Rams preseason games will have at least one nationally televised contest

WEEK 2· Sat 08/17· 4:05 PM PDT - At Los Angeles Chargers

By the second preseason game, the Rams could make decisions to hold multiple rookies and first-time Rams veterans from any further competition. What results as the team limits the number of participants in the second game is almost certainly a less competitive effort. That will be compounded by the fact that the team is facing their cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers, and their new head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Like it or not, for Coach Harbaugh to win over his roster, he has to keep the pedal to the metal. Just think back to the Rams final preseason game against the Denver Broncos and you get the picture.

This game could very easily be the biggest challenge in the preseason. Coach Harbaugh will almost certainly put his starters onto the football field for at least one quarter, and will ensure that the team's second string gets most of the work in this one. Contrasting that strategy, the Rams will likely only allow backups to see one quarter of play, and will direct the lion's share of snaps in Game 2 to players who will round out their active roster and may be relegated to the team's practice squad this season.

WEEK 3· Sat 08/24· 10:00 AM PDT - At Houston Texans

While Game 3 for the LA Rams will pit them against the tough and very competitive Houston Texans, the truth is that the Texans find themselves in nearly an identical situation at this point of the preseason. Both teams will likely be sitting starters and may even be holding key rotational players out of the game. The Rams will likely arrive to this game with a record of 0-2, but keep in mind that both teams will have almost all of their focus on the upcoming 2024 NFL season. That means that rookies and reserves will compete in this one.

Curiously, the Rams depth may lend them a slight advantage in this one. As the Texans attention has almost certainly been on getting higher talent atop their depth charts, the Rams focus has been on casting a wider net and elevating the talent level of the entire roster. For Game 3, the Rams depth quality may be the true difference maker.

I believe that the backup offensive linemen could put on quite the display in this one, as the team has been slowly escalating and improving the group over the past two or three seasons. If IOL Logan Bruss is to salvage his NFL career, he will need to play a flawless game in this one. I also believe that the Rams will pay close scrutiny on RB Zach Evans and OLB Zach VanValkenburg in this one.

Game 3 will be about players competing for their careers. In the end, some will succeed, while others may not.

As always, thank you for reading.