MELBOURNE, Australia - Brock Purdy did not need a mountain of yardage to put the San Francisco 49ers on the board in Week 1.
He completed 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in a 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia. The Associated Press reported a crowd of 100,021, listed as the seventh-largest regular-season attendance in league history. ESPN's box matches that line for Purdy and the final score.
Three different targets
San Francisco trailed 7-3 early in the second quarter after Kyren Williams' 5-yard touchdown run. Purdy answered late in the half, hitting Demarcus Robinson for a 39-yard score that capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive and sent the 49ers into halftime up 10-7.
The third quarter opened with Deebo Samuel's 45-yard kickoff return. Christian McCaffrey followed with consecutive runs of 14 and 16 yards, and Purdy found Mike Evans for a 2-yard touchdown that made it 17-7. Early in the fourth, Purdy finished an 11-play, 99-yard march with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Samuel, stretching the lead to 24-7. Eddy Pineiro later added a 56-yard field goal.
Robinson finished with two catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Evans had six receptions for 49 yards and a score on seven targets in his 49ers debut, per the club. Samuel added six catches for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Clean pocket, balanced ground game
San Francisco's offensive line did not allow a sack on Purdy's 34 dropbacks. Coach Kyle Shanahan, speaking after the game, credited the protection on the long throw to Robinson and said the line "did an unbelievable job."
McCaffrey carried 10 times for 68 yards. Rookie Kaelon Black added 14 carries for 65 yards in his regular-season debut. Purdy scrambled five times for 29 yards. The 49ers finished with 174 rushing yards and 379 yards of total offense while holding the ball for 33:50.
