“Sometimes sports can humble you, and today was one of those days,” head coach Sean McVay said after the San Francisco 49ers humbled the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in Australia’s first NFL regular-season game. McVay wasn’t making an excuse. The writing is on the wall.

Whether it was their decision to land in Melbourne hours before kickoff, the Rams’ poor offensive performance, their inability to convert a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Matthew Stafford’s disappointing outing, Myles Garrett’s no-sack, no-tackle performance, or, most importantly, the 49ers outperforming the Rams in all three phases- offense, defense, and special teams- it’s safe to say that Los Angeles failed to live up to all the offseason hype they had built.

At the center of it, however, was reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. Not only did the quarterback fail on a quarterback sneak, but he also threw an interception. As that happened, NFL legend Asante Samuel called out the quarterback and admitted that he’s overrated.

“Call me a Matthew Stafford hater all y’all want, but I really, truly, and I have been saying this for years upon years…I know Matthew Stafford is overrated,” said Samuel on Say What Needs To Be Said. “He’s overrated. They can hype him up all they want. They can say the greatest things they want about him. I know his history. I know all about Matthew Stafford. And I’m not saying he’s an average player, but I don’t think he’s up there with the greats at quarterback.

“He makes way too many inconsistent plays for me. Like tonight, very inconsistent. That was a perfect Matthew Stafford type of game if things ain’t going his way and the 50-50 ball isn’t working, right? For example, he got away with throwing the ball up to Puka Nacua on a corner route for a 40-yard gain in the second quarter. It was one of his biggest gains of the game, and Puka Nacua was actually covered on that play.”

Stafford didn’t have a great start to the season. The quarterback went 4-of-11 for 65 yards and an interception in the first half. At the same time, he produced a 19.1 passer rating, while 41 of those 65 yards came on one completion to Puka Nacua.

By the time the game finished, Stafford completed 15-of-25 passes for only 155 yards, no touchdown passes, and one interception. Sean McVay eventually replaced him with Stetson Bennett with just over three minutes remaining. The 27-7 loss marked only the second time in Stafford’s last 85 starts that his team was held below 10 points.

Samuel, meanwhile, believes that Stafford heavily relies on his receivers and that’s what makes him a good quarterback, but not one of the greats in the league. Early in the second quarter, Stafford connected with Puka Nacua for a 41-yard gain, moving the Rams deep into 49ers territory.

However, he later targeted Nacua on a deep pass, but the 49ers cornerback Renardo Green intercepted it. The sequence was particularly damaging because the Rams had just received the ball after Quentin Lake intercepted Brock Purdy. Instead of capitalizing on the takeaway, Stafford gave possession straight back when Green intercepted his pass intended for Nacua.

“He throws the 50/50 balls,” Samuel added. “So, he threw up the 50-50 ball, and it worked. Puka just made a good play. There was nothing special about what Matthew Stafford did. Then Matthew Stafford turns around and tries to complete the same pass to Puka Nacua again, and it’s intercepted. It was intercepted. That’s who Matthew Stafford is, ladies and gentlemen. That’s who he is. There is nothing special about what Matthew Stafford does.

“He can make some good reads and some good plays from time to time, but on a consistent basis, over and over, when it’s time to win and time to lead the team, lead the offense, and things like that, Matthew Stafford needs receivers that he’s able to throw to and get 50/50 balls to. That’s what Matthew Stafford needs. Matthew Stafford needs receivers that he is able to throw 50/50 balls to. Point blank, period.”

The criticism wasn’t just about the interception. Los Angeles finished with 290 total yards, while the 49ers tallied 379 yards. The Rams converted only 2-of-9 third downs, compared with San Francisco’s 6-of-14 mark. LA was also 0-for-2 on fourth down.

Meanwhile, the Rams had an opportunity to gain momentum while trailing early in the third quarter. The Rams drove 72 yards on 12 plays, taking more than seven minutes off the clock. They eventually reached the 49ers’ goal line. On third down, Stafford threw to Nacua, who was stopped just short of the end zone. Then, on fourth-and-goal, Stafford attempted a quarterback sneak, but ultimately failed.

That certainly raised a question: why would the Rams try a quarterback sneak with Matthew Stafford, when he had clearly struggled in the past? For broader context, Stafford is 38. He attempted two QB sneaks last year and failed both times. At the same time, he didn’t gain a single rushing first down throughout the 2025 regular season.

According to Sean McVay, that failed quarterback sneak shifted the momentum.

“We didn’t play well enough. Obviously, never got into a rhythm. Only had probably two good drives, to be honest with you, the entire day,” said Stafford after the game. “One of them ends up on a touchdown; next we get to the 1-yard line, don’t get in. So not enough good stuff on offense.”

However, Samuel’s “Stafford needs 50-50 receivers” argument needs some qualification. Stafford has certainly developed a reputation for throwing aggressively into tight windows and trusting elite receivers to make difficult catches. But the idea that he needs 50-50 receivers isn’t really supported by his career production.

The quarterback finished the 2025 season with 4,707 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, and just 8 interceptions, with a passer rating of 109.2. Those numbers came over 17 games and represented one of the best seasons of his career, earning him his first MVP nod.

So, while it’s true that Stafford and the Rams failed against the 49ers, it’s safe to say that the Rams’ problems weren’t solely Stafford’s fault. That said, LA will now host the New York Giants in its home opener in Week 2. Certainly, they would like to avoid a 0-2 start to the season.