Five keys for Rams vs. Cowboys

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Game time.

Well, the Los Angeles Rams and the rest of the NFL made it to Week 1.

After managing a training camp during a COVID-19 global pandemic, Rams head coach Sean McVay will see if he did enough to prepare his team to handle the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener.

It’s the first time in team history that the Rams have opened on Sunday night.

“This is a great football team coming in,” McVay said. “We expect to start off the season the right way and we want to be able to do that. We know that Dallas is a great opponent. What happened against them the previous year really doesn't have any effect on how we operate moving forward.”

I’ve already made my prediction – 24-21 Rams – which you can check out here. But we also provide five keys to the game below:

1. Control the line of scrimmage on offense: Whether it’s keeping Jared Goff clean or clearing run lanes for Malcolm Brown and Cam Akers, the Rams have to own the line of scrimmage up front on offense. The Rams did a nice job of protecting Goff last year, allowing a league-low 22 sacks. However, the Rams averaged just 3.7 rushing yards on first down runs last season, and need to establish balance on offense. “Whatever organization you’re talking about, it’s always going to come down to the offensive line,” right guard Austin Corbett told the team’s web site. “Every football team, from youth to where are now in the NFL, it starts up front.”

2. Bottle up Ezekiel Elliott: We know what happened last year -- when the Cowboys totaled 263 rushing yards and both Elliott and Tony Pollard ran for over 100 yards. Not great. That can’t happen again on Sunday. New defensive coordinator Brandon Staley appears committed to stopping the run first, making Dallas one dimensional so Aaron Donald can do his thing rushing the passer.

3. Play a clean game: As they say, more games are lost than won in the NFL. And with no preseason games, the team that takes care of the football and limits costly penalties likely will come out on top Sunday. McVay preached to his team all training camp not making unforced errors and beating themselves to start the year.

4. Get off to a fast start: Expect the Rams to use tempo, changing speeds and playing fast offensively to keep the Cowboys’ talented front seven off balance, and perhaps wear them down for the fourth quarter. The Rams also would love to get on the scoreboard first. The Rams were 7-4 when scoring first last year.

5. Create some explosive plays: The Rams generated 73 passes of 20-plus yards last year, No. 2 in the NFL. However, the Rams had just eight runs of 20-plus yards last year, tied for 10 worst in the league. Whether on the ground or through the air, the Rams need to figure out how to generate some explosive plays on offense in order to make it easier to get into scoring position.