Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke publicly retracted his prediction of a perfect 20-0 season for the Los Angeles Rams, admitting his forecast dissolved after their 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the opening game of the season. The defeat, which occurred in Melbourne, Australia, immediately invalidated Plaschke's bold projection.

"What idiot recently wrote that these Rams were going to go undefeated?" Plaschke wrote in his post-game column. "This idiot."

The columnist had previously declared, "The Rams are not losing a game," forecasting a 17-0 regular season followed by three home playoff victories. He had even acknowledged the prediction might lead to embarrassment but insisted, "No, this is real. This is serious."

The Rams' performance against the 49ers in the Melbourne Cricket Ground fell far short of expectations. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 155 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, marking the team's lowest point total in any Stafford start. New acquisition Myles Garrett recorded no tackles, sacks, or quarterback hits.

This marks not the first time Plaschke has had to significantly revise or retract a public prediction. In March 2024, he called Shohei Ohtani "tainted" amid the Ippei Mizuhara scandal, only to later write that federal investigators had vindicated the Dodgers star. Earlier that year, Plaschke had urged the Lakers to retain coach Darvin Ham, calling the potential firing "dumb and dumber," but by late April, he acknowledged Ham was on the hot seat before the Lakers ultimately dismissed him.

The Rams' undefeated season, and Plaschke's most audacious prediction, ended with their first game. For comparison, the 2017 New England Patriots, after adding key players, were also predicted to go 19-0 by USA Today but lost their opener to Kansas City. That Patriots team, however, recovered to finish 13-3 and reach the Super Bowl.

Adding to the unusual circumstances, the Rams arrived in Melbourne approximately 28 hours before kickoff, while the 49ers had spent nearly a week acclimating to the local time difference. Plaschke attributed the loss partly to "Sean McVay’s preparation" and the decision to call a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal. He characterized Stafford's performance as one of his worst in years and described Garrett as the game's most irrelevant player.