Rams vs 49ers chess match starting early – in the air: Monday Morning JB

Jarrett Bell has been covering the NFL for USA TODAY since 1993 and is a recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Bill Nunn Memorial Award for career achievement. He's been a member of Hall of Fame selection committee since 1997 and has voted on AP awards and Super Bowl MVP panels for more than 25 years. Each Monday during the 2026 season, he'll take you around the league as only he can.

How’s this for the game-within-a-game:

The San Francisco 49ers left for Melbourne, Australia, last Wednesday for their grand season opener, allowing roughly a week to adjust their body clocks and acclimate to the environment in the Land Down Under.

The Los Angeles Rams are still in California, set to take off Tuesday night for a 17-hour flight, arriving about 24 before kickoff.

“We felt like staying in our rhythm and routine and then traveling when we do,” Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters over the weekend. “The thinking in its simplest form is, what do we deem the best for our football players and for them to try to be at their best? There are different approaches and theories. But I do have a lot of…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/