Washington Remaining NFC West Opponents: Rams, 49ers and Seahawks

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September 1, 2023

by David Earl

The Offseason

We’re now up to the final remaining matchups in my opponent preview series. This column will cover the three games not covered in the NFC West.  For these respective teams’ key offseason moves, click here. None of these teams overwhelmed this offseason, but the Seahawks might have made the most critical move for offensive continuity in extending quarterback Geno Smith. His resurgence last season was not only a remarkable story but his consistency each and every week might have proved he has finally turned the corner as an NFL franchise quarterback. He earned a quarterback rating over 100 in ten of his starts last season while completing over 65% of his passes in eleven starts (eight 70% or greater). Clearly, this will be a key season for Geno to prove whether last season was an aberration or a sign of things to come.

At quarterback position, the 49ers entered the season in the hopes Brock Purdy would be ready to go after his injury, and now, with Trey Lance gone, this franchise is going all in on Mr. Irrelevant. After taking some losses along the defensive and offensive lines, this could be a potential small step-back year for the organization, but they should still maintain a contending team heading into the playoffs. Their defense will still be formidable with Nick Bosa anchoring the defensive line and Fred Warner‘s elite level linebacker play (which is something Washington sadly does not have).

As far as the Rams, the losses they took and the inability to truly recoup those losses because of their cap situation make this team very vulnerable heading into the 2023 season. Matthew Stafford is not getting younger and will play behind a suspect offensive line, which I will cover below. In addition, losing cornerback Jalen Ramsey certainly causes the Rams’ defense to take a hit against their top-ranked coverage secondary. This could very well be a transition season for the Rams and the one AFC West matchup Washington may fair rather well against. So let’s dive into these matchups.

Washington vs Seahawks

  • Washington Defense vs. Seahawks Offense: The Seahawks offense was not a dynamic unit yet was effective in the running game averaging 4.8 yards per carry but they were clearly a passing offense which threw 59.35% of the time. Looking at the sack percentage given up by their offensive line at 7.46% (ranked 23rd) plus a below-average yards per completion of 9.8, they would have been better served having a more balanced attack. Now, entering the 3rd season with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, their offense will most likely be more of the same. This would play into Washington’s defense hand rather well. Having the 2nd rank completion percentage against at 59.92% and a sack rate of 7.72%, Washington matches up well scheme for scheme. With Geno’s minimal mobility, the run game won’t be as dynamic as offenses they will have faced in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Buffalo. Seattle does boast a very strong wide receiver core on Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, and rookie Ohio State speedster Jaxon Smith-Njigba plus a solid dual threat runner in Kenneth Walker III but the trenches here is the key. Washington certainly earns the edge in the trenches against the Seahawks’ line and that’s where I focus this edge. Matchup Edge: Washington
  • Washington Offense vs. Seahawks Defense: Washington won’t be facing the Legion of Boom this season but they are not a unit to take entirely lightly either. While they are susceptible against the run game, they are effective in the pass rush with a 7.38% sack percentage, and allow just 62.57% passes completed against. They will get to the quarterback and that’s important here when considering the status of Washington’s offensive line. Even with the changeover this season, the improvements are marginal at best for a unit allowing 2.8 sacks per game (ranked 25th) accompanied by a running attack that was abysmal at best ranked 28th in the league averaging 4 yards per game. The Bieniemy effect has been noticed this offseason in the passing game but how that will translate into the running game is unknown. With the Seahawks’ defense ranked bottom third in the NFL for turnovers, there is an opportunity for offensive success but, looking at the efficient play of Geno Smith and his wide receivers, I still need to give a slight edge to the Seahawks. Matchup Edge: Seahawks
  • Matchup Conclusion: There are certainly ways for offensive success against Seattle and, if Bieniemy has an efficient to really good quarterback play in Sam Howell at this point in the season, they could or should win this game. However, this game will be in a tough spot for Washington after a close win I projected against the Patriots the week prior and then heading into back-to-back games against division rivals. The ebb and flow of the season will work against Washington this week as I don’t see this offensive line holding up too well at this point of the season. Geno Smith will navigate the pass rush while getting the ball into his big-play receivers’ hands to win this game 23-16.

Washington vs. Rams

  • Washington Defense vs. Rams Offense: There are two aspects of this Rams offense that should concern Washington: Sean McVay and his offensive prowess alongside wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Running back Cam Akers can be a dynamic player for them, but he has not been to this point; plus, their poor offensive line will hamper some of his effectiveness. This Rams didn’t seem to address a huge liability in that offensive line either that ranked 27th in yards per carry average at 4.0 yards per carry and 30th in total rushing first downs per game at 5.2. The Rams are just not a running team as proven with 41.06% of their play calls being on the ground. This shifts into a favorable matchup for Washington’s defense as their combined 6th-ranked sack percentage, at 7.72%, and the 59.92% completion percentage against, ranked 2nd, aligns very well with the Rams pass protection. The Rams’ offensive line allowed one of the worst sack percentages, 10%, which resulted in a 30th-ranked yards per completion (9.0) last season. Even with the explosive play of Cooper Kupp and the play calling of Sean McVay, the Washington defense should force plenty of three-and-outs thus giving their offense good field position throughout the game. Matchup Edge: Washington
  • Washington Offense vs. Rams Defense: The once-feared Rams defense is not exactly what it was entering the 2024 season. Even with Jalen Ramsey on the roster, their secondary allowed a completion percentage against of 67.45% (ranked 29th) and a passer rating of 90.8. The defensive front was barely middle of the road in the pass rush ranked 20th in sack percentage (6.40%) to go along with giving up 4.3 yards per carry against the running game. Now they were, overall, solid against the run but it’s the passing game Washington will most likely try to exploit this Rams defense. As long as they can minimize the effect of star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Eric Bieniemy should find ways to successfully scheme play designs to help a Washington offensive line ranked near the bottom in most statistical categories.  Matchup Edge: Washington
  • Matchup Conclusion: This Rams team is a shell of itself – the mortgaging of the draft capital and high-price salary cap moves have finally caught up to this team. This is clearly a transition season with an aging quarterback in Stafford behind a Rams offensive line that actually graded out worse than Washington’s. Jack Del Rio should not find himself in a position of being forced into a one-dimensional style of play defensively and should be able to attack the passing game with minimal concern of a ground game. For Washington’s offense, this could very well be a showcase of talent by the receiving core as I feel this may be one of their more comfortable wins of the season beating the Rams 32-19.

Washington vs. 49ers

  • Washington Defense vs. 49ers Offense: This matchup all hinges on whether or not quarterback Brock Purdy‘s 2022 season was an aberration. San Francisco’s running game is not only efficient, averaging 4.6 yards per carry plus ranking 8th in the league with rushing 1st downs per game at 7.8, but the addition of Deebo Samuels adds an explosive dynamic. His 5.5 yards per carry understates his ability to break a long 10-plus yard run on any given play. Then, factor in Christian McCaffrey‘s 4.7 yards per attempt and 85 receptions, and the 49ers have as dynamic a running game as Washington will see. If that is not enough the presence of George Kittle at the tight end creates matchup nightmares for this defense. Considering the pass protection for the 49ers was well above league average allowing a 5.91% sack percentage (ranked 11th), this unit, along with Kyle Shanahan’s play designs will help negate most of Washington’s strength in pass rush. Thus, as a result, this game hinges on what Purdy does in his second year and Washington should be hoping the 2022 season was an aberration, not the norm. Matchup Edge: 49ers
  • Washington Offense vs. 49ers Defense: This defense will be one of the best Washington will face. Unless there is some unforeseen improvement on the offensive line it may be a long afternoon for Sam Howell. The 49ers are nearly impenetrable in run defense – they give up an average of just 3.4 yards per attempt and are the hardest team to rush for 1st downs against, allowing only 5 per game. Their secondary is susceptible and allows 65.51% completions against. However, these completions are more of the short variety, averaging 9.6 yards per completion (ranked 7th). It’s the team’s ability to create turnovers, with a league-leading 20 interceptions which resulted in an opposing quarterback rating of 82.1, ranked 4th. There really is no other way to cut: Washington seems too overmatched here with the windows of opportunity are not exactly inspiring to bet on either. Matchup Edge: 49ers
  • Matchup Conclusion: This is a game that will determine if Washington gets 9 wins or suffers another losing season under Ron Rivera. Brock Purdy will have to absolutely implode this year and the offense will have to not turn the ball over in the short passing game in order to pull out a win. The defense could realistically keep the offense in this game for most of the first half but, unless Eric Bieniemy is able to work magic against the 49ers’ defense, that won’t prevent a possible double-digit lead going into halftime for the 49ers. This game could get ugly real quick and may very well send this team into the offseason into major restructuring across the board. The 49ers win this game easily 34-17 and Ron Rivera‘s time as Washington’s head coach will most likely end after the season.