[RedAlice]

Week 2 in Washington - after such a great win last week, this is the week we need a solid win to move beyond all of the inconsistencies of last year and look like a real contender.

Game Time: Sunday, September 20th at 1pm EST on Fox

TV Map shows the game being broadcast only in the local team markets. TV Map: http://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2015&wk=2

Rams are currently 3.5 point favorites with a 41 point over/under. (nice!)
http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml

Head Ref: Ed Hochuli
Commentators: Dick Stockton, David Diehl


Last year the week after we beat the Hawks at home, we lost to the Chiefs. We only followed a win with a win one time (week 14) and that was against the Skins in Washington. This year I hope it's the first time of many.

Fact is Washington is bad right now, so we should win this. If Rams play like they did last week, and possibly add in Mason then there is no reason we should lose or even have it close at the end.

Since 2006, Rams are 5-2 v Skins.

Last year the game @ Washington was part of our pair of back-to-back shutouts with a 24-0 score. Rams sacked Colt McCoy six times (and RG3 once), Tavon had a 73 yard punt reurn TD, and Cook scored twice.

One positive for the Skins may be that they are more familiar with Foles since they used to play in the same division, but that was Chip's team and not Fisher's. Something I liked about Cousins in his interview after being named the starting QB was his confidence - he certainly spoke with strength and planned to lead his team after replacing RG3. Welcome to the 2015 Rams Defense, Cousins - hope your introduction has as many sacks as Wilson's did last week.

Rumors are leaking about Gurley playing, and he took reps with the 1st team in practice, but hopefully that is just to mislead and he still sits it out.


Opponent's Fan Forums

Not a lot of chatter from Skins fans, but if you want to check out their thoughts here are a couple links.

Extreme Skins - they have a game day prediction thread and it looks like some Rams fans already interacting.
http://es.redskins.com/forum/10-the-stadium/

Hail Red Skins
http://www.hailredskins.com/vbforum/for ... b95bfc&f=6


Injury Reports Updated

Rams

Probable - CB Johnson, LB Bates
Questionable- RB Mason, RB Gurley
Out - RB Reynolds (knee), DE Sims (knee)

Skins

Probable - CB DeAngelo Hall, T Williams, C Lichtensteiger
Questionable - TE Jordan Reed, OT Compton, OLB Jeffcoat, NT Knighton, T Trent
Out - WR DeSean Jackson, LB Spaight, CB Rogers

[RedAlice]

Something else fun to watch for in this game: Laurinaitis is getting close to Merlin Olsen's Rams Tackle Record.

Last week he was 14 tackles to tie the record, and he logged 7. So, if he gets 7 again this week he will be tie the record.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/ ... les-record

[Hacksaw]

So AZ are you going to be our official game day thread starter? I vote yes. Perhaps add TV maps, game times and betting lines?
Thanks for the info & links.

BTW love that Quinn roar in your avi.

[RedAlice]

Good request - I added the info. Let me know if you think anything else should be added. Included the full injury report as well.

And, thanks on the avi - one of my favorites of him.

[TSFH Fan]

First off, Congratulations to ArizonaBlue for getting the gig as Official Game Day Thread Starter, and confirmed by unanimous vote!

Second, in the spirit of Fake Carson Stadium, I'm going to go with some Fake Political Correctness and refer to this week's opponents as the REDBLACKS. If you're big into the lumberjack culture, and/or if you cut down trees, wear high heels, suspenders, and a bra, and you're offended, well screw you.



So . . . here we have a matchup of the 2012 QB class. (You got a better storyline? Post it then. . . geeze) Nick was the 7th QB drafted in the 2012 draft, Kirk was the 8th QB. To me, there's no doubt which one is better, Nick is better. The pundits/"experts" seem to agree that, basically, more or less, in effect, that Kirk sucks. What's odd is the debate of who's better, the 8th QB of the draft or the 2nd QB of the 2012 draft, RG3. CBS guys seem to say 2-1 Kirk is better http://www.rams-news.com/prisco-kirwans ... s-preview/

Then there's this article:
KIRK COUSINS ISN'T BETTER THAN RGIII
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/14 ... qus_thread

I think you get the conclusion there. Excerpt:

To this point in his career, Cousins has been just as poor as Griffin, without the stretch of great play early on. He may appear more aesthetically pleasing based on how he fails and where he fails from -- something that is surprisingly important to NFL coaching staffs -- but it doesn't mean he offers his offense better service or he gives Washington a better chance to win games.

The article contains the handy passing chart of Kirk's 2014 passes:


To me, it seems like a high proportion of short passing. Last week, Kirk threw 196 yards on 31 attempts -- seems to indicate that, yes, it's about the short passing game over there. Despite the short passing game, Kirk has issues:

It wasn't just that Cousins had the worst rate of interceptable passes -- he was a long way away from being even average. Griffin was close to average, throwing an interceptable pass once every 23.8 attempts, while Cousins threw one once every 11.3 attempts.

I'm thinking the Mob Squad is down in production this week. But, there should be ample opportunities for pics. Last week it was about the front 4, this week could be about the back 7.

I think the Cig offense does enough to win this game, or, alternately, Kirk does enough to help Washington lose the game. On the heels of my brilliant prediction last week of Squaks over Rams (56-6 or 812-4, can't remember), my Wile E. Coyote super genius prediction of this week is Rams 24 REDBLACKS 13




Edit: Worthless fact here -- Kirk is one of three children, Kirk, Kyle, and Karalyne. That's right it's a
KKK family. Yeah, the parents are like ministers, so the initial desire to slap the parents didn't fly for me.

[Hacksaw]

Nice article TSFH. Cousins doesn't really bring the running threat RG2.5 brings and he does remind me a bit of our old Capt Checkdown but he throws more picks. Our secondary should be licking their chops.

So we end up with the better QB (possibly) then what the SunburntEpidermis' are rolling out and we got all those picks. They still have arguably the superior 2nd or 3rd string QB though. Boy did that not work out for them.
Seems anytime you trade more than 3 guys for one, you are leaving yourself wide open for major scrutiny.

BTW lol @ KKK catch

[Elvis]

Rams 3 point road favorites? If i were just picking games and not a Rams fan, i'd like Washington here. How is a perennially bad team like the Rams a 3 point road favorite just because they had a good game in week 1? Seems like a classic overreaction by bettors on just one week of games.

So, seems like a good opportunity for us to be disappointed this week. Which, i think, makes this game a pretty big test. If we play well and beat Washington, especially if we beat them solidly, then we might really be a different team than we've been in a long time...

[Hacksaw]

Our last match-up with them may factor in too.
Your assessment is correct, If it's a drubbin', the SOSAR are on vacation.

[kayfabe]

Something's gotta give then...

Because last week Alfred Morris had 25 rushing attempts vs. Miami (17 in the first half
alone!) but in last year's Rams-Redskins game he only ran 8 times (a career low).
Will the Rams force Washington out of a Morris confort zone once more this year?

So that means Washington may just want to become pass happy. But Washington was
sacked 7 times last year by the Rams. More coming this year?

Finally Miami last week ran a total of THREE times in the first half vs. Washington.
THREE. Versus fifteen pass attempts. With a good runner (Lamar Miller).

So no respect from Miami for Washington's pass D at all. Will Cignetti/Fisher be
so brave as to repeat the same? I recall a game a few years back where Belicheck's
first 21 plays called were all Brady passes. As in, hey if there's a good thing keep
it going.

From the looks of it then could be two teams trying to avoid running the ball, based
on the D's. Might end up being an aerial circus...

(And BTW Elvis I've got the game lined at Rams 23, Washington 20 so a close win
on the road).

[TSFH Fan]