Sam Bradford Injury: Rams QB's Injury Threatens Promising Season for St. Louis

The St. Louis Rams came into Week 1 with the promise that 2011 would be different. That sentiment relies on a health being a year-long constant. Sam Bradford's injury creates a tenuous position for the Rams going forward. 

This team was poised to deliver an upset on Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles presented one of the biggest tests of the season, and the Rams were primed to pass that test. 

They entered with a cast of characters that gave confidence to fans. How could Steven Jackson, Danny Amendola and Sam Bradford fail to excite?

By the end of the game, all of those men were taken from the game at some point due to injury. Amendola's may be the most severe, a dislocated elbow. Bradford's was the most feared though. 

Bradford threw a ball late in the game, and his finger was bent back as the follow through hit an oncoming pass rush. He was taken to the locker room, giving Rams fans the same scare they felt when they heard Steven Jackson was hurt in the beginning of the game. 

These Rams can do something truly special this season, but they walk a thin line. They showed what they could do on the opening drive, when Steven Jackson ran for a touchdown on his first touch. 

The defense held the Eagles in check, but injuries and a fumble eventually allowed Philadelphia to open the game up and take the victory. 

Bradford's X-Rays came back negative. ESPN's Adam Schefter tweets that the right index finger is bruised, and Bradford will most likely play Monday Night against the New York Giants. 

However, the injury brings an underlying truth to the surface. The Rams are not deep. This is a team that can do some damage in the NFC West, but they need their starters on the field, free from injury. 

Sam Bradford showed that he is on track to one day be among the elite arms in the NFL. His second-year will no doubt trump a highly enjoyable rookie season. 

The one thing that can derail that is injury. Without Bradford, the Rams offense has no direction. Without Steven Jackson, they have no power, or punch. 

Bradford is one of a few stars that can make or break the year for St. Louis. He seems to have averted disaster for the time being, but his injury alerts us to the hard facts. 

This Rams teams can be dangerous, but only if the key players are healthy. The Eagles put a spotlight on what the Rams are without their top players, nothing but a second-rate squad.  

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LIFE HURTS. THIS INJURY UPDATE BROUGHT TO YOU BY DICKIES.