Diving into the 4 biggest questions facing the Rams ahead of Week 1

The Los Angeles Rams near Week 1 with plenty of hype and a swirl of uncertainty. Will receiver Puka Nacua or left tackle Alaric Jackson be suspended before then? Will Aaron Donald actually play, and if so how much? 

If left tackle needs filling, will David Quessenberry, the presumed next man up, hold up against San Francisco's defensive front? 

Even assuming Nacua does play, who will step up behind him and Davante Adams in the pass-catching corps? And what does the overhauled defense look like in its first real test? Even superstars need time to gel. 

Let's examine each of those questions as opening kickoff hurtles ever closer.

4 points of uncertainty entering Rams' Week 1 clash vs 49ers

Nacua's and Jackson's availability

This is the obvious one. Will they or won't they be suspended before the season starts? (And if not, is a suspension waiting down the road?) 

Jackson's availability is arguably the bigger question; the Rams have proven they can navigate Nacua's absence before, as they did last season in a 35-7 Week 7 win over Jacksonville. 

But plugging in Quessenberry at left tackle if Jackson is penalized, or for that matter anyone else on the roster, is not a good feeling. It doesn't help that rookie tackle Keagen Trost is on injured reserve with a hamstring strain.

Yes, Quessenberry and Company performed admirably during the preseason  - largely against backup defensive lines or briefly against starters giving less than their all. This isn't the preseason, and things could get ugly.

Donald's gameday status

Donald will travel with the team - everyone's going to Melbourne, head coach Sean McVay confirmed - but that he actually plays is not a foregone conclusion. McVay has emphasized that Donald's ramp-up process remains day-by-day. If he does suit up, expect him to be on a snap count as he builds toward a more robust workload as the season wears on.

Does Matthew Stafford find a favorite third target?

The identity of any No. 3 receiver could change on a weekly basis. Some weeks it will be a wideout; more often, it will likely be a tight end. In a game that Rams should attempt to control on the ground, thus de-emphasizing wide receivers, look for Terrance Ferguson, Colby Parkinson, or even Tyler Higbee to find the end zone when the Rams attack through the air.

How does the star-studded defense gel? 

This question is especially relevant for the secondary, where communication snafus can lead to busted plays of the touchdown variety. The good news is that cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie already have strong chemistry from spending four seasons as Chiefs teammates. How they communicate with the safeties in their first real-game test will be a point of focus. 

Obviously, communication and chemistry still matter in the pass rush. What will Myles Garrett and Co. look like in their debut? If Donald starts in place of Braden Fiske, the defensive front will undergo a further change.

Plugging in Garrett and Donald is a trade any Rams fan would take, but especially in Donald's case with his recent return, how the defensive front functions as a unit will be fascinating to see.

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