Rams at Panthers: 7 biggest storylines for Week 1
By:
Cameron DaSilva | 1 hour ago
(AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
After months of roster-building, practices and talk about a “Super Bowl hangover,” the Los Angeles Rams are finally set to kick off the 2019 season on Sunday. They’ll face a formidable foe in the Carolina Panthers, going on the road to face Cam Newton and a revamped defense.
There’s been no shortage of storylines surrounding the Rams heading into the 2019 season, from Gurley’s health to them taking the preseason off. On Sunday, we’ll finally get to see the team in action as some of the questions surrounding Los Angeles will be answered.
Here are the seven biggest storylines for the Rams in Week 1.
Todd Gurley’s usage and health
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This has been the biggest storyline of the entire offseason for the Rams. Will Gurley be his normal self? How must lighter will his workload be? Will Los Angeles limit his playing time early in the year to keep him fresh for the late-season push? These are all questions that could be answered on Sunday in the season opener.
Sean McVay said Gurley won’t be on any sort of snap count and has declared for months that the two-time All-Pro is feeling good and will be a focal point of the offense. We’ll see how true that is against the Panthers.
Will rest lead to rust?
(AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
For the second year in a row, the Rams rested their primary starters in the preseason. It worked to perfection last season as they won their first eight games and finished 13-3, but the offense did sputter out of the gates. In the first half against the Raiders last season, the Rams looked a little rusty.
Will Jared Goff be sharp to begin the game? Will the new starters on defense mesh right away? McVay made the right decision to keep his starters out of harm’s way, but it could come at the (very minor) cost of some rust in the first half against Carolina.
Rams’ personnel groupings
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The Rams leaned heavily on 11 personnel last season, using three receivers and one running back more often than any other team in the NFL. They have the weapons and depth to use four-receiver sets, two running backs at a time and even two-tight end formations, but it remains to be seen if McVay will mix things up.
Keep an eye on how often the Rams stray away from their comfort zone of 11 personnel. Les Snead said they want to use two tight ends more often this season, but it’s difficult because that requires them to pull a receiver off the field.
How much will rookies play?
(AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
The Rams didn’t draft any surefire starters this year, but they did add quite a few first-year players who can contribute early. Taylor Rapp is poised for a role on defense, while Darrell Henderson should get some playing time as a backup to Gurley. David Long Jr. will be eased into action, given the Rams’ depth at cornerback, and Greg Gaines will be the second-string nose tackle behind Sebastian Joseph-Day.
Natrez Patrick, Nsimba Webster and Troy Reeder all made the team as undrafted rookies, but it’s possible they’ll all be inactive on Sunday. Still, it’ll be interesting to see how many of the rookies play and how much they’re utilized.
Tyler Higbee’s role after signing extension
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The Rams signed Higbee to a four-year, $31 million extension this week, which would presumably mean he’s in for a bigger role. With Gerald Everett vying for playing time too, though, the Rams can only give Higbee so many snaps. Many believe Higbee will be more heavily involved in the offense after signing his extension, but that may not be the case.
Watch the split between him and Everett at tight end against the Panthers to see if he truly is still atop the depth chart.
Will offseason changes improve the run defense?
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The Rams’ run defense was abysmal last season as they ranked 32nd in yards per rush allowed. They made several changes on defense, swapping out Ndamukong Suh and Lamarcus Joyner for Joseph-Day and Eric Weddle. Mark Barron has been replaced by Bryce Hager, while Clay Matthews steps in as a starter for Samson Ebukam.
On paper, the run defense should improve. The Rams will face as tough as a test as they will all season on Sunday, with Christian McCaffrey and Cam Newton in the backfield.
Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen face tough tests
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Noteboom and Allen could make or break the Rams’ offensive line this year. They didn’t play a snap in the preseason and their first matchup of the year involves blocking Dontari Poe, Gerald McCoy and Kawann Short. Talk about starting the year with an incredibly difficult blocking assignment.
It’ll be a work in progress with these two first-year starters, so take what you see on Sunday with a grain of salt. This is one of the tougher battles they’ll have all season.
After months of roster-building, practices and talk about a "Super Bowl hangover," the Los Angeles Rams are finally set to kick off the 2019 season on Sunday. They'll face a formidable foe in the Carolina Panthers, going on the road to face Cam Newton and a…
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