Los Angeles Rams vs. Washington Redskins
What’s Up Ramily?! Ah, so not what we had hoped for or what I predicted for Week 2. The Rams didn’t come out looking as good as they did in the season opener, but we all knew the Redskins would be a more difficult opponent. This week, the Rams hit the road for their first away game of the season to take on the 49ers and I’ve got a few notes about the upcoming matchup.
Offense
Jared Goff didn’t look nearly as polished as he did in Week 1. He finished the game going 15 of 25 for 224 yards with one touchdown, a fumble before halftime and a costly game ending interception. He struggled this week to connect with his wideouts which made for some poor production down the field. Gerald Everett had an impressive reception in the second quarter where he looked like he would take it in for a score, but was run down before making it into the endzone.
Todd Gurley, however, had his best game in recent history. He was able to get it going on the ground rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and added three receptions for 48 yards and another touchdown. This performance looked like a flashback of rookie Todd Gurley, reminding us of his talent and how important he is to this offense.
Overall, the offense looked as though they took a step back, but not all hope should be lost. Yes, they came up short against the Redskins, but it was a tough matchup against a pro bowl level quarterback and for a while it looked like they had a real chance at starting 2-0 for the first time in 16 years. If they want to be successful against the 49ers, Goff will need to take better care of the ball and channel his week one confident self, as they take on their first divisional opponent. Although the 49ers have started the season off 0-2, their losses have come against the Seahawks and Panthers, who are arguably better than either of the two opponents the Rams have faced. The 49ers defense has only given up 12 points and 23 points in two games, so the Rams’ offense will definitely have its work cut out for it.
LA Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
Defense
The biggest talk of week two for the Rams defense was having Aaron Donald back on the field for the first time this season. In his post-game interviews, he explained that he was unhappy with his performance. He said he just needed to get the jitters out because he was thinking too much. Even with the team losing, the Rams’ defense didn’t look bad at all and they still are the saving grace of this team.
Against the 49ers, the defense should have it a little easier as the 49ers have scored just 12 points in two games. With that being said, the Rams defense needs to improve on their performance in Week 2 and keep the Niners struggling offense in check. They allowed a massive 229 yards on 39 carries last week, so their front seven needs to be more stout and control the line of scrimmage.
Game Prediction
I am once again giving the Rams the W here. I don’t think they will win by a lot but they need this win against a divisional opponent and I think they can do it. Sorry Tracy, but I think the Rams will be walking home with the WIN.
[NFL-Rams-footer]Photo Credits:
- Aaron Donald on wikimedia commons by Keith Allison
- Jared Goff on wikimedia commons by Jeffrey Beall
- Todd Gurley on flickr by Christina VanMeter
