MELBOURNE, Australia - Brock Purdy treated the Melbourne Cricket Ground like another road opener.
The 49ers quarterback completed 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns with one interception Friday in the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia, and San Francisco beat the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 before 100,021 fans, the Associated Press reported. Touchdowns went to Demarcus Robinson, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel. ESPN's box matches the 25-of-34, 205-yard, three-score line and a 105.6 passer rating.
Purdy was not sacked.
Kyren Williams scored the first Australian NFL touchdown on a 5-yard run early in the second quarter for a 7-3 Rams lead. San Francisco answered with the next 24 points.
Three different targets
Robinson's 39-yard catch late in the second capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive and put the 49ers ahead 10-7 at half. Evans caught a 2-yard fade early in the third after Samuel's 45-yard kickoff return set up the possession. Samuel finished the scoring surge with a 15-yard touchdown that closed an 11-play, 99-yard march after the defense stuffed Matthew Stafford on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
Eddy Pineiro added field goals of 20 and 56 yards. Christian McCaffrey rushed 10 times for 68 yards; rookie Kaelon Black added 14 carries for 65. The 49ers finished with 174 rushing yards and 379 total, per CBS Sports.
Defense sets the floor
Stafford completed 15 of 25 for 155 yards with one interception in the AP account. The Rams managed 290 yards and did not score after Williams' early touchdown. Renardo Green intercepted Stafford in the second quarter.
Fred Warner forced a Tyler Higbee fumble that Keion White recovered, setting up Pineiro's 56-yard kick. Warner also finished with 11 tackles (5 solo, 6 assists) and passed Patrick Willis for the franchise career tackle lead, the club said.
