5 storylines to the Rams Colts matchup in the Coliseum

Finally, real football begins on Sunday for Los Angeles Rams fans. With the Colts coming to town, we get a look at what NFL football minus Jeff Fisher looks like in LA.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay coaches his first NFL regular season football game tomorrow when his team plays the Indianapolis Colts in the LA Coliseum. It’s also, in many ways, like the Rams are playing for the first time. A brand new head coach, lots of new faces, and a freshness and newness that didn’t exist last year.

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It’s also the eighth game of the Jared Goff era, and the first game that McVay says the real evaluation of his young quarterback can begin.

How does that go?

It’s the first game in the NFL career of defensive tackle Aaron Donald that he won’t be playing football on opening day. Fortunately for Rams fans, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is at the controls, and if you have to pick one guy to compensate for such a loss, or at least know how to manage that loss, Phillips is the guy.

Los Angeles will be practically unrecognizable from 2016, which is probably a real good thing given Jeff Fisher and his last season as head coach, and the Rams first year in LA. Success won’t necessarily mean being better than 4-12, but it will include a much better quarterback in Goff, better discipline on the field than last, a better offense, and frankly, better leadership on the sidelines.

All critical items missing from last year’s team.