Tom Brady doesn't seem to have much sympathy for the idea that travel affected a Week 1 contest between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. Two contrasting travel itineraries have sparked conversations after the 49ers pulled off a 27-7 upset over the Rams in Melbourne last week. Although the 49ers went to Australia a week in advance, the Rams arrived the day before the NFC West matchup.
Brady wouldn't blame the Rams' dud on jet lag. The seven-time Super Bowl champion shut down travel talk when answering a fan question about how he handled long flights during his playing career. "There's one thing I thought about all that was how much garbage people were talking about that stupid travel, this, that," Brady said in a Fox Sports video.
I don't give a (expletive) if you show up five minutes before the game, an hour before the game, a week before the game. When you show up and you walk out on the field, complete the passes, make the blocks, make the tackles. There's nothing more important than execution.
"Yeah, all the things may set up to better execution on game day. At the end of the day, go out there and play well. That's how I settle the debate." The Rams didn't play well in Australia.
Matthew Stafford followed an MVP campaign by tallying 155 passing yards and an interception, and the defense allowed three Brock Purdy touchdowns before losing Myles Garrett to a knee injury. Neither team credited or blamed travel for the Week 1 outcome, but Rams head coach Sean McVay is ready to turn the page with his team back in the United States. "It's almost like you try to do the 'Men in Black' thing where you say, 'Hey, I don't remember what happened.
That was so long ago,'" McVay said Thursday. "We're not playing in Australia ever again, I hope."
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