WOODLAND HILLS—The Los Angeles Rams are preparing for their season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. The Rams will practice at their Woodland Hills facility on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before departing Wednesday, arriving in Australia only a day before the game. Kickoff is set for Friday, September 11 at 10:35 a.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time, which will air in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 10 at 5:35 p.m. PST.
After the game, the Rams plan to fly back to Los Angeles hoping their strategy will minimize jet lag for players and coaches. The 49ers opted for a completely different approach, sending the team to Australia more than a week before game day. This contrast sparked a debate among sports scientists, former scouts and fans.
Some health experts say the Rams could take the field feeling like it is a familiar late afternoon game back home, while others warn that the second day crash of jet lag is notoriously brutal and could work against players the morning after arrival. The NFL is watching closely, treating the matchup almost like a live experiment. As the league expands globally and schedules games farther from the United States, executives want to see whether the Rams’ in and out model can help players avoid losing a step on the field.
In an exclusive interview with Canyon News, Dr. Ilham Baronne, a family medicine physician at Cedars Sinai with more than three decades of clinical experience, weighed in on the debate. Dr. Baronne described both approaches as gambles but said the science favors San Francisco. “Both can be done, but it’s hard to know which will actually work better,” she said.
She noted that acclimation is the safer, lower risk strategy, while the Rams’ plan to outmaneuver their circadian rhythm leaves no room for error. She emphasized that the Rams’ timing has to be nearly flawless, since even one player having an off day or feeling too exhausted could throw off the entire strategy.
Her instinct is that the 49ers will simply be more energetic on game day. Since San Francisco can repeat the same slow acclimation process on the return trip, she doesn’t see the Rams’ riskier approach paying off in the long run.
By Milan Manesh