"As we make history with the NFL and bring the first regular season game to Australia, we are pleased to take our annual matchup against our NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers to the MCG," said Rams president Kevin Demoff in a statement. "Since we first secured marketing rights to the country in 2021 and more recently since the announcement of this game last year, we have seen tremendous excitement for our team from fans both in Australia and also across the world.
They had already beaten the Los Angeles Rams once in the regular season, in Charlotte, and this playoff game would be at the same stadium. The weather forecast looked crummy, working against the Rams, whose quarterback favored indoor conditions. Cam Newton and his big hat were going to show up before the game and pound the drum. Could this be a repeat of when the 7-9 Seahawks upset the Saints? Would there be another moment that matched the absolute euphoria of the Beast Quake?