The Washington Redskins are taking on the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 of the 2017 NFL season. We caught up with a Rams expert to get the inside scoop on their team.
On Sunday, the Redskins are taking on the Los Angeles Rams in a game that will be a big test for the team. After losing their season opener to the Eagles, the team has to avoid starting the year 0-2 again. The Redskins have a talented team, but they need to put everything together to beat up on the Rams.
Of course, the big story of this game is that the Redskins will be taking on the team of their former offensive coordinator Sean McVay. The youngest head coach in league history, McVay had been Jay Gruden’s offensive coordinator for three seasons prior to taking the Rams job. Now, he will get an early chance to beat his mentor, and he certainly will have a chance to do so.
The two teams coming into this game are in different places. The Rams are looking to start a surprising 2-0 and inspire their new fan base to attend games. Meanwhile, the Redskins are looking to avoid disaster while Gruden looks to avoid the hot seat. Both want a win, and neither side will go down without a fight.
With all of that said, we still wanted to get to know the opponents a bit better. We took the time to catch up with Dan Parzych of Ramblin’ Fan, a Los Angeles Rams site. We asked him five questions about the game, and here’s what he said about the contest.
Offensive Questions
Riggo’s Rag: How has Jared Goff looked so far in Sean McVay’s offense?
Ramblin’ Fan: So far, Jared Goff seems to be getting more comfortable with each game he plays, but the true test will be this weekend against the Redskins. As good as Goff looked for the Rams in Week 1, everyone knows it was a lot easier to succeed with all of the injuries the Indianapolis Colts were dealing with on defense. But with all of the new weapons he has to work with in players like Cooper Kupp and Sammy Watkins, the excuses Goff was able to get away with last year as a rookie won’t work this time if the struggles come back.
RR: What are your expectations for Todd Gurley in this game?
RF: Hopefully, Todd Gurley can finish with a much better performance this time around, although it was good to see him play a big part in the passing game. Still, the Rams will need to figure out a way to help him get those rushing yards up since he barely averaged over 2 yards per carry against the Colts.
For the sake of the offense, let’s hope Gurley can figure out a way to return to his dominant rookie level, and put together a few 100-yard rushing games unlike last year.
Defensive Questions and Prediction
RR: How will Aaron Donald’s return impact the Rams defense?
RF: Having Aaron Donald back is going to be huge for the Rams’ defense, even if he is held to limited actions. Even if he struggles with getting to the quarterback, the extra attention he could receive from the Redskins could help open the way for others. There’s a reason why Donald led the league with 31 quarterback hits last year, and despite missing key time in the preseason, hopefully the defensive superstar wastes no time making an impact.
RR: Do you foresee the Rams secondary having any trouble covering the Redskins receiving weapons?
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RF: This is going to be a good test for the Rams, despite how impressive they looked last week against the Colts. While T.Y. Hilton is always a dangerous threat, this Redskins teams has a lot more talent at receiver, especially when it comes to Terrelle Pryor.
Last weekend’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, it was clear Kirk Cousins was doing everything he could to get Pryor involved as much as possible in the passing game, and everyone knows his numbers could have been much higher if it wasn’t for some of those key drops.
RR: What do you think the final score of this game will be and why?
RF: I think this is going to be a close battle when looking at all of the extra factors going into it. Sean McVay facing his team this early in his first season as head coach will hopefully provide the players to perform with a little extra motivation, but also the Redskins realize they can’t afford to fall to 0-2. I predict a close one, Rams 31-24.
Next: 5 Bold predictions for Redskins vs. Rams in NFL Week 2
Special thanks to Dan for taking time to answer our questions! Be sure to check out all the great content on Ramblin’ Fan and here at Riggo’s Rag.