George Kittle Says What Really Powered 49ers to 27-7 Victory Over Rams

These were the keys to victory.

Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) at press conference after the 2026 NFL Melbourne Game against the Los Angeles Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There was plenty to be optimistic about after the San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 27-7 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Ultimately, their preparation plan worked. The 49ers went Down Under a week early, and that preparation clearly translated onto the field. The Rams, meanwhile, traveled 15 or 16 hours on a flight and were expected to be fresh for the game. That’s pretty crazy to think about.

However, the 49ers executed their game plan near-perfectly against a team touted as one of the best in NFL history on paper. That said, it’s only Week 1, so there’s no reason to get carried away just yet.

George Kittle, who featured just eight months after tearing his Achilles, revealed exactly what he believes were the two keys to victory that propelled the 49ers to their win.

"I think we rushed for 175 and I don't think Brock got touched besides like a penalty on him," Kittle told the media after the game.

"One, that's a shout-out to the offensive line for holding it down. Our coaches and their game plan and our tight ends, full backs, running backs, and wide receivers on the chips kept their edges out of it.

"Yeah, football is a really hard sport and it doesn't honestly matter who you have lined up, you still have to go out there and execute every single snap and I just thought that our O-line and all the guys who were part of blocking for these two running [predominantly Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black] the ball, I think they did an excellent job."

Sep 9, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) at press conference at AAMI Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kittle is not wrong. Myles Garrett was completely neutralized, unable to generate consistent pressure, let alone record a sack. Trent Williams studied everything and put together one of the games of his life at 38 years old.

Garrett was the player everyone feared, understandably so given that he is one of the best pass rushers of all time. Yet he was virtually invisible throughout the game, and that deserves enormous credit to the 49ers' offensive line, an area I have been critical of in the past.

Christian McCaffrey rushed for 68 yards on 10 carries, while rookie Kaelon Black recorded 65 yards on 14 carries in his first career start. McCaffrey showed plenty of explosiveness, and his workload was well managed.

Deebo Samuel added a 12-yard run, which was another encouraging sign, while Brock Purdy scrambled for 18 yards, the longest run of the game.