St. Louis Rams Thrash Peyton Manning-less Colts In Preseason Opener

The first test of the 2011 preseason was no problem for the St. Louis Rams' new offense, and the Rams' old defense made short work of Peyton Manning's backups as the Rams rolled to a 33-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Sam Bradford went 7-for-12 with 45 yards and a touchdown before handing things over to a sharp-looking A.J. Feeley, while Keith Toston topped the Rams' name-brand backups by rushing for 11 carries with 64 yards and a touchdown. Lance Kendricks and Danario Alexander topped a wide-ranging receiving attack, while Craig Dahl and rookie Jermale Hines intercepted Dan Orlovsky and Curtis Painter to hold the Colts to 10 points. 

It was a strong start for a Rams team that carries a lot of momentum and a lot of questions into their star quarterback's sophomore season, but a number of questions remain—particularly about which of the 10 receivers he and Feeley targeted will actually break camp with the club. Alexander looks to have gained the most from week one, with the heretofore anonymous Mardy Gilyard also pulling down two receptions.