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Game at Washington is a ‘Must Win’ for Rams
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/09/18/game-at-washington-is-a-must-win-for-rams/
The Rams under head coach Jeff Fisher have tantalized us before.
Good football, inspired effort, an upset win, raised hopes, then … poof.
A few examples:
2012
The Rams defeated Arizona to improve their record to 3-2, then lose three in a row.
The Rams rallied later in the season and get their record to 6-6-1 … then lose at home by 14 points to a betting-line underdog Minnesota.
Earlier in the schedule, the Rams were a 3.5-point favorite at home against the NY Jets but lost by 14.
The Rams won on the road at Tampa Bay to even their record at 7-7-1 and have a chance at a winning season _ then went down in the final game at Seattle to finish 7-8-1.
2013
The Rams opened with a late-comeback win over Arizona at home … and promptly lost three consecutive games. After winning the next two games to level the record at 3-3 … yep, another three-game losing streak made worse by QB Sam Bradford’s season-ending knee injury.
The ’13 Rams were persistent, and later managed to win at Tampa Bay to lift their record to 7-8. But another losing record went in the books with a closing loss at Seattle. Not that there’s anything disgraceful about losing at Seattle, but a missed opportunity sealed a 7-9 finish.
2014
Entering the season opener as a 3.5-point favorite to defeat Minnesota at home, the Rams were trounced 34-6.
After winning on the road at Washington to improve to 6-7, the Rams returned home as a 4.5-point favorite over an Arizona team that started third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley. And with the defense holding the Cardinals to four field goals in that Thursday-night game, a putrid Rams offense couldn’t get going in a dreadful 12-6 setback. And next came a 10-point home loss to the NY Giants; the Rams were favored by 4.5 points. All part of a final record of 6-10.
OK, then.
Will 2015 be different? Has the team’s young-core nucleus learned from the missteps of the past?
After demonstrating impressive tenacity in reacting blowing an 11-point lead at home to Seattle in last week’s season-opener at the Edward Jones Dome, the Rams pressed on for a 34-31 victory. The Rams prevailed despite losing the turnover edge 3-1, giving up a punt return for a touchdown, and getting burned for a defensive TD on a strip-sack fumble.
The inspirational triumph set the Rams up for a 2-0 start. Fisher’s Rams have never gone 2-0 to launch a season but are in excellent position to make it happen Sunday at Washington.
I’m not saying that a win over Seattle means that the Rams are now an elite squad, or that they are on , their way to an 11-win season.
I’m not overlooking the Rams’ flaws or questionable areas that include an inexperienced offensive line that allowed 17 total quarterback pressures against Seattle.
I’m certainly not suggesting that the Rams are so superior to the Redskins that we’d be stunned or even surprised by a losing outcome at FedEx Field. There’s so much parity in the NFL, with many teams clumped together and trying to move beyond mediocrity. Few upsets qualify as shocking.
All of that aside, the Rams have to win this game.
I consider it a “Must Win” situation.
Not that a loss would wreck their season. Not that a loss would lead to doom and despair. Obviously, if the Rams come home with a 1-1 record, they’d have plenty of time and opportunities to rebound.
It’s a Must Win for several reasons:
They’re better than Washington and have been installed as a 3.5-point favorite.
The Rams thumped the Redskins at FedEx Field last Dec. 7.
The Rams are 21-27-1 under Fisher, which is nothing special. But since making the playoffs in 2012, the Redskins are 7-26.
tre mason
Rams RB Mason is listed as questionable heading into Sunday’s game.
The Rams have issues and problems, but Washington is downright dysfunctional.
The Rams are the healthier team. They’ll have more running backs available for Sunday’s game. Though first-round draft choice Todd Gurley and last year’s leading rusher Tre Mason are officially listed as “questionable” on the Friday injury report, at least one should be good to go to share the work load with Benny Cunningham. Starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson should be ready to return to the lineup after being cleared through the league’s official concussion-protocol process. The Rams’ most significant absence is defensive end Eugene Sims (knee.) The Redskins will be without big-play wide receiver DeSean Jackson (hamstring), starting safety Duke Ihenacho (wrist, IR), and cornerback Chris Culliver (NFL suspension.)
The Rams’ failure to climb to .500 or higher in 2013 and 2014 could be attributed, at least in part, to instability at the quarterback position.
Nine starts by Kellen Clemens, eight by Austin Davis, eight by Shaun Hill, and seven by Bradford. Going into this contest the Rams have a quarterback they coveted in Nick Foles. A quarterback that already has established himself as a leader in the eyes of the coaches and players. A quarterback that they quickly signed to a contract extension. And a QB who played valiantly in the win over Seattle, unfazed by the Seahawks’ disruptive pass rush to make big plays when the Rams needed to be pulled from the edge of defeat.
The Rams appear to be improved on offense; time will tell. But in quarterback Kirk Cousins’ last five starts the Redskins are 1-4 and averaged 16 points per game. (And that’s with DeSean Jackson.) Cousins is 2-8 as an NFL starter.
With Jackson unavailable to give the Washington offense a deep threat, the Redskins likely will depend even more heavily on RB Alfred Morris, who rushed for 125 yards vs. Miami last week. Morris is an effective runner, but a limited passing game should enhance the Rams’ opportunity to shut him down. And Rams’ defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who is very creative at disguising coverages, may be able to exploit Cousins’ tendency to get rid of the ball quickly. Cousins may see an open receiver who really isn’t open. Williams will set traps.
In the 17-10 loss to Miami, the Redskins’ offensive line did a solid job of keeping Cousins clean from the pass rush. But the Redskins’ interior line struggled, and now they’ll have to deal with Aaron Donald and the Rams’ quick defensive tackles.
Really, the Rams have a terrific opportunity to bag their first 2-0 start in Fisher’s four seasons.
And they need it. By going 2-0, the Rams can churn some momentum going into a tough three-game stretch that features next Sunday’s home game against Pittsburgh, followed by road games at Arizona and Green Bay. A 2-0 record doesn’t represent a safe cushion, but you don’t want to see this team sitting at 1-1 and looking at a possible 1-4 start. If the Rams are 2-0, they’d still be OK if they lost the next three games. (I’m not predicting three consecutive losses; I’m just pointing to the worst-case scenario as a possibility.)
More than that, the Rams need to build some equity with their fan base.
The Rams can’t let themselves down, or the fans down.
The Rams can’t trip themselves in D.C. , disappoint the fans, deflate the optimism, and revive the “Same Old Rams” chorus.
This isn’t a road game at New England or Seattle; it’s a trip to a stadium where visiting teams have gone 12-5 over the last two-plus seasons. If the Rams have indeed improved, if they are in fact more prepared to dispose of beatable opponents, then this is exactly the kind of game they should capture.
Rams fans came into the season with plenty of reasons to be disillusioned. There’s the 11-season streak of non-winning records, the 10 consecutive seasons of failing to make the playoffs, justifiable distrust of owner Stan Kroenke, and the morale-draining possibility of the team moving to Los Angeles.
The victory over Seattle stirred the enthusiasm. The crowd at The Ed was loud and supportive, and the TV ratings for the opener were up by 20 percent compared to last season’s first game. Despite the fans’ considerable anger and frustration with the chronic losing, the antagonistic and uncommunicative owner and the threat of losing the franchise, we sense a willingness to embrace this team if the Rams can entertain and win.
This doesn’t mean a 2-0 start will suddenly fill The Ed, or motivate fans to book reservations for the Super Bowl. But a 2-0 start would not only give this team more credibility _ it would give the fans a reason to believe, a reason to come back, and a reason to focus on something positive instead of brooding over Kroenke.
It would be a start.
A 2-0 start.
Instead of wasting the opportunity created by the triumph over Seattle, the Rams must signify that 2015 can and will be different and better than the sorrowful seasons of the past.
The Rams must win this game.
Thanks for reading … (and have a fantastic weekend.)
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz
http://www.101sports.com/2015/09/18/game-at-washington-is-a-must-win-for-rams/
The Rams under head coach Jeff Fisher have tantalized us before.
Good football, inspired effort, an upset win, raised hopes, then … poof.
A few examples:
2012
The Rams defeated Arizona to improve their record to 3-2, then lose three in a row.
The Rams rallied later in the season and get their record to 6-6-1 … then lose at home by 14 points to a betting-line underdog Minnesota.
Earlier in the schedule, the Rams were a 3.5-point favorite at home against the NY Jets but lost by 14.
The Rams won on the road at Tampa Bay to even their record at 7-7-1 and have a chance at a winning season _ then went down in the final game at Seattle to finish 7-8-1.
2013
The Rams opened with a late-comeback win over Arizona at home … and promptly lost three consecutive games. After winning the next two games to level the record at 3-3 … yep, another three-game losing streak made worse by QB Sam Bradford’s season-ending knee injury.
The ’13 Rams were persistent, and later managed to win at Tampa Bay to lift their record to 7-8. But another losing record went in the books with a closing loss at Seattle. Not that there’s anything disgraceful about losing at Seattle, but a missed opportunity sealed a 7-9 finish.
2014
Entering the season opener as a 3.5-point favorite to defeat Minnesota at home, the Rams were trounced 34-6.
After winning on the road at Washington to improve to 6-7, the Rams returned home as a 4.5-point favorite over an Arizona team that started third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley. And with the defense holding the Cardinals to four field goals in that Thursday-night game, a putrid Rams offense couldn’t get going in a dreadful 12-6 setback. And next came a 10-point home loss to the NY Giants; the Rams were favored by 4.5 points. All part of a final record of 6-10.
OK, then.
Will 2015 be different? Has the team’s young-core nucleus learned from the missteps of the past?
After demonstrating impressive tenacity in reacting blowing an 11-point lead at home to Seattle in last week’s season-opener at the Edward Jones Dome, the Rams pressed on for a 34-31 victory. The Rams prevailed despite losing the turnover edge 3-1, giving up a punt return for a touchdown, and getting burned for a defensive TD on a strip-sack fumble.
The inspirational triumph set the Rams up for a 2-0 start. Fisher’s Rams have never gone 2-0 to launch a season but are in excellent position to make it happen Sunday at Washington.
I’m not saying that a win over Seattle means that the Rams are now an elite squad, or that they are on , their way to an 11-win season.
I’m not overlooking the Rams’ flaws or questionable areas that include an inexperienced offensive line that allowed 17 total quarterback pressures against Seattle.
I’m certainly not suggesting that the Rams are so superior to the Redskins that we’d be stunned or even surprised by a losing outcome at FedEx Field. There’s so much parity in the NFL, with many teams clumped together and trying to move beyond mediocrity. Few upsets qualify as shocking.
All of that aside, the Rams have to win this game.
I consider it a “Must Win” situation.
Not that a loss would wreck their season. Not that a loss would lead to doom and despair. Obviously, if the Rams come home with a 1-1 record, they’d have plenty of time and opportunities to rebound.
It’s a Must Win for several reasons:
They’re better than Washington and have been installed as a 3.5-point favorite.
The Rams thumped the Redskins at FedEx Field last Dec. 7.
The Rams are 21-27-1 under Fisher, which is nothing special. But since making the playoffs in 2012, the Redskins are 7-26.
tre mason
Rams RB Mason is listed as questionable heading into Sunday’s game.
The Rams have issues and problems, but Washington is downright dysfunctional.
The Rams are the healthier team. They’ll have more running backs available for Sunday’s game. Though first-round draft choice Todd Gurley and last year’s leading rusher Tre Mason are officially listed as “questionable” on the Friday injury report, at least one should be good to go to share the work load with Benny Cunningham. Starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson should be ready to return to the lineup after being cleared through the league’s official concussion-protocol process. The Rams’ most significant absence is defensive end Eugene Sims (knee.) The Redskins will be without big-play wide receiver DeSean Jackson (hamstring), starting safety Duke Ihenacho (wrist, IR), and cornerback Chris Culliver (NFL suspension.)
The Rams’ failure to climb to .500 or higher in 2013 and 2014 could be attributed, at least in part, to instability at the quarterback position.
Nine starts by Kellen Clemens, eight by Austin Davis, eight by Shaun Hill, and seven by Bradford. Going into this contest the Rams have a quarterback they coveted in Nick Foles. A quarterback that already has established himself as a leader in the eyes of the coaches and players. A quarterback that they quickly signed to a contract extension. And a QB who played valiantly in the win over Seattle, unfazed by the Seahawks’ disruptive pass rush to make big plays when the Rams needed to be pulled from the edge of defeat.
The Rams appear to be improved on offense; time will tell. But in quarterback Kirk Cousins’ last five starts the Redskins are 1-4 and averaged 16 points per game. (And that’s with DeSean Jackson.) Cousins is 2-8 as an NFL starter.
With Jackson unavailable to give the Washington offense a deep threat, the Redskins likely will depend even more heavily on RB Alfred Morris, who rushed for 125 yards vs. Miami last week. Morris is an effective runner, but a limited passing game should enhance the Rams’ opportunity to shut him down. And Rams’ defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who is very creative at disguising coverages, may be able to exploit Cousins’ tendency to get rid of the ball quickly. Cousins may see an open receiver who really isn’t open. Williams will set traps.
In the 17-10 loss to Miami, the Redskins’ offensive line did a solid job of keeping Cousins clean from the pass rush. But the Redskins’ interior line struggled, and now they’ll have to deal with Aaron Donald and the Rams’ quick defensive tackles.
Really, the Rams have a terrific opportunity to bag their first 2-0 start in Fisher’s four seasons.
And they need it. By going 2-0, the Rams can churn some momentum going into a tough three-game stretch that features next Sunday’s home game against Pittsburgh, followed by road games at Arizona and Green Bay. A 2-0 record doesn’t represent a safe cushion, but you don’t want to see this team sitting at 1-1 and looking at a possible 1-4 start. If the Rams are 2-0, they’d still be OK if they lost the next three games. (I’m not predicting three consecutive losses; I’m just pointing to the worst-case scenario as a possibility.)
More than that, the Rams need to build some equity with their fan base.
The Rams can’t let themselves down, or the fans down.
The Rams can’t trip themselves in D.C. , disappoint the fans, deflate the optimism, and revive the “Same Old Rams” chorus.
This isn’t a road game at New England or Seattle; it’s a trip to a stadium where visiting teams have gone 12-5 over the last two-plus seasons. If the Rams have indeed improved, if they are in fact more prepared to dispose of beatable opponents, then this is exactly the kind of game they should capture.
Rams fans came into the season with plenty of reasons to be disillusioned. There’s the 11-season streak of non-winning records, the 10 consecutive seasons of failing to make the playoffs, justifiable distrust of owner Stan Kroenke, and the morale-draining possibility of the team moving to Los Angeles.
The victory over Seattle stirred the enthusiasm. The crowd at The Ed was loud and supportive, and the TV ratings for the opener were up by 20 percent compared to last season’s first game. Despite the fans’ considerable anger and frustration with the chronic losing, the antagonistic and uncommunicative owner and the threat of losing the franchise, we sense a willingness to embrace this team if the Rams can entertain and win.
This doesn’t mean a 2-0 start will suddenly fill The Ed, or motivate fans to book reservations for the Super Bowl. But a 2-0 start would not only give this team more credibility _ it would give the fans a reason to believe, a reason to come back, and a reason to focus on something positive instead of brooding over Kroenke.
It would be a start.
A 2-0 start.
Instead of wasting the opportunity created by the triumph over Seattle, the Rams must signify that 2015 can and will be different and better than the sorrowful seasons of the past.
The Rams must win this game.
Thanks for reading … (and have a fantastic weekend.)
