Rams to open season on Monday Night Football with road game against the 49ers

The NFL is not wasting any time putting the Rams in the spotlight.

They play their season opener against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on “Monday Night Football” on Sept. 12.

The home schedule starts with the Seattle Seahawks, and the return to the Coliseum of former USC coach Pete Carroll, and ends with the Arizona Cardinals and the return of former USC quarterback Carson Palmer.

The Rams play the Cardinals, Seahawks and 49ers at home and away in NFC West matchups.

They also play teams from the NFC South, the AFC East and the Detroit Lions of the NFC North.

Only five of their opponents had winning records last season — the Cardinals (13-3), Seahawks (10-6), Carolina Panthers (15-1), New England Patriots (12-4) and New York Jets (10-6).

Four opponents made the playoffs, including the Panthers — who lost to Denver in the Super Bowl — Patriots, Cardinals and Seahawks.

The Rams are scheduled to play the next three seasons at the Coliseum while their new Inglewood stadium is under construction. The Rams and USC play on the same weekend at the Coliseum twice — in Week 5, when the Rams play the Buffalo Bills, and Week 9, when Cam Newton and the NFC champion Panthers come to town.

Here is a game-by-game look at the schedule:

Sept. 12: at San Francisco, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN) — New Coach Chip Kelly makes his debut with the 49ers. The burning question: Will quarterback Colin Kaepernick be running his offense?

Sept. 18: SEATTLE, 1 p.m. (Ch. 11) — Carroll is back in the Coliseum, where he restored USC to a college football power. The Rams swept the Seahawks last season.

Sept. 25: at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. (Ch. 11) — New Rams cornerback Coty Sensabaugh is probably looking forward to this game. Last season with the Tennessee Titans, he intercepted Jameis Winston’s first pass and returned it for a touchdown.

Oct. 2: at Arizona, 1:15 p.m. (Ch. 11) — The Rams defeated the Cardinals last season at University of Phoenix Stadium. Nick Foles passed for three touchdowns but finished the season on the bench.

Oct. 9: BUFFALO, 1:15 p.m. (Ch. 2) — Coach Rex Ryan goes Hollywood. Bills receiver Robert Woods had a record-setting USC career in the Coliseum.

Oct. 16: at Detroit, 10 a.m. (Ch. 11) — The Rams requested an Eastern time zone game in this spot so they would not have to return home before heading to London the next week. The Lions are coping with the retirement of receiver Calvin Johnson.

Oct. 23: vs. New York Giants at London, 6:30 a.m. (NFL) — The Rams are in London for the first time since losing to the Patriots in 2012. They face cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who left them to sign a $62-million free-agent contract.

Oct. 30 — Off.

Nov. 6: CAROLINA, 1 p.m. (Ch. 11) — The Panthers went 15-1 during the regular season in 2015. Newton presents the Rams defense and new middle linebacker Alec Ogletree with the ultimate challenge.

Nov. 13: at N.Y. Jets, 10 a.m. (Ch. 11) — New Rams defensive lineman Quinton Coples, a 2010 first-round pick, gets a chance to show his former team he fits better in a 4-3 scheme.

Nov. 20: MIAMI, 1 p.m. (Ch. 11) — If Carson Wentz or Jared Goff is under center for the Rams at this point in the season, he will not be happy to meet Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Nov. 27: at New Orleans, 10 a.m. (Ch. 11) — Former Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, the franchise’s all-time leading tackler, awaits his old team after being released.

Dec. 4: at New England, 10 a.m. (Ch. 11) — Coach Bill Belichick bolstered the defense by adding former Rams end Chris Long. Tom Brady will test the Rams’ reconfigured secondary.

Dec. 11: ATLANTA, 1:15 p.m. (Ch. 11) — Quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones are the stars of a team that got off to a 5-0 start and then lost seven of the next eight games in 2015.

Dec. 15: at Seattle, 5:15 p.m. (Ch. 4, NFL) — Rams pulled off an uncommon feat with a 23-17 victory last season at CenturyLink Field. Case Keenum was under center.

Dec. 24: SAN FRANCISCO, 1:15 p.m. (Ch. 11) — If the Rams draft Goff, the Marin County native might be playing against his favorite childhood team.

Jan. 1: ARIZONA, 1:15 p.m. (Ch. 11) — Palmer plays in the Coliseum for the first time since clinching the 2002 Heisman Trophy against Notre Dame.

Follow Gary Klein on Twitter: @LATimesklein

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