media guys setting up the Washington game

Redskins’ third-down woes on defense hurt them in Eagles game

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/redskins-third-down-woes-on-defense-hurt-them-in-eagles-game/2017/09/13/0611aa34-98b0-11e7-82e4-f1076f6d6152_story.html?utm_term=.2d018245b2e7

By Liz Clarke September 13 at 5:58 PM
After Carson Wentz spun away from two would-be sacks like a 6-foot-5 ballerina to deliver a 58-yard touchdown pass on third and 12, the Washington Redskins only could applaud the Houdini-like elusiveness of Philadelphia’s second-year quarterback.

Had it been a lone, freakishly athletic play, Wentz’s strike to wide receiver Nelson Agholor for the opening score in the Eagles’ 30-17 victory over the Redskins on Sunday probably wouldn’t have warranted tremendous soul-searching.

Instead, it proved a sign of things to come. The Eagles converted 8 of 14 third downs (57 percent) — six coming on third and longs — in handing the Redskins’ their fourth consecutive season-opening defeat under Coach Jay Gruden. (The Redskins’ offense, by contrast, converted just 3 of 11 third downs.)

The Redskins’ third-down defense was a glaring problem amid an otherwise encouraging debut by Greg Manusky’s retooled unit, which kept the team in contention despite four turnovers.

With seven new defensive starters, Washington’s defense held Philadelphia to 58 rushing yards. Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan returned an interception for a touchdown, paring the deficit to 13-7 midway through the second quarter. But at critical junctures, Wentz slipped out of the pocket to complete drive-sustaining throws that kept the score out of reach — including a 12-yard completion on third and 10, a 10-yard completion on third and six and a 30-yard completion on third and 10.

[Analysis: Cousins’s accuracy should be Redskins biggest worry]

Last season, no NFL team fared worse on third-down defense than the Redskins, who allowed conversions 46.6 percent of the time. That failing went a long way toward explaining the team’s 8-7-1 record.

A survey of NFL teams’ records from 2012 to 2016 showed a notable correlation between third-down defense and overall success. NFL teams that held opponents’ third-down conversions under 35 percent won an average of 9.1 games during the regular season.

Teams that allowed third-down conversion-rates of 35 to 40 percent won an average of 8.4 games. Those that allowed 40 to 45 percent conversion rates won 7.4 games. And teams that allowed 45 percent or higher won an average of 5.3 games.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got the rush the passer,” Gruden said Wednesday, asked about the defense’s poor showing on third down. “You can’t give the quarterback time to throw and set his feet like we did. It’s easy for pro quarterbacks to pick you apart and find an open receiver if they have time.”

Redskins pass-rushers showed speed and power in getting to Wentz. Bringing him down proved tougher, although linebacker Preston Smith notched one sack and Kerrigan combined with Matt Ioannidis for another.

Said nose tackle Ziggy Hood: “We did a great job of getting back there to [Wentz]. He just did an even better job of playing backyard football — scrambling around and making plays with his feet. Give credit to him. It was a tug of war match, and we lost a couple of them.”

By Gruden’s count, four Redskins sacks went wanting as a result.

Gruden said he expects Junior Galette, who was on the field for just 16 defensive plays Sunday, to have a bigger role against the Rams. “We’ve got to ease him back to make sure he’s ready to go,” Gruden said of Galette, a feared pass-rusher when he signed with the Redskins in 2015, only to be sidelined the past two seasons by Achilles’ tears. “He’s going to earn his right and get more and more reps. I think next week you’ll see him probably get 25 reps or 30.”

At 6-5 and 237 pounds, Wentz may be more difficult to topple than the average NFL quarterback. But the Redskins face another big quarterback Sunday in the Rams’ 6-4 Jared Goff.

Redskins set to pressure Rams’ Goff after effort vs Eagles

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/09/14/redskins-set-to-pressure-rams-goff-after-effort-vs-eagles/105616090/

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — When D.J. Swearinger looks at Jared Goff so far in 2017 compared to a year ago, he sees a more comfortable quarterback.

Last week, the Eagles’ Carson Wentz looked plenty comfortable under pressure from Swearinger and the Washington Redskins, who know they now have to ratchet things up against the 2016 first overall pick and the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

“We’ve got to disguise, we’ve got to get pressure on him,” said Swearinger, who had one of seven Arizona Cardinals sacks of Goff last season. “If we disguise and get pressure on him and make him uncomfortable, he’ll throw us the ball.”

Getting pressure wasn’t the problem in Week 1 . Sustaining it and making a difference was.

Washington’s more aggressive defense under new coordinator Greg Manusky hit Wentz nine times but had just two sacks to show for its efforts as the 2016 second overall pick scrambled away from or wriggled out of a handful more. When coach Jay Gruden identified the cause of Philadelphia going 8 of 14 on third down, he pointed squarely to the pass rush not getting the job done.

“You can’t give the quarterback time to throw and set his feet that easily like we did,” Gruden said. “It’s easy for pro quarterbacks to pick you apart and find an open receiver if they have time.”

Hit just four times and sacked once in a blowout of Indianapolis, Goff picked apart the Colts for 306 yards and a touchdown on 21 of 29 passing. Manusky notes that Goff’s scrambling ability stood out, and his players understand they’ll face similar challenges against the 6-foot-4, 223-pound blue chip prospect as they did in the opener.

“We just need to keep him in the pocket and rush as one,” defensive lineman Stacy McGee said. “You’ve got to keep them in the pocket and just rush as one because everybody’s talented so anybody can really scramble if you don’t keep the pocket contained.”

Allowing an opponent to convert on 57 percent of third downs is a mark against an entire defense, but the pass-rushers were quick to shoulder the blame. Cornerbacks Josh Norman, Bashaud Breeland and Kendall Fuller were left to cover receivers longer than they should’ve had to, given the amount of rushers.

“The DBs can’t cover for eight seconds,” linebacker Zach Brown said. “That’s really on us. When we don’t get him down, we feel bad because they complete a pass. That’s on us more than the secondary.”

One of the reasons defenders were excited in camp about the switch from former defensive coordinator Joe Barry to Manusky is the propensity for more blitzes. He said the objective against the Eagles was to stop the run — and could happen Sunday against the Rams’ Todd Gurley — and force the pass.

But not every player did his job correctly, so the message this week has been finishing plays and getting Goff to the ground rather than just making him flee the pocket.

“We’ve got to do it together: From a pass rush and from coverage on the back end, I think both have got to tie in hand-in-hand,” Manusky said Thursday. “The guys have got to cover on the back end if we’re playing a zone coverage. The guys up front with the four-man rush have to get after the quarterback.”

With linebacker Junior Galette healthy after missing back-to-back seasons with torn Achilles tendons and players like Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith rushing, the Redskins have the tools to be a strong pressure defense. Brown thinks small tweaks can turn the unit from good to a great, and Norman pointed to execution as the biggest area of need.

“When we have the quarterback wrapped up, we’ve got to bring him down. When we have our hands on the ball, we’ve got to bring that down as well,” Norman said. “You put all that work into getting to that point of attack, and then you’re there, just finish the play. That’s the easy part.”

NOTE: WR Josh Doctson was limited in practice for a second consecutive day with hamstring tightness.

Rams’ McVay to face former boss Gruden, Redskins

https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-mcvay-face-former-boss-gruden-redskins-234845484–nfl.html

Come Sunday afternoon, McVay will try to beat his old boss and continue the Rams’ bold start to the season.

McVay, 31, worked for the Redskins for seven seasons, including the last three as offensive coordinator under Gruden, before being hired by the Rams as the youngest head coach in modern league history.

”Well, honestly I didn’t think he’d get one this quick,” Gruden said with a laugh. ”He’s pretty young, but we had some success on offense and he did great things with (Kirk) Cousins. … There’s a lot to like about Sean once you get to know him. I just didn’t know that people would give him that opportunity at such a young age, but once they started giving him interviews, I figured that he would get one of them, because like I said, he has all of those traits to be a good head coach.”

Naturally, the big focus Sunday will be McVay’s familiarity with the Redskins, particularly with Cousins. While Cousins became a full-time NFL starter and set and broke the franchise record for passing yards under McVay, he had a rough start to 2017 in a 30-17 loss to Philadelphia.

”Coach Gruden taught me a lot of stuff, so I know he’s mixed it up,” McVay said. ”I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He’s taught me a large portion of things that I know and things that we do here, so we’ve got some familiarity with each other. But, I can’t say enough about how much I respect him and what he’s done for my coaching career.”

The mutual admiration will pause for some three hours Sunday.

Some things to watch for when the Rams (1-0) host the Redskins (0-1).

DONALD’S BACK: The three-time Pro Bowler wasn’t at the Coliseum last Sunday after ending his four-month holdout. He’ll start against the Redskins, although it’s not sure how much he’ll play. He’s playing for $1.8 million this season after failing to reach agreement on a contract that likely would have made him the highest-paid defensive player in football. Donald said he learned ”pretty much everything” he needs to know about defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ new 3-4 scheme during his brief time in the offseason program before he began his holdout in May.

UNBALANCED REDSKINS: Considering McVay ran Washington’s offense the past three years, it’s imperative for Gruden to strike a run-pass balance that was lacking in the loss to Philadelphia. The Redskins ran on just 17 of 61 offensive snaps, so little that Robert Kelley couldn’t find any kind of rhythm and the Eagles could focus on stopping the passing game. That won’t work against a Rams defense that tormented the Colts last week, including returning two interceptions for touchdowns and getting a safety.

COUSINS IN FOCUS: While Washington’s offensive line struggling in the opener contributed to Cousins’ two fumbles and there were some drops, his interception and a few errant passes are squarely on his shoulders. Cousins sees his and the offense’s problems as correctable, and Gruden doesn’t sound worried. ”We just have to keep trying to work with him and hopefully drill him in practice and get him better,” Gruden said.

GOFF’S GROWTH: Goff passed for a career-high 306 yards and a touchdown in his first victory as an NFL starter. The best stat? ”No turnovers,” McVay said. ”That’s an outstanding stat to have as a quarterback and then I think he did a great job of distributing the ball. When you see four of your top guys all have over 50 yards receiving, that’s a credit to him and the decision making.” Overall, Goff completed passes to eight receivers.

THIRD DOWN AND OUT: The Redskins’ third-down defense was worst in the NFL last season and allowed Philadelphia to convert on 8 of 14 opportunities last week. Gruden considers the pass rush, or lack of an effective one, an issue along with not wrapping up the quarterback. ”When plays are there, we just need to make them,” cornerback Josh Norman said. ”When we have the quarterback wrapped up, we’ve got to bring him down. When we have our hands on the ball, we’ve got to bring that down as well.”

Practice Report: Getting the Run Game Going and Building on Momentum

Kristen Lago

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Practice-Report-Getting-the-Run-Game-Going-and-Building-on-Momentum/a2dec726-3ec7-4d61-852e-e25e35c51f45

The Rams held a padded practice at Cal Lutheran on Thursday. Head coach Sean McVay characterized the afternoon as a “good, physical practice on both sides of the ball,” leading up to the the team’s Week 2 matchup against Washington. On Friday, the team will return to the field for a final non-padded session.

DEFENSE BUILDING ON MOMENTUM

Under coordinator Wade Phillips, the Rams’ defense got off to a strong start in the team’s dominant 46-9 win over the Colts. But this weekend Los Angeles will face a new challenge in the Redskins. Washington’s offense features several dynamic playmakers including quarterback Kirk Cousins, tight ends Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed, and wide receiver Terrelle Pryor.

On Sunday, the Rams should benefit from the addition of defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who returned to practice for the first time this week.

“It’s good to have Aaron back,” Phillips said. “It’s a good game to get him back, they’ve got a really good offensive line and the quarterback threw for 5,000 yards last year. They’ve got a really good offense, so it will be a challenge for our defense.”

And though Donald has only participated in two practices this season, he has already made an impression on field.

“Aaron is Aaron, still dominant in practice,” running back Todd Gurley said. “Still doing what he does best — dominating. … He’s an incredible player, so his quickness, his speed, you can’t coach or teach that.”

CARRIER DISCUSSES FACING WASHINGTON

Sunday’s game also carries a certain level of familiarity for both the players and coaching staff. Not only will Los Angeles be facing off against McVay’s former team led by head coach Jay Gruden, the defense will also be tasked with taking on a strong tight ends group coached by Phillips’ son, Wes.

“We’re looking forward to this ball game. I mean, we did some good things, but we’re playing a really sound offensive team with a great tight ends coach,” Phillips said with a laugh. “So I’m worried about that.”

Plus, Sunday marks the first time tight end Derek Carrier — who was traded to the Rams from the Redskins earlier this month — will compete against his former coach and teammates.
“At the end of the day, it’s football and it’s a business,” Carrier said. “I just happen to be playing for a different team now. Granted, a bunch of my buddies are still in Washington, but at the end of the day it’s a game and I need to go out there and prepare myself.”

Carrier was brought on as the No. 3 tight end after Temarrick Hemingway suffered a broken fibula during the team’s preseason game against the Chargers. Since then, he has quickly adjusted to McVay’s offense here in Los Angeles and said there has been a lot of crossover in terms of the playbook.

“The core concepts of the offense are fairly similar,” Carrier said. “There’s some verbiage that’s been changed, but it’s just like in any new situation you want to be in the playbook as often as you can for as long as you can, and make sure you know everything moving forward in case your number is called.”

And even though there has been a lot of attention surrounding the matchup between McVay and Gruden, Carrier says McVay has approached Sunday’s contest as he would any other.

“I think Sean’s done an excellent job of keeping the game in focus,” he said. “It’s another game, it’s no different. We just want to prepare ourselves the best that we can to go out there and get ourselves a good shot to win.”

GETTING THE RUN GAME GOING

Quarterback Jared Goff recorded the best game of his NFL career in Sunday’s season opener against the Colts, completing 21 of 29 passes for 306 yards and one touchdown. He also showcased impressive confidence in the pocket and was able to successfully distribute the ball to a variety of receivers including Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp.

And while the Rams’ passing game was effective against the Colts, Los Angeles struggled a bit in the run game. Gurley rushed for just 40 yards on 19 attempts, averaging 2.1 yards per carry. However, there were definite positives to Gurley’s Week 1 performance — he found the end zone for a touchdown and caught five passes for 56 yards.

“It’s always better when you can avoid one or two guys instead of 11 guys,” Gurley said of being used as a receiver. “So it definitely doesn’t get better than that.”

This week against Washington, Los Angeles will look to present a balanced pass/run offense with an emphasis on putting Gurley in the position to succeed.

“We’ve got to do a good job — it starts with me, I’ve got to a better job of giving us cleaner looks in the run game to be able to run with and then we’ve got to be able to execute with those looks,” McVay said Wednesday. “It takes all 11 players. It’s not all on Todd, but we’re going to work hard at that, it’s a big point of emphasis for us and we certainly have to do a better job of giving a special player like him some better looks and it starts with me.”

“We just have to be more physical, whether that’s me or everybody. We just have to do our jobs, go out there and execute,” Gurley said. “At the end of the day I have to win my one-on-ones, the receivers have to win their one-on-ones, the linemen have to win their one-on-ones, tight ends have to win their one-on-ones. So we looked at it, we’ll get it together and come back next week and improve on what we did last week.”

INJURY REPORT

Cornerback Kayvon Webster was sidelined from this afternoon’s practice as he continues to nurse a shoulder injury. Veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth and outside linebacker Connor Barwinreturned to the field in full today after resting on Wednesday, while safety Maurice Alexander was also a full participant.

“So today we had Mo, Connor, and Whitworth were back full participation,” McVay said. “Kayvon was out today with a shoulder, he’s day to day. We’ll reevaluate him tomorrow and have a better idea if he’s questionable for the game.”

Should Webster not be able to play on Sunday, cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman is expected to get the start.

“If Kayvon is not able to go, Nickell will be ready to step up,” McVay said. “A lot of confidence in Nickell — he’s done a lot of really good things throughout the course of camp and he’s had a good week so far.”

Game Preview: Rams to Take On Washington in Week 2

Kristen Lago

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Game-Preview-Rams-to-Take-On-Washington-in-Week-2/d7ecf938-c0a6-4492-bdc5-892dabf4a4ea

Week 2 of the NFL season has arrived with Rams set to take on the Redskins on Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum. The contest carries a certain level of familiarity for both the players and coaching staff, pitting head coach Sean McVay against his former team and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips against his son Wes, Washington’s tight ends coach.

While Los Angeles is coming off of a dominant showing in last week’s 46-9 win over Indianapolis, McVay recognizes the importance of continuing that momentum moving forward.

“I think it’s a step in the right direction,” McVay said of Week 1. “We know it’s one win and now, the true measure of performance is consistency.”

The Rams looked much improved against the Colts, racking up 373 total yards plus two defensive touchdowns and a safety — scoring more than half of the 89 points they produced in seven home games last season. If Los Angeles’ Week 1 performance is any indication, the team should come out strong on Sunday. But it will be up against a strong Washington program coached by McVay’s former boss, Jay Gruden.

“We’ve got 15 more to go, but we’ve got one this week that’s very important,” McVay said. “We said to enjoy it on [Monday] and now when we come back, let’s close that game up and let’s be ready for a great Washington team that I know coach Gruden’s going to have ready to go. They have great players on offense, defense, special teams and it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

McVay was Washington’s offensive coordinator for three seasons prior to joining the Rams, and also served as the team’s tight ends coach and as an offensive assistant, beginning in 2010. His impact on the team was obvious. Last year, Washington’s offense became the first unit in franchise history to average more than 400 yards per game and recorded a record 6,545 yards.

This weekend will mark the first time Gruden and McVay will face off on opposite sidelines since that time. And while each coach is familiar with the other schematically, McVay said the game plan for Sunday’s contest is meant to keep Washington on its toes.

“Jay was a big part of shaping kind of the philosophy that we have and that I have as a play caller, so he’s got a great feel for what we want to be able to do offensively and how we operate,” McVay said. “You always want to kind of have an awareness and an insight on, ‘What have you done?’ That’s where that self-scout is a very important part of what we do as you go throughout the course of the regular season.”

“So, I think it goes hand-in-hand,” he continued. “But Jay’s been such a great mentor to me that he certainly has a good feel for how we want to operate offensively, but you want to try to do a good job, put our guys in good situations on Sunday and hopefully let them execute.”

Defensively, the Rams will be tasked with containing quarterback Kirk Cousins and a series of other dynamic playmakers, including tight ends Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis, along with wide receiver Terrelle Pryor.

But, the defense will benefit from the return of defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald reported to the team last weekend after staying away while the club and his representation negotiated a contract extension.

“Obviously, it’s good to have Aaron Donald back,” Phillips said. “It’s a good game to get him back. … I think it just kind of energized our team and our players that he’s back playing football. He is a great player, but the mental part of it I think helped everybody.”

Donald should add a strong presence to the Rams’ defensive line alongside nose tackle Michael Brockers and defensive end Ethan Westbrooks. The front seven as a whole will look to replicate the disruptiveness it showcased in Week 1 by forcing Cousins out of the pocket and effectively shutting down the run game.

“You know he’s going to make the plays,” Brockers said of Donald. “He’s a special talent that nobody can actually prepare for. So there are going to be some special plays made by him on the field that you can count on.”



Expect cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week, to match up with Pryor while outside linebacker Alec Ogletree should match up well with either Davis or Reed. Each noted the importance of being aggressive early on and executing their coverages effectively.

“He’s a good receiver, strong and physical, tall and fast,” Johnson said of Pryor. “That’s one a lot of guys sleep on. He’s an athlete, converted quarterback to a receiver, but he’s still good. I’m not taking away from any of the other receivers too, but he’s the main one we want to focus on.”

“We definitely have to be able to get our hands on them and try to disrupt their route and disrupt the timing,” Ogletree said. “It starts with getting pressure on the quarterback for one, and if we’re able to do that, I think we will come out pretty well.”

Additionally, with cornerback Kayvon Webster listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, Nickell Robey-Coleman Nickell may start opposite Johnson on the outside.

“I’m excited, I can’t wait,” he said. “Can’t wait to be out there taking some reps with the first team. This is an opportunity for me to step up, make some big plays. Can’t wait to see what happens on Sunday.”

On offense, quarterback Jared Goff had the best game of his NFL career in last week’s win. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 306 yards and a touchdown. He was also able to distribute the ball effectively to a number of receivers. This week, however, Goff will be up against one of the strongest pass rushers in the league in Washington outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan along with a tough Redskins’ defense as a whole.

“I think they’re super athletic,” Goff said. “I think they’ve got really good players, really good talent over there across the board, from the front seven all the way through the secondary. They’ve got a lot of good players and are extremely athletic and long and can make plays all over the field.”

On Sunday, the focus will be on presenting Washington with a balanced offense, emphasizing a run game that was a bit of a struggle for the Rams against the Colts.

“We’ve just got to be more physical — whether me, just everybody,” running back Todd Gurley said. “We’ve just all got to do our job and just go out there and execute. At the end of the day, I’ve got to win my one-on-ones, receivers got to win their one-on-ones, linemen got to win their one-on-ones, tight ends got to win their one-on-ones. So we looked at it, we’ll get it together, and just come back next week and improve on what we did last week.”

Overall, Week 2 should provide an exciting matchup between former colleagues and will test the Rams ability to replicate the positives they displayed in Week 1. The game will kick off at 1:25 p.m. PT.

Rams vs. Washington: Who has the edge?

Rich Hammond

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/15/rams-vs-washington-who-has-the-edge/

RAMS (1-0) vs. WASHINGTON (0-1)
When: Sunday, 1:25 p.m.
Where: the Coliseum
Line: Rams by 2.5
TV/radio: Ch. 11; 710-AM, 100.3-FM, 1330-AM (Spanish)

RAMS OFFENSE vs. WASHINGTON DEFENSE
Good news: the Rams gained 373 yards last week against Indianapolis, fifth-most among all NFL teams. Bad news: the Rams had an average of 1.9 yards per rushing attempt, worst in the league last week. That’s not sustainable. Last week, Washington allowed Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz to pass for 307 yards and two touchdowns, so it’s entirely possible that Rams quarterback Jared Goff will have another big game, but expect Washington to make some adjustments to its pass rush and remember that the Washington coaching staff is very familiar with Sean McVay’s offense. Washington also will have to tighten up on third down, as the Eagles converted 8 of 14 attempts last week. EDGE: WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON OFFENSE vs. RAMS DEFENSE
The Rams’ defense, which contributed 16 points last week and allowed a league-low 10 first downs to the Colts, now gets to plug Aaron Donald into the middle of the line. That sounds like horrible news for Washington, but the Washington offense should be far better than that of Indianapolis, which lacked its starting quarterback and center. Washington features talented quarterback Kirk Cousins and a handful of solid receiving options, but Washington wasn’t very balanced against Philadelphia, getting called 44 pass plays and only 17 run plays. The Rams dealt with a couple minor injuries in their secondary this week, but the addition of a fresh and motivated Donald should be a major boost. EDGE: RAMS

SPECIAL TEAMS
Rams punter Johnny Hekker somehow managed to improve. Hekker, brilliant last season, didn’t get a lot of work against the Colts last week, but he put all five of hits punts inside the Indianapolis 20-yard line, and the Rams’ coverage unit didn’t allow a single return yard. Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein did fine also, as he hit field goals from 50, 35 and 44 yards. Zuerlein hasn’t missed since the start of the preseason. Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins is reliable. He made his only attempt last week (from 33 yards), and in three seasons, Hopkins is 55 of 60 from inside 50 yards. Washington did not break any long kickoff or punt returns last week, and punter Tress Way averaged 40.5 yards per attempt. EDGE: RAMS

COACHING
Is this two sides of the same coin? Rams coach Sean McVay and Washington coach Jay Gruden worked together for four seasons, first in the now-defunct United Football League and then in Washington. They’re close, and know each other’s coaching philosophies inside and out. Gruden has reclaimed play-calling duties, and Washington defensive coordinator Greg Manusky worked under Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in San Diego. The difference is, Gruden has a major edge over McVay in terms of experience, and likely will make adjustments to counter the familiarity factor. EDGE: WASHINGTON

INTANGIBLES
The major question is how do the Rams feel about themselves after last week’s blowout over the Colts? They should feel good, but not too good. The Colts were awful, and Washington will be a tougher, and much more realistic challenge. It’s also a big week for McVay, against his former team. Some Rams players said McVay was “normal” this week, but others said they could tell he was extra pumped up to be facing Washington. Will McVay overthink this game, and second-guess some of his own decisions as a play-caller? He did a good job last week and needs to stay as normal as possible. EDGE: WASHINGTON

MATCHUP TO WATCH
Rams guard Jamon Brown vs. Washington linebacker Mason Foster: The Rams did a lot well on offense last week, but the right side of their offensive line remains a problem, particularly in run blocking. Brown, Washington’s leading tackler last season, had a team-high eight solo tackles last week, and could be a disruptive force against the Rams’ running game, which never got going last week. Rams running back Todd Gurley said he and the line needs to be more physical, and that certainly will be tested against Washington’s 3-4 front and Brown, who helped suppress Philadelphia’s run game last week (58 yards).

PREDICTION: WASHINGTON 21, RAMS 14
Fact is, the Rams aren’t as good as they showed last week, and Washington isn’t as bad as its 30-17 loss to Philadelphia showed. It’s entirely possible that the Rams might duplicate what the Eagles did last week, and have a good day throwing the ball and shut down Washington’s run game, but it’s not going to be easy. Gruden knows McVay’s tendencies and, on defense, the Rams could get exploited by Washington’s tight ends. The Rams’ clearest path to victory is to force more turnovers, and Washington had four fumbles last week, but expect a bounce-back effort from the Washington offense this week.