Australia 🇦🇺 for 2 years back in the late 80’s, I hope this plan famously backfires. That’s a long flight and some of those Rams will not be acclimated," another commenter wrote.
Last season, the Rams played against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium where they won 35-7, suggesting that maybe they perform best in those circumstances. A flight from Los Angeles to London is typically a bit over 10 hours, while a flight from Los Angeles to Australia can take closer to 16 hours. As of this writing, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Rams favored by 3.5 points to win their game against the 49ers.
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