ST. LOUIS, Missouri – Last Saturday, the St. Louis Rams got their preseason started off with a 28-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Although the Rams took a loss on the scoreboard, the game was not a total loss. The sparse crowd at the Edward Jones Dome, as well as the entire football community saw rookie quarterback Sam Bradford take snaps underneath center for the first time in a game. And for the most part, he looked good.
Bradford showed us a few things in his first game as a professional, albeit an exhibition game. He showed off his arm strength by squeezing a pass to wideout Laurent Robinson in the second quarter, which drew a roar from the crowd. Bradford also displayed the ability to get rid off the ball when things started to break down.
However, there were many breakdowns on this night. The offensive line play was subpar as the Vikings had six quarterback sacks. In the line’s defense, you have to remember this is a very young line, especially at the left and right tackle positions.
It’s just one game. And I’m pretty sure we would not see the same mistakes again. The Rams and head coach Steve Spagnuolo can’t afford it.
The very last thing anyone wants to see is the Rams’ new franchise quarterback beaten into submission.
Once the offensive line comes together, I think the Rams’ offense can move the ball a little better than last year’s offense that averaged only 10 points per game.
On defense, Chris Long was very disruptive at left end as he was involved in a lot of plays. It’s an encouraging sign of things to come. This might be the breakout season we’ve been waiting for since he was drafted with the No. 2 pick overall in 2007.
On the other side of the defensive line, George Selvie was also making his presence felt. He can really overwhelm some tackles with his speed, plus he also has the ability to drop off into coverage. Selvie plays with that “motor” that gets thrown around so much. He plays until the whistle stops and could very well become the steal of the 2010 draft.
The secondary had some coverage breakdowns, but remember Ron Bartell didn’t play because he was injured.
Danny Amendola made a strong case for himself winning a job with his 93-yard punt return for a touchdown. Then, however, he fumbled his next punt return. You still have to like his overall play, and he’s really pushing the wide receiving core group for steady playing time.
The Rams have three more games to work out the kinks before the home opener against the Arizona Cardinals. It’s a good thing the Rams have three more games to get the kinks out.
They might not be able to say that after the 2011 season.