Rams Fall Late to Detroit

Preseason Pick: LOSS 42-10, Tied 2nd NFC West (0-1)
Actual Results: LOSS 27-23, Tied 2nd NFC West (0-1)

It should go without saying, but Week One games should be taken with a grain of salt. Week One is in many ways simply Week Five of the preseason, albeit the fact that the starters are playing much more. It's more of an adjustment period to the middle stretch of the season, when the games will start to show and separate the best teams from the bad ones. Thus, it's hard to take much away from this game. On the surface, a loss is a loss, and the Rams have mastered that art through the last seven years or so. However, this game offered a bit of optimism for many Rams fans. The team played well, and almost managed to steal one against the Detroit Lions, a 2011 playoff team. Let's take a look at how they almost achieved a victory, but yet still lost.

The Rams actual started this game really well, keeping pace for pace with the difficult Lions offense by intercepting Matthew Stafford 3 times. Cortland Finnegan provided the game changing play with an interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter, giving the Rams a 13-7 lead. Overall the defense played better than most thought they would, but got lucky on those turnovers in the red zone. They were lucky that the Lions could drive but couldn't finish, save for the very last drive.

The Rams offense played relatively conservatively early, going with many different running plays and barely passing. Of course, that resulted in less turnovers for Sam Bradford and company, but the Rams didn't take advantage of Detroit's weakened secondary until it was too late. Although Bradford performed well throughout, Steven Jackson struggled late in the game, resulting in not enough chances to secure the game late. Things will take time to jell, but I have confidence that the run game will improve, and give more chances to the passing game. More concerning, however, were the injuries to starting center Scott Wells and starting left tackle Rodger Saffold. Both have injury pasts, but both are also arguably the best and most important pieces of this brittle O-line. Although the line provided serviceable protection for Bradford late in the game, the possible loss of Saffold and/or Wells for an extended period of time will be a huge concern for the Rams. If not addressed, Bradford and the offense will continue to look like how they did in years past.

The Rams special teams did a pretty good job, not allowing the Lions to make too many big plays while also making some big plays of their own. Zuerlein and Hekker continued to impress in their kicking games, and Isaiah Pead performed admirably on kick returns that he could return.

Overall, this game had both positives and negatives. The Rams looked like they could stand up against at least a few teams this year, and that will mostly be due to a rejuvenated defense. Now the pressure lies on the offense to perform, but that may be difficult without Saffold and Wells. If the Rams manage to jell and survive without them, they stand a better chance at developing Jeff Fisher's system.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Rams play at home next week against a dangerous Redskins team. As I said in the first sentence, Week One games should be taken with a grain of salt. The Redskins-Saints shootout could have gone either way, which makes the analysis of the game much more relaxed. But it did surprise me (and a lot of other people) that the Redskins managed to win this one, and put up 40 points no less. Granted, the Saints aren't as strong defensively as they have been in the past, but the Redskins under Robert Griffin III have seemingly developed a new identity and moxie that specifically revolves around their new star quarterback. The defense is dangerous and the shaky Rams O-line may not be able to handle them. The Rams must also watch out for the freakish RG3, who can be accurate on the deep pass, and can also use his legs to extend plays. What was looking like an easy win in the preseason is now looking even more difficult than the Detroit game. If the Rams can keep the ball out of RG3's hands, they may have a chance. But after this week's games, the scales are starting to tip in Washington's favor.