Purdy's three scores and Evans' debut carry 49ers, but Tonges MCL looms

Brock Purdy and Mike Evans gave San Francisco the kind of opening-night tape coaches want to keep. Jake Tonges' knee gave the front office the kind of update it hoped to avoid.

The 49ers still beat the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in Melbourne in the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia, but the tight end room is already under a cloud heading into a Week 2 home date with Miami.

Purdy completed 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns, according to NBC Sports Bay Area ? connecting with Demarcus Robinson, Evans, and Deebo Samuel. Evans caught six passes for 49 yards in his San Francisco debut and scored his first touchdown with the club on a 2-yard grab that made it 17-7 early in the third.

Samuel added a 15-yard touchdown early in the fourth. Christian McCaffrey ran for 68 yards on 10 carries, and rookie Kaelon Black chipped in 65 on 14 in his first NFL game.

Tonges injury reframes the TE picture

Tonges left the win with a knee injury. Kyle Shanahan's postgame description was blunt: it was not good, it was not an ACL, and he believed it was the MCL, with additional issues still being sorted out. Fuller testing is expected after the team returns from Australia. Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk wrote that Shanahan's tone suggested significant time away.

That matters because Tonges is no longer a depth footnote. With the club since 2023, he spent 2024 mostly on special teams before a larger offensive role in 2025 while George Kittle dealt with injuries ? 34 receptions, 293 yards, and five touchdowns.

This offseason he signed a two-year, $8 million contract. If he is sidelined for any stretch, San Francisco leans harder on Kittle and whatever next-man-up options the roster can sustain across a long season.

Kittle, for his part, celebrated the Melbourne atmosphere and the value of beating a division opponent; the locker room's joy over the result will sit next to a medical timeline that is still incomplete.

Evans arrives on cue

Evans' debut timing could hardly have been better. NBC Sports Bay Area noted he converted five third downs in the first 35 minutes and won a contested 2-yard touchdown over cornerback Jaylen Watson. With Purdy looking comfortable distributing the ball ?

Robinson's 39-yard score before halftime flipped a 7-7 game into a 10-7 lead ? the new receiver gave San Francisco a red-zone and intermediate option that showed up immediately.

The supporting defense made the margin look larger than a one-score game for much of the night. Matthew Stafford, the reigning MVP, went 15 of 25 for 155 yards with one interception and no touchdowns before he was pulled late in the fourth, Reuters reported. Renardo Green intercepted a pass intended for Puka Nacua.

Late in the third, the 49ers denied Nacua and a Stafford sneak on consecutive goal-line plays. Myles Garrett, last season's Defensive Player of the Year after 23 sacks with Cleveland, called it the worst version of himself and cited offseason knee trouble after a night with little production.

Landmark stage, familiar next step

Reuters put the Melbourne Cricket Ground crowd at 100,021 ? the seventh-largest regular-season NFL attendance and second among international games behind the 49ers-Cardinals Azteca crowd of 103,467 in 2005. San Francisco had been in Australia a week; the Rams arrived a day before kickoff. McVay defended the Rams' preparation after the loss and said the night was humbling. Shanahan moved to 12-7 against McVay.

Eddy Pineiro's first-quarter field goal opened the scoring. Kyren Williams' 5-yard run after Stafford's 41-yard strike to Nacua briefly put Los Angeles ahead. From Robinson's answer onward, San Francisco dictated.

The 1-0 49ers now get a long break before hosting the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Levi's Stadium ? time to sort Tonges' MCL picture, settle Evans into the weekly plan, and turn an overseas opener into a home-standing Week 2.

Sources

NBC Sports

NBC Sports Bay Area

Reuters