The 49ers make their case as a contender with season-opening 27-7 win over the Rams‎

In the nearly seven months since the San Francisco 49ers last played a game that counted, they watched the Seattle Seahawks celebrate a Super Bowl win in the Niners' home locker room and the Los Angeles Rams get all the hype after an offseason that featured the addition of Myles Garrett. While San Francisco's NFC West rivals may have gotten lots of the hype, the Niners showed that they might also belong on the short list of Super Bowl contenders after beating the Rams 27-7 in the season opener in Australia. Much of the attention leading up to the game was focused on the Rams' decision to arrive in Australia on Thursday, about 24 hours before kickoff, but the 49ers enjoyed their weeklong stay Down Under and came out with the win.