MELBOURNE, Australia \u2014 Getting jet-lagged from all the travel stories?<\/p>\n
The San Francisco 49ers\u2019 and Los Angeles Rams\u2019 opposite flight\/body clock strategies will be discussed long after kickoff Friday morning (Thursday night in the U.S.), and hey, maybe everyone will start flying luxury airliners and turning right around like the Rams. But let\u2019s focus on the game, which would give the 49ers a serious leg up on the Rams. And that brings us to a big mystery.<\/p>\n
How will the teams adapt to the stadium, the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground, which can fit 100,000 people? Particularly, how will the quarterbacks adapt?<\/p>\n
The stadium has an oval shape, suitable for cricket and Australian Rules Football but an odd fit for the American version. The 110-meter-long NFL field and goalposts were centered, so fans will be further from the action than in a typical NFL game \u2014 and quarterbacks might have a hard time with depth perception and sensing where the sidelines are.<\/p>\n
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is known for layering his passes \u2014 teammate George Kittle calls him \u201cBeefy five-layer burrito\u201d \u2014 and he is curious what the stadium will feel like as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously it is a big circle, and the field will be in the middle of that circle,\u201d Purdy said. \u201cHaving fans sort of further away compared to right up on the sideline \u2014 I don\u2019t know if that\u2019ll be a big impact for me or not, but yeah, that\u2019ll be different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Locals say the acoustics will be different than a usual NFL game, with delayed amplification from one side of the stadium to the other due to the shape.<\/p>\n
Purdy nodded and said he needs to \u201cunderstand the cadence that we have to be on, the noise and everything, handling that, the operation within the huddle, making sure guys can hear things. I\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to get pretty loud at times, which is cool. Those are fun environments to play in.\u201d<\/p>\n
NFL teams don\u2019t have stadium walk-throughs the day before international games; adjustments will happen early Friday morning in Melbourne, where kickoff is at 10:35 local time.<\/p>\n
This is the second American football match ever played at the MCG. Maybe the Rams and 49ers will lean on the run game, as the USS Minnesota and the USS Kentucky teams did in 1908.<\/p>\n
Other things to watch for:<\/p>\n
Matt Barrows’ guide to the animals of Australia<\/p>\n
Matt Barrows<\/p>\n
The Deebo effect<\/p>\n
Former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said he used to hate going against Deebo Samuel. And now the shoe is on the other foot, as Morris holds the same title with the 49ers and Samuel has returned to the team after a season with the Washington Commanders.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the ultimate piece that can move around,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n
The receiver will get carries in the run game against the Rams and is always dangerous on screen passes. The 49ers were lucky that a guy who knew the playbook and is loved by teammates \u2014 watch him go from position group to position group before practice \u2014 was available in the unemployment line when Ricky Pearsall needed knee surgery early in training camp.<\/p>\n
And did we mention Samuel has a chip on his shoulder?<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s probably in the best shape since I\u2019ve known him,\u201d left tackle Trent Williams said. \u201cHe has always been a dangerous player, but this is the first time he thinks people doubted his ability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two left guards better than one?<\/p>\n
The 49ers got a break when Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald decided his comeback can wait until after the 15-hour flights to and from Australia. It does seem the coaching staff backed off a little on pushing fifth-round rookie Carver Willis (who played tackle in college) into the starting lineup, and that perhaps he\u2019d rotate with second-year veteran Connor Colby. Or the 49ers might roll with Colby, who had a rough start to training camp but seemed to be getting most of the first-team work at the three practices here this week.<\/p>\n
The 49ers are confident in the four veterans on the rest of the offensive line, but they were a year ago, too. The unit started slow, as the team was 6-4 before winning six of the last seven games.<\/p>\n
Looking for rugby players<\/p>\n