Why the 49ers Will Need to Rely on Their Offense to Win Week 1

It's their only hope.

Aug 20, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Week 1 in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams is just around the corner for the San Francisco 49ers. They've already begun to acclimate to the weather and time change.

It won't be easy, but thankfully the 49ers flew out there a week early. They should be strong and acclimated by the time they take the field to play the Rams.

However, there's another facet they must acclimate to if they hope to beat the Rams. It's relying on their offense. That's the 49ers' only chance to win.

Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, and company need to lead the way if they want to win. There's no way the 49ers will win this game with their defense.

They have no pass rush. Just look at their defensive end depth. Behind Nick Bosa, there's no one. Sam Okuayinonu, who was recently hyped up, didn't fly to Australia with the team.

That means he won't play in Week 1, which hurts the depth. The other notable player is rookie Romello Height, who was supposed to complement Bosa but has been out with an injury.

There's no telling if he will suit up, and if he does, I doubt he will have any impact. He hasn't gotten enough reps under his belt to develop yet.

Speaking of Bosa, will he be as dominant as he looked before tearing his ACL? He barely returned to practice on Wednesday. He's probably still far from being 100 percent, for all anyone knows.

I wouldn't bank on him to be as impactful as he has been in the past, not in this game. That leaves Osa Odighizuwa as the only viable pass-rushing option.

Even then, he can only do so much from the interior. There will be a few moments where the pass rush looks sweet, but I'd be stunned if they play a major role.

Without an effective pass rush, it's going to leave the secondary and linebackers to lock down their coverage. It won't be easy against Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

And since Raheem Morris is installing a relatively new scheme, mistakes are likely. Plus, the 49ers don't have adequate safeties.

Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay will make it a point to attack them. Ji'Ayir Brown and Marques Sigle will need to have the game of their lives, which is unlikely.

The Rams will put up points. The only way the 49ers' defense can help is by generating turnovers. Even a few stalled drives will be incredible for them.

Everything will be on the offense to win this game. Anything less than 30 points feels like it will lead to a loss. Let's see if they can do it against Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald.