MACOMB, Ill. -- For the Rams, it's all about the start. From 1999 to 2001, the Rams jumped to 6-0 starts each year. During that span, they went to two Super Bowls, won a ring and became the elite franchise of the new millennium.

But that last-second Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in 2002 weighed on them. Mike Martz deflected criticism of the upset loss to New England. Quarterback Kurt Warner couldn't escape questions about his troublesome right thumb. Marshall Faulk drew within a year of 30 years old. Instead of starting fast last season, the Rams stumbled. They lost five straight games to open the campaign. Warner and Faulk were hurt. A late scramble left them 7-9 and wondering.

	Marshall Faulk has combined for 2,000-plus yards in three of his four years with the Rams.

"We dragged a lot of baggage into camp last year, both psychological and real," Martz said. "There was the criticism of the Super Bowl. The real baggage was the unknown … of if they were going to show up on the field or not."

Suddenly, the NFL's best front-runners are accidental tourists in the 2003 Super Bowl race and they are loving every second of it. Veterans are refreshed. Internal optimism abounds, but the pressure is gone. Experts are touting the Bucs or the Packers or the Eagles in the NFC. That's fine by the Rams. The Rams aren't Mike Tyson in his prime needing a knockout or two to reclaim the boxing crowd.

The Rams still have the swagger of Muhammad Ali. Offensive players still float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Tired bodies -- both mentally and physically -- have bounced back. Pick the Rams for the Super Bowl? Maybe. Count them out? You'd be crazy to do that. What's certain is that it will all come down to the start.

"We know what this team is capable of," Warner said. "There was a lot of pressure last year. We went from the team who shouldn't have won it and did to the team that should have won it and didn't. We put so much pressure on ourselves, especially early in the year. We were a little too tight, a little too perfect trying to do this or that and thinking too much."

More than anything, the Rams theme for winning was missing. They won because they had fun. Veterans such as Faulk played as though they didn't have a care in the world. In practice, they worked at a zealous pace and retreated to the tapes to watch how pretty it looked.

Now, no Ram looks more recharged than Faulk. Knee and ankle injuries kept him out of six starts and limited him to 953 yards rushing and 80 catches for 537 yards -- if you want to call that kind of production limited. He's regaining the bounce back in his stride, but he captures the attitude of this new start for the Rams.

"Crap happens in this game," Faulk said. "You've got to have a lot of breaks go your way to win and you have to have some people stay healthy. It's so simple. When it is that way, you feel like you are on top of the world. When it doesn't go your way, you feel like you hit the bottom of the barrel. We've got 10 guys left from that 1999 Super Bowl team. It depends how the young guys and new free agents by into it."

Instead of bringing baggage into camp, the Rams brought a mental clock. Training camp is only 2½ weeks long in Macomb. Lots has to be done. Nine of the 10 two-time Super Bowl veterans -- minus holdout Orlando Pace -- must fine tune their skills. Without Pace, four new starters on the offensive line have to come together. Martz is developing a whole new unit of younger, quicker backup receivers behind Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. Defensive coordinator Lovie Smith is breaking in a young, mobile linebacking corps and a ridiculously young group of cornerbacks.

By Sept. 28, the Rams will either be 4-0 or 3-1 and geared toward the Super Bowl or they will have questions.

"We want to add good pieces to the pot," said Faulk, sounding like a gourmet chef. "If you add good ingredients, it will either make it better or make it taste bad. You just never know. We'll find out like everyone else. But I feel like we have those special ingredients."

Most notable is the improvement at receiver. Bruce and Holt are Pro Bowl caliber play-makers. That's fine. However, the Rams made a mistake last year thinking that Terrence Wilkins could replace Az-Zahir Hakim as the slot receiver. Wilkins never picked up the offense and was cut before this camp. Replacing him is a combination of youth and enthusiasm.

Rookie Shaun McDonald -- listed at 5-foot-10, but is really a tick under 5-9 -- darts and glides through defenses with that flair of Hakim. If nothing else, McDonald is bringing out the best in former Steelers No. 1 Troy Edwards, but it's not out of the question for McDonald to be the third receiver. Rookie Kevin Curtis adds sprinter speed to the outside. Lamar Gordon looks good as Faulk's backup.

"It all comes back to if the offensive line protecting Kurt," Martz said. "If they can sustain blocks, Marshall is going to do well. It's that simple. We've got to keep Kurt and Marshall healthy. The offensive line is the focus of this camp. Potentially, we are very good there. Without Orlando, though, four of the give guys are starting at new positions. This has to come together in training camp."

	“	For three years, we got off to 6-0 starts and there is no doubt in my mind we are going to start out fast. If we get the jump on everybody early and build confidence on that early, it's going to be very, very important.”
		—QB Kurt Warner

It's along the offensive line where this training camp will determine whether the Rams make their September statement. The trade for Kyle Turley was a statement. The Rams want attitude. Turley, a nasty right tackle with the athletic ability to move to the left side, brings a pro wrestling mentality to the unit. He's all tattoos and heavy metal rock. Dave Wohlabaugh looks natural at center. Put them next to right guard Adam Timmerman, a Pro Bowl caliber mauler from South Dakota, and you've got the best union of rock and new wave since the Charlie Daniels band.

"This team is opposite of what I thought about them when I was in New Orleans," Turley said. "Everyone thinks this is a finesse team. This team is very hardnosed. It gets after it in practice. Defensive linemen and offensive linemen bang very hard. Everything is uptempo. The Rams had the rap of being a finesse team. I don't think that's the case anymore."

Adding first-round choice Jimmy Kennedy, a holdout who should sign over the weekend, to the defensive line gives the Rams four first-rounders on their defensive front. Pass-rushing defensive end Leonard Little plays as well as a No. 1, so the Rams could say that they have five aces.

"There is great deal of enthusiasm and passion about the way these guys approach the game," Martz said. "People say we are fast. I don't know now if we are, but that's the way we play. That's why we look for those types of personalities like Turley, Jason Sehorn and others. Those are passionate people who love to play the game. I think this whole camp is critical as far as blending all of those personalities."

Turley's personality can be volatile to a point of internal combustion, which is why the Saints traded him. However, he's fitting in beautifully so far with St. Louis. The Rams offensive line is a close group. It played softball together. The members' families spend time together. Once Pace signs -- which may not happen until late August -- the Rams potentially have the franchise's most talent blocking group since the Chuck Knox days of the late 1970s.

"I'm optimistic that Orlando's holdout won't be a long time," Warner said. "We've got a great offensive line. It's shaping up to be the best offensive line in years. Grant Williams is filling in for Orlando, and he played in a Super Bowl game against us for the Patriots. He's a guy we know who can step in and play. But Pace is something special."

And so is this team. It could be 14-2 or 7-9, depending on the start. September is so important because the Rams play three NFC West division games, including two at home against the 49ers and Cardinals. They open at the Giants. If the Rams start 3-1 or 4-0, they have a bye week to regroup, play two home games and finish up with one of the league's easiest schedules.

"For three years, we got off to 6-0 starts and there is no doubt in my mind we are going to start out fast," Warner said. "If we get the jump on everybody early and build confidence on that early, it's going to be very, very important."

Said Faulk, "You just never know. That's the beauty of it."

Instead of having the baggage from their Super Bowl loss in 2002, the Rams bring a refreshed confidence. The fun is back. They can't wait to play.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.