For the first time since the Rams and Raiders played football in the Los Angeles area in the 1990s, two professional L.A. football teams will take the field this weekend. Three years ago Los Angeles had zero teams; now it has two. What a difference two years can make.
The Rams are hoping their second year quarterback Jared Goff can rebound from a bad rookie season. They hope that he improves enough to make the Rams organization feel like they made the right move when they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2016.
The Chargers have a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Phillip Rivers, but their biggest concern is keeping their players healthy. Last year they were one of the most injury prone teams in the NFL. Already two of the top of their top rookies, offensive guard Forrest Lamp and wide receiver Mike Williams, appear to have suffered season-ending injuries.
This year, the Rams will be try to score more points and the Chargers, who have no problem scoring points will try to stop their opponents from outscoring them. Last season, the Chargers lost several games in the fourth quarter when they could not hold the lead.
Pre-season is mainly for the rookies and free agents that are trying to make the teams but for the Rams and Chargers, it’s also a time to fight for the admiration of the Los Angeles professional football fan.
