​Aug 6, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) during training camp at SAP Performance Facility. © Sergio Estrada-Imagn ImagesAll the talk heading into the San Francisco 49ers’ showdown against the Los Angeles Rams was about whose science would pay off in this early kickoff. Would the Niners come out on top after making the trip to Australia bright and early to get acclimated, or would LA’s take-it-easy approach pay off after making the trip much later?Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers had been in the country for a week, while the Rams arrived in Australia on Thursday morning, and the diametrically opposite approaches showed during the clash.Ed McCaffrey, the running back’s father, summarized the two teams’ differing approaches to the first NFL regular-season game in Australia after San Francisco came out on top.Christian McCaffrey’s Father Details Differing 49ers-Rams ApproachThe senior McCaffrey praised the 49ers’ approach to the clash against the Rams in Australia in a lengthy post on X.“The Niners showed up for Australia. The Rams flew in for a game. One week. One win. A whole lot of new mates. They didn’t just win Down Under. They won over Down Under. #FTTB: Faithful To The Bay & Now Faithful To The Bush,” McCaffrey wrote.According to the Associated Press, the 49ers’ clash against the Rams was the 7th most-attended regular-season game in league history (100,021).However, the Rams’ blockbuster addition, Myles Garrett, was ineffectual against the 49ers, and the league’s reigning MVP, Matthew Stafford, struggled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as last season’s most electric offense was shut down.During his postgame presser, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year summarized the Rams’ miserable Australian expedition.“We didn’t have much of an Australia experience,” Garrett said. “We came in, had the plan… we just didn’t execute on the field.”PREDICT THE NFL SEASON:PFN’s Free NFL Playoff PredictorAgainst the 49ers, the Rams scored their fewest ever points with Stafford under center.Last season, the Rams earned a PFN Offense Impact score of 90.2 (No. 1 in the NFL), but were thoroughly flat in Melbourne on Thursday. The preseason Super Bowl favorites will next face the New York Giants on the back foot on Monday, September 21.During his postgame news conference, Rams coach Sean McVay also acknowledged the 49ers’ superiority on both sides of the ball.“They outplayed us in every facet,” McVay said. “I didn’t do nearly a good enough job. This was a humbling day for us. This will only define us if we allow it. Sometimes sports can humble you, and today was one of those days. I make no excuses. Whether you want to say it was about travel, whatever, we just weren’t good enough in that window.”Meanwhile, McCaffrey, who had the most total touches in the league last season, got a breather ahead of the 49ers’ clash against the Miami Dolphins on