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One more semi-tedious preseason game to get through, and that happens in just a few hours. A week from Sunday, the St. Louis Rams get to start playing games that count with their season opener on the road against the Detroit Lions. Without a doubt, a Week 1 game against the Lions is no easy task for a team trying to recover from an average of three wins per season over the last five years.
But Jeff Fisher might just have a little math on his side.
Fisher is 10-6 in season openers during his head coaching career with the Houston/Tennessee Oilers which morphed into the Titans during his 17-year stint with the team. Remember, Fisher's first year as head coach he took over during the season.
The Lions are a tough team to defend, no matter how you break it down. Calvin Johnson, Titus Young and Matthew Stafford can beat even the best defenses, so it's best not to get too hung up on the math from Fisher's past.
With an eye toward that Week 1 game, I would suggest you keep an eye on a few important things for the Rams in Thursday's preseason finale.
The pass rush will have to be firing on all cylinders in that game, so keep an eye on how well-oiled the front front looks in their last trial run.
Of course, the biggest thing will be the secondary. The corners will have their work cut out for them against Detroit's offense, with Cortland Finnegan seeing plenty of Megatron in that game. The Rams' safety play is my biggest concern, and their preseason struggled do not bode well for a tilt with the Lions. Watch closely to see how the safeties are doing with deep work. Not blowing assignments or allowing wide berths in the cover-2 will be an important first step for a game against the Lions and Fisher's chances of going to 11-6 in opening weekends.