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Playing the Odds: Which Ram will score the first TD at SoFi Stadium?

His name will be the answer to a future trivia question: Who scored the first Rams touchdown in SoFi Stadium?

And we could be less than two months away from finding out.

But unlike previous seasons – where the odds-on favorite would have been Todd Gurley, who scored 70 times in five campaigns in Horns – this year's field is fairly level.

Cooper Kupp would be a leading candidate, having finished second on the 2019 roster in rushing and receiving touchdowns with 10, including one in each of the Rams final five contests.

That streak went overlooked because of an even more prolific December authored by Tyler Higbee… in just about every regard except scoring touchdowns (only one in the last four outings). Nonetheless, entering his fifth season, Higbee would be a solid choice.

Then there's Robert Woods, who owns the distinction of hauling in the final Rams touchdown at the Coliseum, helping Los Angeles put away Arizona in Week 17. SoFi Stadium was already on his mind 24 hours later, in late December, when he told me, "I can't wait to get in that stadium. I need to drive by and pick my corner of the end zone; I'm scoring first."

As for the backs, carries for the opener are difficult to forecast before training camp helps establish the depth chart. Can rookie Cam Akers earn the trust of a coaching staff he's yet to work with in person? Is Darrell Henderson poised to break out as an NFL sophomore? Malcolm Brown would be the safest and most predictable choice. Might the veteran get the starting nod against the Cowboys in September? He did score the first Rams touchdown of 2019 at Carolina.

Of course, there's always the possibility that Jared Goff finger rolls one over the crossbar. He has a rushing score in each of his professional seasons – two each in 2018 and 2019.

If you're searching for long odds and great value, we're still awaiting Andrew Whitworth's first touchdown as a Ram. He secured a one-yard pass from Carson Palmer back in 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. It remains his only NFL touchdown. Etching his name in SoFi Stadium history would be an auspicious start to his age-39 season.

Finally, Aaron Donald is so overdue that he's now lobbying for red zone opportunities. Sean McVay has thus far been reluctant to unleash the most unstoppable force in football on offense. Perhaps Donald's patience will pay off on the goal line against the Cowboys.  

Let's just hope it's at the end of the first Rams drive.

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