Push the score aside, because it means nothing. The Rams' 33-10 win over Indianapolis looked great on paper, but paper gets tossed into the recycling bin.

The Chicago Bears were 0-4 in the 2010 preseason and ended up playing in the NFC championship game. The San Francisco 49ers were 4-0 in their 2010 exhibition games and opened the regular season with five consecutive losses, finishing 6-10.

Preseason success can be fool's gold.

That said, two things jumped out to me on Saturday night:

— The Rams' serious and aggressive mind-set. They were surprisingly sharp and in the mood to attack. Head coach Steve Spagnuolo and assistants obviously have ratcheted up the urgency, which is the right approach for the shortened period of preparation. This isn't a normal preseason. This year it doesn't make sense to take the customary, casual approach to these rehearsals.

— The Rams clearly have upgraded their depth. By signing so many free agents, they have more good players and we saw proof of that on Saturday. The Rams still are thin in some areas, especially cornerback. But the team figures to have reinforced reserve strength in 2011. There's obviously more talent at running back, linebacker and both interior lines. And there will be more depth at wide receiver.

The enhanced talent won't be fully maximized if the coaching staff doesn't get the team primed for the real games. The Rams have a young nucleus, a dozen new free-agent additions and a jazzy offense designed by first-year coordinator Josh McDaniels.

A lot of people and pieces and plans must fit by the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against Philadelphia at the Edward Jones Dome. That's why Spagnuolo is trying to make every moment count. Don't forget, the new rules have reduced the number of full-pads practices, and that only raises the difficulty of the challenge of getting the team up to speed.

There is no such thing as a leisurely place. The Rams have to be as sharp as possible. And that means giving more reps and preseason-game snaps to starters and key reserves.

Spagnuolo used quarterback Sam Bradford and other starters (minus running back Steven Jackson) for around 24, 25 snaps against the Colts. The load will increase during Saturday night's home game against Tennessee.

"Going into this next one, I think we want to get the guys a little more work than maybe we would have in the second preseason game in a normal year," Spagnuolo said Sunday.

This increases the risk of injury, but the gamble must be taken. The Rams face a bunch of heavyweights in the first seven games of the regular season. The schedule includes contests against Philadelphia, the New York Giants, Baltimore, Green Bay, Dallas and New Orleans.

A disorganized team could get pulverized early on. And the Rams are trying to ramp it up to take their best shot. And it's the right call to place added importance on the preseason.

Spagnuolo told me that he wants to have a confident team take the field Sept. 11. So he's cranked up the competitiveness and the rate of learning.

"The one thing I said to them, 'In this league there is no on/off switches,'" Spagnuolo said after Saturday night's game. "It should always be on, it doesn't matter who you play, when you play, preseason, regular season. And I thought they did that (Saturday)."

Spagnuolo noticed how many veterans — who saw little game action if any — talked to the young players throughout Saturday's game.

"That tells me a lot about the team and the kind chemistry we're developing," he said.

New backup running backs Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood had impressive debuts.

The Rams signed two wide-body tackles, Justin Bannan and Daniel Muir.

And with new linebackers Brady Poppinga, Ben Leber (who didn't play Saturday) and Zac Diles, the Rams should be sturdier at the point of attack.

Second-year middle linebacker Josh Hull advanced to the point of making veteran David Vobora expendable. Adam Goldberg, previously a starter on the offensive line, now is a premium backup after the signing of free-agent guard Harvey Dahl.

And if some of the wideouts can heal and get busy, the Rams will have more receiving options.

"And there's some experienced depth," Spagnuolo said. "It's not just undrafted free agents, like it might have been the past couple of years. It's guys that have played in the league, some guys that have played pretty good football, and guys who have had real good seasons. And so now they're here and they're battling for spots, and it's increased the competition. It's really good for the team."

And then there's rookie tight end Lance Kendricks. I'm guessing those who ripped the Rams for drafting Kendricks in the second round are seeing the light. Kendricks will be a big part of a diverse, complex and more ambitious passing game concocted by McDaniels.

And seeing Kendricks running around Saturday and making plays was evidence of how well Bradford and his mates are absorbing the sophisticated McDaniels offense. Bradford, who wants to be a more emphatic leader in his second season, is setting the standard with his overtime study sessions.

"Sam is such a perfectionist and he wants everything to be right," Spagnuolo said. "There's certainly a lot more that we could be putting in, but we've gone at a good pace, which is important to do. We're putting a lot on them, and they're handling it. I like how we're progressing, and hopefully we'll keep building on it."

It's only the preseason, but the Rams won't slow down. They can't afford to. And that's why Spagnuolo is wisely cultivating a regular-season mind-set in the heat of the preseason summer.