49ers take sparks criticism after dominant win over Rams

Colin Cowherd of The Herd is a polarizing online personality, and his latest take on the San Francisco 49ers won't change that perception among fans.

The 49ers pulled off an upset win over the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. The Rams entered the game as Super Bowl LXI favorites, boasting plenty of star power, including the reigning NFL MVP and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, quarterback Matthew Stafford and defensive end Myles Garrett.

San Francisco won convincingly, 27-7. However, it wasn't enough to convince Cowherd, who shared a wild reaction to the victory that fans on social media heavily criticized.

"The Niners have always had a Game of Thrones feel to them," Cowherd said. "And what do I mean by that? Great early, very, very good in the middle, disappointing late, and some of your favorite characters won't make it at the end. That's what they are."

Cowherd questioned the 49ers' ability to stay healthy—which might be fair—noting that wide receiver Mike Evans played only eight games last season and is 33 years old. He added that Christian McCaffrey led the NFL with 413 touches last season, suggesting that the star running back might have issues this season.

However, Cowherd failed to mention that McCaffrey played only 36 snaps against the Rams, while his backup, rookie Kaelon Black, played 28. If that reduced workload continues, McCaffrey could very well last 17 games.

Al Sacco took to X to point out some issues with Cowherd's analysis, noting that his Game of Thrones comparison doesn't always apply. He pointed out that the 49ers started 3-5 in 2021 but reached the NFC Championship Game. They started 3-4 in 2022 before winning 12 straight games to reach the NFC Championship Game again. In 2025, the 49ers went 3-3 during the middle portion of the season.

Sacco questioned whether anyone researched Cowherd's claims before posting the clip to social media.