Stephen A. Smith reveals bizarre reason he left 49ers out of his top 5 NFL teams

Loading video...

Matthew Couden

By Matthew Couden

Contributing Writer

See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.

The San Francisco 49ers surprised the Los Angeles Rams and many people who expected them to lose in their season-opening game in Melbourne, Australia.

Brock Purdy led his team to a 27-7 victory, in what some felt was an early statement about how fierce the competition will be in the NFC West. Purdy completed 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns, with the Rams failing to perform on both sides of the ball.

The 49ers had 23 first downs, including converting 7 of 12 third downs, and finished with 379 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, reigning MVP Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense struggled to do much of anything, finishing with a paltry 128 passing yards and one rushing touchdown.

Read More on NFL

While many came away impressed by what they saw from that first 49ers win, it wasn't enough for ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. However, Smith revealed he left them out of his top five NFL teams this week for a surprising reason.

More news: Russell Wilson Makes Thoughts Clear on Lamar Jackson After Ravens’ Week 1 Win

ESPN star Stephen A. Smith

...

"Because they was in Australia," he told his colleague Jeff Saturday when he asked why the 49ers didn't get in.

"You're flying across the ocean. [The Rams] arrive 28 hours before kickoff. I gotta take that into consideration!" Smith shouted as his colleagues laughed at his reason.

Five other teams impressed Smith enough to make his top five teams to start the season. The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks came in first, after defeating the New England Patriots despite losing quarterback Sam Darnold.

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills earned the second spot on Smith's list after finally showing they could defeat the Houston Texans, a team praised for its elite defense, on the road to start the season. Third went to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs after their 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football."

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens earned their fourth spot after defeating the Indianapolis Colts 41-23, while the Chicago Bears, who scored a whopping 59 points against the Carolina Panthers, were fifth.

More news: Patrick Mahomes Gets Honest About Chiefs Return After Win: ‘Gotta Be Better’

View this post on X

Smith's reason for leaving San Francisco out of the top five is certainly wild, although a lot was made about travel plans ahead of the NFL International Series game in Australia. The 49ers arrived in Australia nearly a week before the game, compared to the Rams getting there just over a day before kickoff.

Whether or not jet lag and not being acclimated to their new time zone and surroundings played a part is unclear. Rams head coach Sean McVay shrugged that off when asked about it, and it's believed he feels there's a lot the team needed to address after that loss.

The Rams were built up as a superteam before the season started and had heavy odds to win the Super Bowl in 2027. Many touted their significant roster moves, especially on defense, as they added Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie via trades. Along with that, Aaron Donald made headlines with his decision to unretire and join the team this season.

While Garrett played, he was a non-factor and later indicated that he wasn't at 100%. He's now on the injured reserve list as he undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery. Donald didn't play, as he was still getting ready to play in NFL games after his time away from playing professional football.

Still, that shouldn't take away from the San Francisco 49ers winning that opening game, as they looked well prepared on both sides of the ball. The defense stepped up, and Purdy seemed to benefit from having new tight end Mike Evans in the receiving corps.

More news: Albert Breer Sends Dire Warning About the State of the Browns Franchise