Inside The Enemy Camp: Chiefs vs. Rams

Every week we go “Inside the Enemy Cam” to talk with the FanSided editor that covers the Chiefs’ next opponent. This week we travel to Ramblin Fan to have a little chat with Justin Stine.

Be sure to check our Ramblin Fan later today to see my answers to Justin’s questions and to get a peak at the game coverage from the opponent’s point of view.

Sam Bradord had a great rookie season.  How much improvement has he shown this preseason so far? Is he ready to take the next step?

Sam Bradford surprised everybody with his performance in 2010, and if the preseason is any indication, he should be even better this season. New OC Josh McDaniels has installed a new, more wide open offensive scheme, and Bradford is now responsible for more line calls, which is a change from last year. Bradford has already shown a desire to open things up downfield as opposed to looking solely underneath for the safe option, and with a couple of new weapons his numbers should increase across the board as long as he stays healthy.

Who are the young Rams players that KC fans may not have heard of yet who could emerge as potential stars? Who should we keep our eye on?

If you’re looking for a young player with some buzz around him, look no further than TE Lance Kendricks. Kendricks was the team’s second-round pick in the most recent draft out of Wisconsin, and he has really been impressive in the two preseason games so far. He’s a great athlete who should provide matchup nightmares for opponents, and he should be on display against the Chiefs with starting TE Michael Hoomanawanui out with a calf injury. On the defensive side, first-round DE Robert Quinn has shown flashes of being a special player, but after missing all of last season in college he is still shaking off some rust. If you really want to see an exciting player on the defensive side of the ball that isn’t on anyone’s radar, keep an eye on LB Jabara Williams. He has been flying all over the field so far, and he is fighting to earn a roster spot for this season.

What is the Rams’ weakest position group that you hope to see perform well in Friday night’s game?

The Rams really struggled in two major areas last week against Tennessee, so it will be interesting how the rush defense and pass protection groups perform against the Chiefs. Everyone knows the Chiefs are one of the top rushing teams in the league, so it will be interesting to see how the Rams handle the KC backs. As far as the O-line goes, the team needs to protect Sam Bradford, so there needs to be an improvement in that area this week.

 Position battles are in full swing across the NFL. What position battles are you watching as the Rams head into their “dress rehearsal game” against the Chiefs?

Every team has intriguing position battles going on at this point in the preseason, and the Rams are no different. There are guys fighting for spots at almost every position, but the two that everyone in St. Louis has eyes on are at WR and LB. The Rams have 8 WRs battling for probably six spots, and at this point it looks like the real battle is between Danario Alexander, Mardy Gilyard and rookies Austin Pettis and Greg Salas for two spots. Expect to see plenty of all four of those guys and look to see if any stand out. At LB, veterans Na’il Diggs and Zac Diles are fighting with Josh Hull, Jabara Williams, Bryan Kehl, and Chris Chamberlain.

 I really liked Greg Salas coming out of the draft. How has he been performing thus far?

Greg Salas had a bit of a slow start in camp, but he looked pretty solid at the end of the game against the Titans. I know the team likes him, but he needs to do something to set himself apart from the pack. He is certainly on the bubble when it comes to a roster spot, but I would have to think that he has the advantage, along with fellow rookie Austin Pettis, of being drafted by this administration. That alone won’t keep him on the team, so he would be a player I would keep an eye on during Friday’s game.