St. Louis Rams vs. Indianapolis Colts: What to Watch for in the Preseason Game

Finally, we will get a taste of some football. The St. Louis Rams open up the preseason tonight against the Indianapolis Colts.

Many of us were hopeful that last weekend we would get our first taste of this new Rams team. Unfortunately, the Hall of Fame game was cancelled and we were forced to wait until this weekend.

A lot has changed in the make-up of this Rams team in just a couple of weeks. It'll be very interesting to see how the players mesh together.

All eyes will be on the rookies and newly signed free agents. Those are just some of the things to watch for. In this slideshow, I will outline everything you should look forward to watching for in tonight's preseason Rams game.  

How the Offense Meshes

We won't see the full Josh McDaniels offense tonight, but we will get a taste. In the short amount of time the starters will be on the field, it'll be interesting to see what every player's role will be.

Keep your eye on how Steven Jackson is used in this game. Will the Rams continue to pound the rock off tackle? Or, will Steven Jackson be thrown more passes this season? Whatever the situation, hopefully Jackson continues to get the touches he needs.

Also, keep an eye out for the formations that the Rams use. Coming out of college, Sam Bradford was used in a system that spread out the field in four- or five-receiver sets. Josh McDaniels could use a similar style in St. Louis. When you consider how many receivers the Rams have it would make sense. McDaniels could use speedster Donnie Avery more in the slot to create matchup problems.

Wide Receiver Battle

The Rams have nine total receivers on their current roster that could make the opening day roster. Likely only six of them will be on the 53-man roster.

Expect every receiver to get a lot of reps in this first game. In fact, the starting lineup could be any combination of receivers. Danny Amendola will in all likelyhood be the starting slot. But, who are the starting flankers? It could be newly signed Mike Sims-Walker, Brandon Gibson, Danario Alexander, or Donnie Avery.

It's hard to imagine that a team's third- and fourth-round picks won't make the roster, but there is a very good chance of that. Receivers Austin Pettis and Greg Salas are going to have to fight for reps, and prove themselves at every opportunity they are given. And let's not forget about last year's fourth-round pick, Mardy Gilyard. If he makes the roster, it will either be because he has greatly improved or because of his return abilities.

Defensive Tackle Battle

The Rams look like they will work a five-man rotation at the defensive tackle position. The starters from a season ago, Fred Robbins and Gary Gibson, are back, but the Rams have added Justin Bannon and Daniel Muir to the mix.

These four players will likely battle it out to see who the starting two will be. Fred Robbins should have the advantage here because he played very solid all of last season. Gary Gibson will have plenty of competition, though. He was re-signed a little late which may be a sign that the team wasn't sold on him. The guys battling him both have been starters in the past.

A guy who could find himself off of the roster is third-year man Darell Scott. He has seen limited action in his first two seasons and may no longer have a role on the team. He could be replaceable because the addition of Robert Quinn signals that the Rams may very well put three defensive ends on the field in passing situations.

Outside Linebacker Battle

This offseason, St. Louis has brought in a number of veterans to compete for the slots outside of James Laurinaitis. As the preseason progresses, the picture will begin to grow clearer as far as who are and aren't the leaders for this job. But, at this point it's anybody's guess.

Na'il Diggs, Bryan Kehl, and Chris Chamberlain all got their chances at the outside linebacker position a year ago. This season, none of them are guaranteed a roster spot. It'll be interesting to see which of these four guys steps up and says, "This is my job to lose."

The Rams have added three more guys to the mix in Zac Diles, Ben Leber, and Brady Poppinga. It's unclear how much playing time they will receive because they all have to get up to speed with the Rams' defense. Maybe that could be a good thing. Not knowing all of the ins and outs of the defense will allow these guys to go out there and play instinctively.

Rookies

First-round draft choice Robert Quinn is now off of the PUP list, and he should get his first football action in a year. Quinn will hopefully show the explosiveness off of the edge that made him the 14th overall selection. An interesting thing to watch with Quinn is how instinctive he plays. The limited playing time could cause him to be hesitant.

Lance Kendricks, the team's second-round draft choice, has been turning a lot of heads at training camp so far. Tomorrow's game will be his first chance to make a name for himself. If he can play at a high level tomorrow night, then Rams fans should be excited. He brings potential matchup problems because linebackers can't keep up with him.

The receivers, Ausitn Pettis and Greg Salas, will have to make names for themselves if they hope to be on the roster. If they aren't catching passes, then they will have to show that they can make plays on special teams. Watch kickoffs and punts closely to see if Pettis or Salas is around the ball to make a play.

The last rookie that could surprise tomorrow is fifth-round pick Jermale Hines. He is currently listed as a safety, but he will get plenty of opportunities at outside linebacker. Hines could be a dark-horse candidate to take one of the linebacker spots.

Free Agents

The Rams have added many free agents, and they all will get the chance to show their worth. With little time to get accustomed to the playbook, fans will see who is catching on and who isn't.

What I'll be watching in particular is how well Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood fit into the backfield. They both will get a lot of opportunities to show why they were brought in. The big question is, how well is Jerious Norwood's knee? If he shows some explosiveness, he could prove to be a steal.

Harvey Dahl will be a tougher guy to watch because he is on the offensive line. However, look for how well the Rams run the ball when they go to the right side. With the addition of Dahl, they have two very powerful run blockers in Dahl and Jason Smith.

It's unclear how many reps Mike Sims-Walker will receive because of the number of receivers that the Rams have. I'm looking to see whether or not St. Louis is getting the good Sims-Walker or the bad one. He has had a very up-and-down career so it remains to be seen if he can consistently play at a high level.

The last major guy to watch is Quintin Mikell. How will the Rams use him? Most likely they will play him closer to the line where he can blitz or be ready to help in run defense. More importantly is how well Mikell covers. He isn't the ball hawk that O.J. Atogwe was, but he should still prove to be very capable in zone coverage.