Game Preview, Week 5: Rams at Washington
October 9, 2020
by Steve Thomas
It’s clearly impossible to get through even one week with The Team Formerly Known as the Redskins without controversy; in that spirit, on Wednesday, this week’s prime topic became the benching of Dwayne Haskins in favor of new starter Kyle Allen, with veteran Alex Smith being bumped up to the backup role. This likely means that the Haskins era in DC has come to a permanent close, with Allen being given a shot to prove that he can handle the job going forward. Very few people give Washington a realistic shot to actually win this game, but it’s certainly possible for a variety of reasons; also, if Washington wants to stay in the race for first place in the mighty NFC East, they need to turn around the three game losing streak and get another W. At a minimum, they have a better chance at a victory than they did last week against the Ravens, so read on to learn everything you ever wanted to know about the Rams at Washington.
Game time & location: Sunday, October 11, 2020, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fed Ex Field, Waldorf, MD; no fans
Television: FOX
Television announcers: Brandon Gaudin, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver
TV broadcast map: click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Washington radio network: click here
Rams radio network: click here
Satellite radio: XM: 233 (Wash. broad.) Sirius: 108 (Wash. broad); internet: 831 (Washington broad.)
Redskins roster: click here
Redskins depth chart: click here
Rams roster: click here
Rams depth chart: click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Rams: 24 – 11 – 1 (last 10: 5 – 5) (streak: 2 – 0)
Last meeting: W, September 17, 2017, 27 – 20
Early odds: Rams, -7
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
The Kyle Allen Experience needs to work
New starting quarterback Kyle Allen needs to come out strong against the vaunted Rams defense, highlighted by perhaps the best defender in the NFL, Aaron Donald, and one of the NFL’s best corners, Jalen Ramsey. Washington needs Allen to be able to operate this offense at a higher level than was done in the first quarter of the season in order to effectively compete against as talented of a team as the Rams. 17 points isn’t going to cut it, and Allen having a lousy game will have the added bonus of once again throwing the fanbase into a feeding frenzy of chaos as a result of this week’s benching of Haskins.
Make Jared Goff inefficient
The Rams offense is run-based, but they use the run to set up their short, west coast-style play action passing attack. Washington’s defense will need to figure out a way to make this system less effective, because if they don’t, the Rams will likely march up and down the field in fairly deliberate style all day long. Goff excels as long as he isn’t asked to do too much, which is why former Redskins coordinator turned Rams head coach Sean McVay uses this type of offensive system. So, this means that a key to victory is keeping Goff from doing what he does best. Washington needs to blitz him, alot, whether its Chase Young back out there or not, and make Goff uncomfortable. He’s not a total statue, but he’s also not really a scrambler, so if Washington’s pass rush is the real thing, then they should be able to get to him.
Washington needs to get its running game going
The Rams’ defensive weakness is their run defense. Unfortunately, Washington’s rushing attack is . . . pedestrian . . . to say the least. One way or the other, though, Washington needs to take advantage of this weakness and not have to rely on new guy Kyle Allen to continually throw against the likes of Jalen Ramsey all day in order to give them a chance to win. The run game needs to figure out how to get rolling this week.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
Aaron Donald vs the Wes Martin and Geron Christian
Donald is the best defender in the NFL. He might be the best player on either side of the ball. Unfortunately, the left side of Washington’s line has been less than stellar this year, and that’s where Donald normally resides. Martin and Christian will therefore be tasked with keeping Donald from both terrorizing Kyle Allen and putting Washington’s attempt at a run game to an end. This is a very important matchup to keep an eye in.
Terry McLaurin vs. Jalen Ramsey
This is the probably the premiere matchup in the game. McLaurin is an elite receiver, and he has to face yet another elite corner in a season in which he’s faced a whole series of them. McLaurin has done well essentially against every corner he’s faced, but Ramsey is on a different level. Regardless of the outcome of the game, if you can only focus on one matchup, this is the one to watch.
Kupp is the Rams’ most productive receiver. He usually plays out of the slot, so that leaves him primarily to Moreland, which is a matchup that probably favors Kupp. The Rams primarily rely on short passes, quick passes, and slants off of play action, and this sort of offense puts Kupp front and center. Therefore, Jimmy Moreland’s performance against him becomes of critical importance to Washington’s chances to hold the Rams to a reasonable point total that Washington’s thusfar anemic offense can overcome. Keep an eye on this matchup and watch whether Moreland can keep him from being an impact player in this game.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (as of Friday (active roster only)) (starters in bold)
LP – limited practice FP – full practice DNP – did not practice
NIR – not injury related Q – questionable O – out
D – doubtful NL – not listed
| Washington | Rams |
| TE M. Baugh, NIR; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | DL A. Donald, NIR; Wed: DNP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| WR D. Inman, foot; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | OL B. Evans, shoulder; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| WR T. McLaurin, thigh; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | LB M. Kiser, groin; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| G W. Schweitzer, elbow; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: FP; game: Q | T A. Whitworth, NIR; Wed: DNP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| WR S. Sims Jr., toe; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: to IR; game: O | LB K. Young, knee; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP |
| CB G. Stroman, foot; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | RB C. Akers, ribs; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| DE C. Young, groin; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; game: Q | S J. Fuller, shoulder; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| DT J. Allen, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | CB T. Hill, ankle; Wed: NL; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| LB C. Holcomb, knee; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; game: Q | DT M. Brockers, toe; Wed: NL; Thurs: NL; Fri: LP |
| C C. Roullier, knee; Wed: NL; Thurs: NL; Fri: DNP; game: Q |
TEAM STATISTICS
Washington:
Washington’s offensive stats aren’t really getting any better as the season progresses. Former starter Dwayne Haskins’ 300+ yard performance against the Ravens helped at least a little bit, but Washington is still currently 30th in points scored, 28th in total yards, 30th in rushing yards, 31st in rushing yards per attempt, and 24th in passing yards. They are the worst team in the league on third down, converting at a rate of just 33.33%. For his part, Haskins had a cumulative quarterback rating of 80.3, which is ranked 29th, and a completion percentage of 61%, which is 27th. Rookie Antonio Gibson has posted a 4.2 yards per carry average, which is better than the team as a whole, whereas star receiver Terry McLaurin is 5th in the NFL in receiving yards and 7th in targets.
Washington’s defensive numbers remain noticeably better than their offensive stats. Despite the three losses and the three straight games where the opponent has scored more than 30 points, Washington is amazingly, somehow, ranked just 22nd by that metric. This is no doubt due to their success against the Eagles in week 1. They are 8th in total yards surrendered, 6th in passing yards, 12th in passing yards per attempt, 24th in rushing yards surrendered, and 19th in rushing yards per attempt. Washington has also been good on third downs, allowing opponents to convert on 39.29% of their attempts, which is ranked 8th in the NFL.
Record: 1 – 3 (3rd) (Home: 1 – 1); NFC: 1 – 1)
All-time franchise record: 604 – 606 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 30 (points) / 28 (total yards) / 30 (yards per game) / 30 (yards per play) / 24 (passing yards) / 28 (passing yards per att.) / 30 (rushing yards) / 31 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 79 |
| Yards per game | 301.8 |
| Passing
|
146 att (11th); 89 comp; 61.0% comp per. (27th); 6.4 Y/A; 838 net yds; 4 TD; 3 Int |
| Passing leader | Haskins (146 att, 939 yds (18th), 61.0% comp perc (27th), 4 TDs / 3 Int, 80.3 QB rating (29th)) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (387 yds (5th), 39 tgts (7th), 26 rec (10th), 1 TDs, 14.9 YPC) |
| Rushing | 103 att (19th); 369 yds; 3.6 Y/A; 92.3 Y/G (30th); 6 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Gibson (44 att (29th), 186 yds (30th), 3 TDs, 4.2 Y/A (28th), long 20) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 13 / 28 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 28:09 / 25 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 33.33% / 32 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 69.23% / 10 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 22 (points) / 8 (total yards) / 7 (yards per game surrendered) / 10 (yards per play) / 6 (passing yards) / 12 (passing yards per att.) / 24 (rushing yards) / 19 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 112 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 338.2 |
| Opponent’s passing | 126 att (8th); 81 comp; 64.3% comp perc. (9th); 7.3 Y/A; 834 net yds; 7 TDs; QB Rating 88.1 (8th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 118 att (24th); 519 yds; 4.4 Y/A; 6 TDs; 129.8 Y/G (23rd) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 14 / 4 / Young (2.5) |
| Tackles leader | Bostic (37) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 5 / 5 / Fuller (2) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 39.29% / 8 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 61.54% / 17 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 14.4 Y/R (31st), 5 returns, long 20 yards (31st), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 4.5 Y/R (27th), 12 returns, long 19 yards (13th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 15.5 Y/R (2nd), 2 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 5.8 Y/R (9th), 10 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 47.1 Y/P (12th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 8 / 6 / -2 / 23
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 19 / 11
Rams:
The Rams are a rushing team first – they have had 134 rushing attempts so far, which is 3rd-most in the NFL, but are not quite as successful on each attempt, posting just 4.2 yards per attempt, which is ranked 19th. For his part, Jared Goff has a cumulative quarterback rating of 108.1, which is 8th in the league, and a 72.1% completion percentage (6th), so that provides the Rams a very efficient passing offense when they use it. They have only made 122 passing attempts, which is ranked 27th. They have been very good on third downs, converting at a rate of 51.92%, which is is ranked 4th in the league. They are average in the red zone, ranked 15th in touchdown efficiency, and are ranked 14th in points scored.
Defensively, the Rams have surrendered 80 points, which is ranked 6th, and 14th in total yards, 10th in passing yards, and 18th in rushing yards. Notably, the Rams are allowing 5.0 yards per rush (28th), so that may give Washington’s poor rushing attack a chance to contribute more than they have been to date – this is a weakness on weakness event. The Rams defense is fairly average on third downs and in the red zone, ranked 13th and 12th, respectively.
Record: 3 – 1 (2nd); Away: 1 – 1; NFC: 3 – 0
All-time franchise record: 580 – 570 – 21
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
14 (points) / 7 (total yards) / 7 (yards per game) / 7 (yards per play) / 13 (passing yards) / 5 (passing yards per att.) / 7 (rushing yards) / 19 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 106 |
| Yards per game | 397.2 |
| Passing | 122 att (27th); 88 comp; 72.1% comp per. (5th); 8.7 Y/A; 1020 net yds; 6 TDs; 2 Int |
| Passing leader | Goff (122 att, 1063 yds (13th), 72.1% comp per. (6th), 6 TDs / 2 Int, 108.1 QB rating (8th)) |
| Reception leader | Kupp (297 yds (16th), 28 targets (31st), 23 rec (15th), 2 TDs, 12.9 Y/C) |
| Rushing | 134 att (3rd); 569 yds; 4.2 Y/A; 142.3 Y/G (7th); 7 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Brown (45 att (27th), 182 yds, 2 TDs, 4.0 Y/A, long 19 yds); Henderson (43 att, 223 yds (24th), 2 TDs, 5.2 Y/A (11th), long 40) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 6 / 10 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 31:26 / 9 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 51.92% / 4 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 62.50% / 15 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 6 (points) / 14 (total yards) / 13 (yards per game surrendered) / 12 (yards per play) / 10 (passing yards) / 7 (passing yards per att.) /18 (rushing yards) / 28 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 80 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 353.2 |
| Opponent’s passing | 151 att (25th); 98 comp; 64.9% comp per. (11th); 6.7 Y/A; 919 net yds; 5 TD; QB Rating 84.0 (5th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 99 att (12th); 494 yds; 5.0 Y/A; 4 TD |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 12 / 7 / Donald (3.5) |
| Tackles leader | Kiser (32) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 4 / 13 / Williams (2) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 40.43% / 13 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 56.25% / 12 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 21.8 Y/R (16th), 5 returns, long 41 yards (9th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 8.0 Y/R (16th), 3 returns, long 9 yards (28th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 26.1 Y/R (26th), 8 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 12.5 Y/R (29th), 4 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 51.8 Y/P (2nd) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 5 / 6 / +1 / 18
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 13 / 3
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com