The timing of the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams’ travel to Melbourne, Australia, was a hot-button topic heading into the team’s Week 1 battle.
Following San Francisco’s 27-7 rout of its division rivals, the travel debate did not slow down.
Mike Evans asked reporters, “When did they get out here?” regarding the Rams – who arrived in Australia just a day before the matchup – and responded “Oh, dang,” when he was given the answer by reporters.
“You’ve got to give your body time to adjust,” Evans said. “Obviously, whenever the game is scheduled, you’ve got to be ready to play but maybe a few days earlier would have been ideal. No matter what, we don’t care if they came a week or two weeks earlier. We had it on our mind to come out here and execute and we did that.”
Evans looked like a player whose body had adjusted as he finished with six receptions, 49 yards and a touchdown.
As for the 49ers, who arrived last week, Evans says the adjustment period paid off following the victory.
“It was definitely worth it coming a little bit early,” Evans said. “I feel like we got acclimated. [49ers strength and conditioning coach Dustin Perry] and Kyle did a great job of getting us here early and all of the guys, we attacked it. We didn’t complain. We actually enjoyed being out here in Melbourne.”
If it wasn’t already a good trip for the 49ers prior to the game, snagging a win to open the season made it all worthwhile.