Feature: 
Edward Jones Dome
courtesy of ChrisYunker
Last season the Redskins played the Rams in St. Louis in week four, and the Redskins won to move to 3-1 on the season. If you remember that game at all the Redskins won because their defense was about to sack Sam Bradford seven times and limit Stephen Jackson to 45 yards rushing. In week one this season the Rams played the Lions and Sam Bradford ended up being sacked three times. The Rams were not a good team last season, and aren’t likely to be that much better this season. It is in many ways puzzling that after beating a Saints team that didn’t lose a home game all last season at home that many are still picking the Redskins to lose to a Rams team that only won two games total.
With the Redskins front seven matched up against the Rams offensive line this game should go much the same way as last season’s did defensively. Orakpo, Kerrigan, Bowen, and Carriker might as well go ahead and set up residence in the Rams backfield. The Rams should struggle to get going offensively. Their only hope is for Stephen Jackson to have a good game in order to keep the Redskins defense off balance enough to give Bradford time to pick apart the Redskins weak secondary, but if the Redskins were able to handle Drew Brees and the Saints offense then their is no chance they should struggle against the Rams.
The Rams defense last season ranked 21st in the NFL allowing 5.6 yards a play. When broken down the Rams defense ranked seventh in the NFL against the pass allowing 206.3 yards a game, but ranked 21st against the pass in yards per completion allowing 12.2 yards. Against the run is where the Rams defense really struggled allowing 152.1 yards a game. The second worst in the NFL. The Redskins last season with their poor running game were able to run all over the Rams. If Alfred Morris and RGIII even play half as well as they did against the Saints they should be able to put up yards against the Rams, and because of the Rams offense comparative to the Saints RGIII doesn’t have to play as well this week as he did last.
Nothing is for certain in the NFL and road games are tough to win, but the Redskins last season were a better team than the Rams, and greatly improved in two of their weakest areas by adding RGIII and a number of receivers. If Garcon cannot play this weekend that changes things slightly, but only so much as Robinson was able to step in last week and provide Griffin with the target he needed to continue to put up points against the Saints. After their performance last week the Redskins should win this game. It could probably be said that they should win this game if they put Grossman back at quarterback. The Rams are not a good football team.
All of this being said the Redskins could lose. The Rams could stuff Stephen Jackson down the throats of the Redskins and if he is successful running the ball it will both give the Rams points and keep RGIII off the field. The Redskins offensive line has yet to be tested. The Saints were playing without their coaching staff and without many of their key defensive players. If they can adjust to the different looks RGIII will give them than they could be able to force him into some rookie mistakes. The pose that RGIII has displayed thus far has made many forget that he is a rookie. He will make mistakes, and perhaps those mistakes end up costing the Redskins a game they should win, but it is doubtful that it is this one.
An interesting post! like it!