​TOPSHOT – San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback #13 Brock Purdy (R) runs with the ball during the NFL match between Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on September 11, 2026. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP via Getty Images) / —IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE—AFP via Getty ImagesThe Los Angeles Rams came into the 2026 season with more pomp and circumstance than any NFL team in years.After falling short against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game in January, L.A. shored up the defense with standouts (Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie) and players of the year (Myles Garrett), and even coaxed future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald out of retirement.For a group that went 12-5 last year but was seconds away from the No. 1 seed, the moves seemed to solidify their Super Bowl bonafides. Betting markets installed them as the overwhelming favorite to win it all, and the word “superteam” was thrown around with regularity.And somehow, all of it already looks like a house of cards following the team’s embarrassing 27-7 loss to the rival San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.That’s not to court too much hyperbole. There’s still ample time to turn the season around and even win the Super Bowl following the loss. There’s also the possibility that Sean McVay’s team simply out-thought itself by arriving in Melbourne, Australia for the game nearly a week after the 49ers did (and a day before kickoff). And while the result for the week one game was poor, if the team winds up no worse for the wear the rest of the season – and on Monday Night Football next week – perhaps the early loss was just the cost of doing business.Regardless of how all of this turns out, though, it doesn’t make the Rams’ task any easier the rest of the way.Divisional ContextIf the Rams lose big against a random AFC team in Australia due in part to travel and sleep experimentation, it’s harmful but has limited impact on their road to the NFC’s top seed or the Super Bowl. Here, however, they’re already put behind the eight ball because it was a divisional game.By losing this “home” game to the Niners, L.A. now has to win on the road to make up that ground and equalize that head-to-head tiebreaker. The Rams are no strangers to winning up at Levi’s Stadium. They beat San Francisco there just last year, in a relatively one-sided 42-26 romp. And also won the previous two games in Santa Clara as well. But big losses create narratives to overcome, especially when favored to win the way Los Angeles was going into this season.To make matters worse for the Rams, the Seahawks also took care of business on Wednesday night to kick off the season, despite losing Sam Darnold to an injury early in the first quarter. Much like the Rams, Seattle’s offense sputtered early. But unlike L.A., its defense came through to secure the win against the Patriots despite running a paired-down offense with