By the way the Week 1 schedule was set up, we can say the NFL Kickoff had two distinct parts.
First came the season opener in Seattle. The defending champion Seahawks had to grind through a difficult game, but they found a way to win. Then came the NFL’s arrival in Australia, where the 49ers earned a convincing victory over the Rams. More importantly, the league’s debut in Oceania was a success, highlighted by one of the largest crowds in NFL history.
Seahawks Adjusted and Found a Way
Just minutes into Wednesday’s game, the Seahawks were forced to turn to Drew Lock after Sam Darnold suffered a hip injury. The quarterback change put Seattle in a difficult spot, but the team adapted. Lock avoided costly mistakes and delivered when he needed to.
In fact, the Seahawks’ only touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a 4th-and-1. Lock connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who attacked the open space and turned the play into a brilliant 45-yard touchdown.
Despite the adversity, Seattle remained logical in its offensive approach: eight of Lock’s 16 completions went to JSN, who finished with 122 receiving yards. Get the ball to your best player. That’s usually a good place to start.
The Patriots’ Costly Mistakes
For nearly three quarters, New England appeared to have control of the game, building a 10-0 lead midway through the third quarter. The momentum, however, shifted in the fourth when Drake Maye threw his first interception.
On the following possession, the Seahawks tied the game with the Smith-Njigba play mentioned above.
Maye immediately threw his second interception on a rushed pass into an area occupied by three Seattle defenders. The Seahawks capitalized with a Jason Myers field goal.
On their final opportunity, a drive that lasted more than five minutes ended with Maye’s third interception. Another poorly executed play, particularly because the quarterback threw off his back foot and appeared to force the pass. Josh Jobe came down with the ball in the end zone, securing the victory for the Seahawks.
A Complete Performance by the 49ers in Australia
A strong first half followed by a dominant second half.
San Francisco earned a convincing victory through a solid mix of play calls, creating space and attacking favorable matchups. The 49ers also scored touchdowns after Matthew Stafford’s first-half interception and after stopping a QB sneak on 4th-and-Goal in the second half.
Brock Purdy, Mike Evans and Fred Warner stood out.
The quarterback distributed the ball calmly, completing 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards, while also showing the ability to make plays outside the pocket. The result: three touchdown passes.
Evans had a solid debut, catching six passes for 49 yards and making an impact on difficult plays. He won a one-on-one matchup against Jaylen Watson that resulted in a touchdown.
Warner, meanwhile, was intense and consistently in the right place. His forced fumble in the fourth quarter was particularly impressive, as he ripped the ball away from Tyler Higbee.
The Rams Leave With Plenty of Questions
It wasn’t just the loss. It was a difficult landing for the Rams.
They entered the season with what many consider the NFL’s best roster, but their first game was sluggish and they were outplayed tactically, limiting their offensive production.
Matthew Stafford’s interception illustrated a subdued performance from the reigning MVP, who finished with just 15 completions for 155 yards. The Rams also converted only 2 of 9 third downs, another key factor in their disappointing performance.
Myles Garrett’s debut, meanwhile, was largely uneventful.
The star pass rusher was contained throughout the game, finishing without a tackle or a sack. He also lost several individual matchups against Trent Williams.
After the game, Garrett said he was not 100% recovered from his injured knee. That could help explain his limited presence in the second half. He played only 62% of the defensive snaps, or 40 plays.
For perspective, he played 82% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps in his final season with the Browns.
A Successful NFL Debut in Australia
Despite the unusual kickoff time — 10:35 a.m. local time in Melbourne — the Melbourne Cricket Ground was packed, with 100,021 fans in attendance.
That became the seventh-largest crowd for an NFL regular-season game in league history. Among International Series games, it ranks second only to the NFL’s first game in Mexico in 2005, which drew 103,467 fans.
Beyond the matchup between the 49ers and Rams and everything that happened on the field, the NFL’s first trip to Australia appeared to be a success, with a strong response from the local crowd.
The league has now laid the groundwork for its next two seasons in Australia, which will continue to host games. If the response remains strong, the country could eventually become a permanent destination within the NFL’s international expansion throughout this decade.
You can read the Spanish version of this article: Las señales que dejó el Kickoff y el juego en Australia
