Rams vs. Raiders: What to Expect From the Rams In Week 1 of the Preseason

The last time the St. Louis Rams played the Oakland Raiders it was...well...not pretty.  Ugly even.  But only if you’re a Raiders' fan.  The Rams took it to the Raiders, scoring 21 points in the first quarter on their way to a 52-0 win.

In that game, Shaun Hill threw for 183 yards and 2 TD’s.  Tre Mason ran for a season-high 117 yards, adding two more scores.  Wide receiver Stedman Bailey caught five balls for 100 yards [also a season best].  And Rams’ cornerback Trumaine Johnson scored more points the Raiders’ offense.

But that was last year.  And while this is just the first week of the preseason, Rams’ fans would be more than delighted to see an encore performance.  But are they ready?

Head coach Jeff Fisher answered a few questions from the media on Tuesday evening after practice.  Here are a few things you should look for from the Rams’ when they head out to Oakland to take on the Raiders this Friday:

A Squad That’s Ready

Yeah, we’re getting close. Like we said yesterday, we’re going to discuss play time and kind of sort out how things are going to go. But, we’re looking forward to it. They did a really good job the last three days. They know obviously tomorrow is the day off for them. We come back and we have a little walk-thru. Then we will prepare for the Raiders and go out there and play a ball game.

Lots of Playing Time for the Youngsters

We’re going to play younger players particularly in the second half. When you look at the roster and you start looking at the 51st, 52nd, and 53rd player so much of it has to do with their ability to contribute on special teams. We’re going to give guys opportunities to do some things and show us some things on special teams. But the same time being mindful of the fact that if they’re playing every snap on defense, and then going out and covering every kick that’s hard. We’re going to try and create opportunities for the younger players so they can show us what they’re doing.

The Most Impressive Ram From Training Camp

Everybody has really had a good camp. I’ve been pleased with everything. Position by position, I think we’ve gotten better in each area. I guess the one guy that I probably would point out, single out, would be (QB) Nick (Foles). Nick’s had a really good camp. I’m just really proud of him and happy that he’s here, so it will be fun to watch him play a little bit.

...But Not Too Much Foles

I think you’d expect a couple of series, something like that, and then we’ll start making changes. We want to protect him. We don’t want to get him hit, get rid of the ball. (Raiders Head) Coach (Jack) Del Rio is a good football coach, a defensive guy, and he’s going to have them rolling off, so we just have to be smart offensively.

And How About Those Rookies On the Offensive Line?

We’ve got some younger guys that will probably play into the second half. I don’t know how much (T) Rob (Havenstein) and ‘JB’ (G Jamon Brown) will play beyond the other guys. I think you can expect to see them play three or four series.

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