Week of September 7, 2026
4 stories
Season recap, September 7 - 13, 2026: the biggest stories of the week, curated from the original reporting. Not a complete daily record.
Associated PressArticle
The 49ers opened the season by dominating the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of 100,021 fans, the seventh-largest regular-season crowd in NFL history. Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes to Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel while the defense shut the Rams out over the final three quarters after a 10-7 halftime lead. San Francisco arrived in Melbourne a week early to adjust to the time zone while the Rams landed just 28 hours before kickoff.
Pro Football NewsArticle
Starting defensive tackle Alfred Collins tore his patellar tendon during a practice in Melbourne on September 8, just days before the opener, and will miss the entire 2026 season. The second-year defender out of Texas had earned the starting nose tackle role after a strong rookie campaign. The injury left an already thin defensive line without its anchor, with Sam Okuayinonu also sidelined by a foot injury.
NBC Sports Bay AreaArticle
With Collins and Okuayinonu out, rookies Gracen Halton, Romello Height and James Thompson saw significant snaps in the opener and drew praise from Kyle Shanahan. Halton played 31 defensive snaps despite coming back from a high ankle, while Height logged 30 and Thompson added 21. Linebacker Jaden Dugger also impressed in 34 defensive plays, which Shanahan called his best game yet after heavy preseason use.
ReutersArticle
The Rams' strategy of arriving in Australia only the day before the game came under immediate scrutiny after their 27-7 thrashing, with coach Sean McVay defending the preparation while admitting his team was outclassed. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL MVP, finished with no touchdowns, an interception and a 61.2 passer rating before being pulled late. The 49ers improved to 1-0 with their extended dominance of McVay continuing in the NFC West rivalry.
