St. Louis Rams: 5 Keys to Victory vs. Philadelphia Eagles Week 1

The wait is finally over! 

The 2011 St. Louis Rams' season is set to begin as St. Louis opens at home against the much-hyped Philadelphia Eagles at the Edward Jones Dome.

St. Louis has been pegged by many national and local media prognosticators as a potential breakout team.  Many have even selected the Rams as favorites to win the NFL West.

The journey to fulfilling those predictions begins Sunday.  

I believe the Rams will beat the Eagles in Week 1 due in large part to successfully checking off the following items from the to-do-list.

Josh McDaniels vs. Juan Castillo: Experience Against Inexperience

This matchup could be critical.

Josh McDaniels has proven himself to be a terrific play-caller.  He performed admirably as the offensive coordinator for Bill Billichek's New England Patriots.  As the Denver Broncos head coach, he got a career year out of wide receiver Brandon Lloyd.  

Can Eagles' new defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, who has not coached defensive at any level since 1995, match wits with McDaniels and his much greater level of experience?

This is a key question regarding the outcome of this game.

I have to believe that McDaniels has some tricks up his sleeves for Castillo.  

I believe Josh will keep him on his toes and take advantage of Castillo's inexperience.  Don't think for a second that McDaniels has not taken this into consideration.  He is a shrewd play-caller and I expect him to put the Rams in a great position to succeed on Sunday.  

Run, Run, Run!

St. Louis needs to attack the defense with their trio of running backs on Sunday.  

The Eagles are expected to be vulnerable against interior runs.  In addition, their linebacker corps is suspect.  If the Rams can establish a power running game between the tackles and get to the second level, it will bode very well for the offense.

This would accomplish many things for the Rams.

One, it would help keep the chains moving and force the Eagles to key more on the run.  This should help McDaniels utilize play-action passes.

Two, a solid ground game will help St. Louis win the time of possession battle.  Vick and the Eagles offense can't score if they aren't on the field.

Thirdly, it will put less pressure on Sam Bradford and the Rams wide receivers against the Eagles' stellar cornerbacks.  If we can move the ball on the ground, the passing game won't be leaned upon as heavily.  Furthermore, the play-action game will help the Rams' wideouts attain separation from Philadelphia defenders. 

Look for the Rams to come out pounding the rock with both Jackson and Cadillac Williams.  If Jackson needs a breather, the Rams can rev up the Cadillac and set him free behind a couple of highway road-graders in Harvey Dahl and Jason Smith.

A strong running game will be a major key for St. Louis and it's efforts at securing a Week 1 win. 

Attack the Middle of the Field and the Seams

For St. Louis to be successful Sunday, the Rams need to attack the middle portions of the field.

It may be tough on the edges with the Eagles having arguably the best trio of corners in the NFL, but their linebackers are considered below average to average at best, so the Rams must attempt to exploit that.

The three keys here are Danny Amendola, Lance Kendricks and the Rams' stable of running backs.

As we know, Amendola is one of the best in the business out of the slot.  He caught 85 balls in 2010 and will likely be a key to the receiving corps this year.

Amendola may be followed by Nnamdi Asomugha.  Asomugha is not that familiar with working out of the slot, as he worked almost primarily on the outside for the Oakland Raiders, his previous team.  Although he is talented, Amendola could have the advantage here given Asomugha's inexperience in the slot. The Rams are sure to test that matchup if it indeed transpires to find out if that is the case.

Kendricks has been a head-turner in both camp and the preseason, drawing rave reviews locally and nationally and, most importantly, from Rams coaches and talent evaluators.

The Rams will hope Kendricks can beat the Eagles linebackers in coverage.  If the Rams establish the run, the play-action pass could be deadly down the seam for the Rams and Kendricks.  I would not be surprised to see a tight end screen thrown his way a time or two also. 

Finally, any or all of the Rams running back trio of Jackson, Williams or Jerious Norwood should be looked to in the passing game.  

Again, the Eagles are not thought to be particularly strong at the linebacker position.  The Rams should put pressure on the Eagles by sending our talented halfbacks out into pass routes and attempt to exploit these matchups.

By attacking the middle and the seam against the Eagles, the Rams should find success.  

Keep DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin Underneath Coverage

Two of the NFL's best deep threats and fastest players line up at wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles: DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.

The Rams must keep these guys in front on them Sunday.  

The Rams cannot let either of these guys get over the top.  If so, an accurate pass will likely lead to a quick seven for the Eagles.  

The front seven leads to handle the Eagles offensive line and running game so that the Rams safeties can stay back as often as possible deep in coverage.  This will be a key.

St. Louis must force the Eagles to work their way down the field and attempt to force Vick into at least a couple of turnovers.  

"No deep balls" should be a major mantra for the Rams on Sunday.  The Rams need Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher to play smart, consistent football all day tomorrow on Jackson and Maclin.  

Contain Michael Vick

Micheal Vick did not sign a new $100 million contract just because he can throw the football.  It was because he can run and throw that his value is so high and his talents so unique.

He is tough to defend.  He is almost impossible to keep completely bottled up.  But the Rams must find a way to contain him and keep his rushing yards in check.  

He may run for a few yards, but that won't kill the Rams.  However, if he is consistently gaining yards with his fleet feet, the Rams will have a difficult time controlling the Eagles offense.

St. Louis may keep a spy on Vick during much of the game.  That duty would likely fall to a linebacker or linebackers.  Whatever strategy or strategies the Rams use on Vick, the key is keeping him under control and uncomfortable.

St. Louis must generate pressure on Vick from the edges and push the pocket so that Vick can't step up.  That means that Long, Hall, and Quinn need to have active days off the edge.  We certainly need some sacks, but consistent pressure is very important, too.  

We will need to keep Vick contained, and I believe Steve Spagnuolo will have a great plan in place to corral him as much as possible.

Bonus Key: Dome Field Advantage!

The St. Louis fans must be loud and intense.  The atmosphere returned to the dome in 2010, and that must continue and continue to build even stronger against the Eagles and in 2011. 

Bernie Miklasz pointed this out this week himself.  The crowd can and will be a major factor in the dome all year.  Rams fans should show the world how loud and powerful they can be come game time. 

Steve Spagnuolo pointed out how incredibly difficult it was playing in the dome when he was coaching for the Eagles.  Let's make sure it is just as difficult, if not more so, for the Eagles this time around.  

Good seats are still available via stubhub.com, ticketmaster.com, stlouisrams.com, or by calling the Rams at 314 Rams TIX.  

Let's pack the dome to the rafters and blow the roof off of it Sunday with volume never before matched!

Shane Gray is a passionate St. Louis Rams fan and covers the Rams year round. To check out the rest of his work, go here: http://bleacherreport.com/users/582932-shane-gray .