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If the NFL returns to Australia, it would be mildly surprising if the Rams were part of it.
L.A.'s peculiar travel strategy drew attention before Thursday's game against the 49ers, as the Rams took a 15-hour flight that landed in Melbourne just a day before kickoff, resulting in about 35 hours on the ground compared to the 49ers' full week in Australia.
Whether or not the logistics played any role in the Rams' performance, the trip was not a success. The 49ers walked away with a decisive 27-7 win, dealing the preseason Super Bowl favorites a key divisional defeat right from the jump.
After the loss, fans took to social media to criticize the Rams' "in-and-out" travel strategy. Here's a look at the top reactions.
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Rams roasted for Australia travel plans
According to NFL Network's Peter Schrager, the Rams spent two years and sent 15 staffers abroad as they determined the best way to travel to and from Australia while keeping players in rhythm. They settled on a quick arrival and exit to keep players' body clocks as close as possible to where they were in the United States, while the 49ers arrived in Australia a week before the game to fully adjust by kickoff.
Whether the Rams would have been more competitive had they done what the 49ers did is something that can never be proven, but that didn't stop fans from roasting L.A. for its strategy:
the international date line hearing about the Rams' travel plans pic.twitter.com/3fPWkevCgW
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) September 11, 2026Imagine being the Rams staffers who were shipped back and forth like postcards for two years just so the team could sleepwalk through Game 1 https://t.co/QlPfpCdACU
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) September 11, 2026What time do the Rams arrive in Australia?
— Cousin Sal (@TheCousinSal) September 11, 2026where the Rams actually sent those 15 staffers https://t.co/4jAHRlClX3 pic.twitter.com/6H0nj29HYt
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) September 11, 2026I know the Rams put a ton of time & money into their decision to fly in the day before the game. I still don't think you can convince me this isn't the football gods' response to extreme hubris.
— Dave Helman (@davehelman_) September 11, 2026I think those 15 people the rams sent to Austria lied about how they felt
— Marty Mush (@martymush) September 11, 2026Here's more to know about the Rams' controversial travel strategy.
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Rams 'in-and-out' strategy for NFL Australia game
Everything about the Rams since Sean McVay became head coach has been methodical. That includes the logistics surrounding their trip to Australia, which evidently was a two-year process for the organization.
"This isn't some trial-and-error approach," Peter Schrager said Thursday. "They've sent 15 staffers over the last 2 years and have tracked their bodies and sleep rhythms."
The Rams landed in Melbourne at about 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, about 28 hours before the 8:35 p.m. ET (10:35 a.m. local time) kickoff. After the game, the Rams are flying right back to Los Angeles, making it a roughly 35-hour stay on Australian soil.
The 49ers approached the travel differently, flying to Australia a week before the game and landing on Sept. 4, local time, to allow themselves to fully adjust to the vastly different time zone. The 49ers will still have to readjust when they land back in the Bay Area, while the Rams might require less of an adjustment. A 1-0 record might make that adjustment a tad easier for San Francisco.
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