‘Challenged’ might not be the word of choice for most Americans, especially during those dire moments in 2001. Attacked, hurt, bleeding. In a moment that left a country lost for words, we simply sat and watched helplessly.

Football wasn’t the focus. Fans brought down their team flags and raised the ultimate team colors of red, white and blue. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue canceled the games that following Sunday because he said that football wouldn’t be appropriate. The cancelation wasn’t to give America time to heal, because after all, there was no possible way one week would heal a nation changed. Instead, that week allowed the nation to get back on its feet. We got back up. As we regained our balance, we turned back to football.

That first Sunday with football after 9/11 was a chance for Americans to come together, stand together, sing the National Anthem, and cheer on the most American pastime: football. Fans cheered for their country and their teams. We felt a level of comfort as we were back in our element–our everyday lives–where we knew what to expect. We tailgated, we walked through the turnstiles, we bought our beer and popcorn and then there was kickoff. Four quarters weren’t enough to erase the recent past, but it was just enough to make us feel like, well, us. We were a country again. We weren’t on our heels anymore. Instead, we were standing–and sometimes jumping–as our favorite players darted across a field that never looked so beautiful.

At that moment, you can say those events of September 11th challenged us. They suffocated us briefly, but we were able to come together and take a unified breath when football returned. Patriotism filled the stadiums as fans began to put up their team flags again, right next to Old Glory.

So with the opening Sunday of the season landing on the 10th anniversary of 9/11,  I hope the NFL makes it special. I’m sure it will be considering how much the NFL meant to America ten years ago. And still today.

With the sexy hire of Josh McDaniels and Sam Bradford emerging as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, it’s easy to forget how successful the Rams defense was last year. Chris Long emerged as a strong anchor on the defensive line that will cause havoc for quarterbacks for years to come. In addition, James Laurinaitis continued to grow and young players like Bradley Fletcher stepped up to become vital pieces to this defense. This year, it’s safe to expect more of the same, but watch for this defense to become even more dominant.

Through the draft and free agency, Spags was able to put even more pieces in place in an effort to construct a championship defense like he had in New York. Robert Quinn, Justin Bannan and Daniel Muir add more depth and athleticism to the defensive line, while also giving Spags the opportunity to rotate fresh legs in and out with Long, Hall, Selvie, Sims, Cudjo and Gibson. Beyond the line, the Rams were also able to add more depth and competition to the linebacker corps. Zac Diles, Brady Poppinga and newly acquired LB Ben Leber give the coach more options on who to play beside Laurinaitis. Also, watch for big things from Quintin Mikell. He knows the Spags’ defense and should step up immediately as a leader on this defense. He’s a player.

Rams’ fans can’t wait to see Bradford out there throwing the ball all over the place, but this team’s success will be dependent on the defense and its ability to build on last year’s emergence.

When the Rams decided to use their first round pick on DE Robert Quinn, the initial thought was that he would eventually take over for James Hall and end up anchoring the defensive line with Chris Long for many years to come. Though this may be true, by drafting Quinn, the Rams infused an even higher level of competition between the young defensive linemen. George Selvie and Eugene Sims are heading into their second year in the league, and both are agile and speedy ends. We saw Selvie considerably more last year because Sims played in only eight games due to injury. Selvie was a two-time All American at the University of South Florida before he had a subpar senior year that allowed him to drop to the Rams in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. We saw glimpses of his ability last year, though. His speed is what you notice first, and Spags would even line him up at defensive tackle on third down situations to add another gear to the pass rush (It’s also worth mentioning that Selvie showed up at camp last week considerably heavier—in a good way). Sims also showed a lot of promise with his great speed.

Look for Sims and Selvie to bring it as training camp progresses. These two are out to show Spags and the coaching staff that they possess just as much ability of getting to the passer as anybody else on the team. Quinn is the sexy candidate because he’s a first-rounder, but you can’t underestimate the experience Sims and Selvie received in their first year in the NFL. Don’t forget C.J. Ah You, who also showed a lot of promise at disrupting the passing game of opposing teams.

The offensive line will undoubtedly feel the heat in these sweltering practices. Long, Hall, Quinn, Selvie, Sims, and Ah You: they’re coming, and they’re coming fast.