The Rams will open their first season back in L.A. with a primetime game on the road against the 49ers on Sept. 12 as the "second half of ESPN's season-opening Monday night doubleheader," according to Jim Thomas of ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. It marks "the first time the Rams open a season on Monday night since 2000," when they were the defending Super Bowl champs. The move can be seen as "another example of the league doing everything possible to get the Rams off to a good start" in their new home. Outside of a Thursday or Sunday night Week 1 appearance, opening on "MNF" is the "biggest platform for a team." The Rams "open their home season six days later" against the Seahawks at the L.A. Coliseum (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 4/15). NFL Network's Rich Eisen reported the NFL was asked by USC to "not have a night game on a Monday night because it’s a school night ... and they also asked to try and not have a game on a Sunday with USC at home the day before.” USC plays Utah State at the Coliseum on Sept. 10. Meanwhile, NFL Network's Shaun O'Hara called the Rams' schedule a "doozy," as they play four of their five non-division away games on the East Coast, along with a “home” game in London. O'Hara: "If you’re a Rams player, I hope you’ve got some frequent flyer miles” ("NFL Schedule Release," NFL Network, 4/14).
GO BIG OR GO HOME: USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell writes the Rams did "more than merely seize the top slot in the upcoming NFL draft" with its trade Thursday with the Titans, as they "served notice" to the L.A. market. Making a trade to land a potential franchise QB is how you "sell a football team that is returning home after a 20-year exodus to a mega-market that thrives on sizzle, flash and cinematic theater." For the millions of potential fans in the region who "might be interested in football and the NFL's return ... the aggressive move is just the ticket to signal the arrival of something fresh" (USA TODAY, 4/15). NFL Network's Steve Wyche said, "This is something that has garnered the attention of the folks right here (in L.A.)" ("NFL Total Access," NFL Network, 4/14). ESPN's Shelley Smith: “You have to make a big splash. This is L.A. You’ve got to get those seats filled. You’ve got to get everyone excited about this team, and this is the way to do it” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 4/14). The POST-DISPATCH's Thomas writes it is "hard to believe the 'splash' factor wasn't at work in Thursday's dramatic move" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 4/15). In L.A., Vincent Bonsignore writes the trade was "a bold, aggressive move" that showed L.A. that the Rams "are willing to act confidently and decisively to deliver a winning product." Bonsignore: "Talk about making a grand entrance back in Los Angeles" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/15). ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said “presumably the Rams will use this pick on a quarterback to drum up huge interest in a team that hasn’t played in Los Angeles in 22 years.” He added, "What this gives them is ownership of the Draft, and the Draft is the thing that will generate tickets. So when you have Draft night, the first night, they are the entire story. From a public relations standpoint, I think it's very good.” ESPN's Michael Wilbon: "You have to do things in Southern California, in that L.A. market that you might not do in other markets" (“PTI,” ESPN, 4/14).
THE PRESSURE IS ON: CBSSPORTS.com's Pete Prisco noted whether the Rams draft Cal QB Jared Goff or North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz, that player will face "unreal scrutiny." The "new city, the glitz, and glamour of Los Angeles, will only enhance the pressure." Prisco: "B-movies don't win Oscars in Hollywood. B-quarterbacks won't have sustainable success there either" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/13). ESPN’s Dan Le Batard said the Rams “need a face going into this new city." Le Batard: "This is a marketing move as much as anything else” ("Highly Questionable," ESPN, 4/14).
