That was unexpected.

Coming into the season, all the talk was about the Los Angeles Rams. After making the NFC Championship last year, the Rams went out and added All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett to try to get over the hump. They were dubbed Super Bowl favorites entering the season with odds floating around +500, but Week 1 was a setback to say the least.

We all knew this game could get weird. International games are always a bit tricky, so I can’t even imagine playing overseas in Week 1. And the Rams flew from LA to Australia—a 15-hour journey—just 24 hours before kickoff. It was always a recipe for disaster, and disaster struck on Thursday.

The Rams didn’t just lose to the 49ers; they were absolutely dominated. Brock Purdy looked great, throwing for 205 yards and three touchdowns while his backfield averaged 5.2 yards per carry. Meanwhile, the Rams’ vaunted offense totaled just 290 yards and only scored seven points.

This was not the start to the season that Sean McVay and Co. were hoping for. So, the question is, should the Rams be worried about the rest of the season?

Why I’m Concerned

The most concerning part of the game for me for the Rams was the fact that their defensive line didn’t make much of an impact. Despite having Myles Garrett, Byron Young, and Kobie Turner all playing in this game, they totaled 10 pressures and zero sacks on 36 dropbacks for Purdy. I know Garrett wasn’t 100 percent and only played about two-thirds of their snaps, but there was just no push from LA’s defensive front.

And it wasn’t just against the pass that they couldn’t make much of an impact. They also struggled to stop the run (5.2 yards per carry). While LB Landman and S Speights underperformed, the DL bore primary responsibility.

Also, when was the last time Matthew Stafford looked this bad? From his first throw—nearly intercepted—Stafford looked uncomfortable, finishing 15-for-25, 155 yards, one pick. The Rams’ 7 points marked their lowest output in the Stafford era.

The 49ers’ defense is stout when healthy, yet Stafford threw for 569 yards, 7 TDs, and zero INTs against this same unit last year. Is he hurt, and they’re just not reporting it? Or was this just an off game? I don’t know.

Why I’m Not Concerned

The main reason I’m not concerned about the Rams is that this is still pretty clearly the best roster in the NFL. I know the result on Thursday doesn’t make it seem that way, but it is.

I know I just talked about Stafford’s struggles, but he’s still the reigning MVP. He didn’t just forget how to play football overnight. The 49ers have a very good defense when they’re completely healthy, and I blame a lot of the Rams’ offensive struggles on their travel plans. I still don’t understand why they flew out 24 hours before the start of the game…

Puka Nacua still looked pretty good, catching four passes for 74 yards. The run game wasn’t perfect, but it was still pretty strong, especially with Blake Corum, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry. The Rams also have a very deep tight end room and have four guys that can do a bunch of different things. There’s still a lot to like about this offense, there were just a lot of things working against them on Thursday against a very good defense.

The defensive line’s inability to get pressure on Brock Purdy is a major concern, but Myles Garrett was not 100 percent in this game, and without him on the field giving it his all, it’s very easy for opposing offensive lines to key in on stopping Byron Young and pretty much neutralizing their pass rush off the edge. Once Garrett is back to full strength, they should get a lot more pressure.

Even though the Rams got beat through the air quite often, it wasn’t because of their cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. McDuffie and Watson combined to allow 2 catches for 15 yards on 6 targets; McDuffie nearly intercepted a pass at the goal line. It was Quentin Lake who got picked on in the secondary, allowing seven receptions for 54 yards, but he did come down with a pick.

This roster is too talented to have too many more stinkers like this, so overall, I’m not too worried about the Rams. I’m more excited about the potential of the 49ers.

Are the Rams Still Super Bowl Favorites?

Should the Rams still be considered Super Bowl favorites? Honestly, yes. But maybe they shouldn’t be as heavy of favorites as they were.

As I just explained, this is still the best roster in the NFL, led by the reigning MVP with one of the best coaches in the sport leading the charge. They are going to win a lot of games and have a very good shot at being the 1-seed in the NFC, but there are quite a few other teams that should give the Rams a run for their money.

Right now, the Rams are +600 to win it all, with the next closest teams being the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens at +1000. I feel like it should be something like Rams (+750), Bills (+900), Ravens (+1000), or something along those lines. I’d even have the Texans, Seahawks, and Broncos up there around the +1100 mark.

Don’t worry, the Rams are still very good at football, but this should be a bit of a gut check for them.