Rams preseason opener; Game preview

In a few short hours the St. Louis Rams 2015 campaign will get underway in Oakland, Ca against the Raiders. Ironically, the preseason opener happens to be hosted by a team in which the Rams are competing with to land a brand new stadium in the golden state. Regardless, let’s get down to business and find out what we can expect from the first live action of the season.

Reports indicate the Rams will play it safe against the Raiders withholding many of their starting players. Quarterback Nick Foles has been earmarked for a series or two, indicated by head coach Jeff Fisher. This isn’t surprising given the string of injuries/bad luck St. Louis has had at the quarterback position in recent years. Fisher would go on to speak about the offensive line as well.

"“We’ve got some younger guys that will probably play into the second half,” Fisher said. “I don’t know how much Rob (Havenstein) and JB (Jamon Brown) will play beyond the other guys. I think you can expect to see them play three or four series.”"

With the site of O.co stadium also home to Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletic’s, the Rams will need to contend with the sand infield as well. With the team slated for a top ten defense and already riddled with injuries on that side of the ball, it’s safe to say the defensive unit will be lacking many of the regular faces.

The idea with any preseason game, especially the first, is to ease in your starters and reveal your depth. The battle for the center position is still very much up in the air, so it will be interesting to see who Fisher trots out to begin the game. The offensive line will certainly be something to watch in the early parts and whether or not the team has the depth on defense to compete.

The game is slated for a 10pm EST/9pm CST start. You can catch the game on FOX2, KTVI, in St. Louis. Games will be hosted by former players Torry Holt, Marshall Faulk and long time sportscaster Andrew Sicilliano. You can listen live on the radio on ESPN Radio, St. Louis. (101.1 FM)

After the completion of the game, the Rams will head to Oxnard, Ca where they will begin three joint practice session with the Dallas Cowboys, before suiting up for August 23rd matchup against the Tennessee Titans.