The St. Louis Rams will get their first regular season glimpse of No. 1 overall draft pick and franchise quarterback Sam Bradford Sunday afternoon as they take on the Arizona Cardinals in a sold-out Edward Jones Dome.
In addition to Bradford, the Rams have newly acquired wide receiver Mark Clayton and running back Steven Jackson, recovering from off-season back surgery, to wonder about. Jackson received limited playing time in the preseason but insists he’s 100%; meanwhile, Clayton looks to pick up the slack left by Donnie Avery, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in a preseason victory against the New England Patriots.
(Both are speed merchants, stretched as number ones, and have problems catching the ball, so the Rams certainly got as close to Avery as they could on short notice.)
The Arizona Cardinals will get a first taste of the result of their much-publicized quarterback duel, which led to the release of former golden boy Matt Leinart in favor of chronically inaccurate former Brown Derek Anderson.
The action begins at 3:15 CDT. After a brief flirtation with a disastrous week one blackout, the first game of the rest of the St. Louis Rams’ life will be televised locally.