Rams-Redskins Post Game Media Coverage

[RamBill]

Rams back at square one after flat loss to Redskins
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...ack-at-square-one-after-flat-loss-to-redskins

LANDOVER, Md. -- Forget the goodwill the St. Louis Rams earned with an upset victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. Toss away, for now at least, the hopes that something would be different this time around.

In search of a second consecutive victory to start the season for the first time since 2001, the Rams offered a sobering performance Sunday more reminiscent of the past decade than the heyday of the Greatest Show on Turf. The result was a 24-10 loss to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field that dropped St. Louis to 1-1 on the season.

The loss was especially disturbing for those who had hoped the win against Seattle was a sign of the Rams turning the corner toward contending rather than the latest example of playing well against a team they've given trouble to in recent seasons.

From the moment Sunday's game started, it was abundantly clear the Redskins viewed the meeting as a desperate situation. Washington didn't want to fall to 0-2 with two home games against middling opponents. The Rams looked the part of a team that was riding the coattails of a big win and hoped that would be enough to carry them to victory.

The Rams sleepwalked through the first 30 minutes as Washington outgained them 239 to 72 and posted 11 first downs to the Rams' four. Washington's run game, a point of emphasis for the St. Louis defense all week, gashed the Rams repeatedly, rushing for 115 yards on 12 carries in the first half. Worse, any time the Rams defense managed a stop, it found itself right back on the field as Washington had the ball for 19:07 in the first half.

By the time the Rams finally woke up in the third quarter, it was too late and the hole was too deep to climb out of.

Before the season, many probably would have thought a 1-1 start for the Rams was a reasonable expectation. But those same people probably would have expected the Rams to lose to Seattle and beat Washington. That they did it the other way around might be disappointing, but it shouldn't be surprising.

This is the same Rams team that has knocked off teams like Seattle, Denver and Indianapolis in recent seasons only to turn around and lose to the likes of Tennessee and the New York Giants. That inconsistency has been the calling card of Jeff Fisher's team since he arrived in 2012 and has led to a steady diet of mediocrity in the final tally.

With so much football left to play this season, things could still change. But two weeks in, it looks like more of the same for the roller-coaster Rams.

 

[RamBill]

Rams Suffer 24-10 Setback at Washington
By Myles Simmons

View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Suffer-24-10-Setback-at-Washington/9512981c-4fcb-4c2c-bb07-bc449db64fea


LANDOVER, Md. -- The Rams had a disappointing outing offensively and defensively, dropping their second contest of the season to Washington, 24-10.

The home team used a strong rushing attack to control the ball and the clock, amassing 368 total yards, including 182 yards rushing. And it was rookie Matt Jones leading the way for Washington, racking up 123 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns.

On the other hand, the visitors mustered only 67 yards rushing and 213 yards of total offense, gaining only 11 first downs. The time of possession battle was lopsided as well, with St. Louis holding the ball for only 22:16.

Washington got on the board first with a touchdown on its second possession. Poor run defense from the Rams allowed the home team to get into the end zone in just three plays. Running back Alfred Morris took a handoff 35 yards to the left for a big gain. A play later Jones ran it over the left side for a 39-yard touchdown, putting Washington up 7-0.


Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins hit a 46-yard field goal to make it 10-0, but the home team wasn’t done in the first half. After an offensive holding penalty, the Redskins had a 1st-and-15 at the St. Louis 48. But Jones wiped that out with a 25-yard run to the right, putting Washington in scoring position at the visitors’ 23. A few plays later, Kirk Cousins hit Pierre Garçon with a short pass to the left for a touchdown, giving Washington a 17-0 lead.

The Rams had a tough time moving the ball throughout the first half, finishing the first two quarters with only 72 total yards. Their best chance to score came after a Washington 18-yard punt gave St. Louis the ball at their opponents’ 45. Nick Foles completed a pass to Jared Cook for 14 yards on 3rd-and-10, but time expired before the Rams could get up to the line to kill the clock.

The defense got back on track to begin the second half, forcing a three-and-out. Aaron Donald and Lamarcus Joyner had key tackles for loss on the drive.

Washington’s punt put the Rams at their own 32, but the offense got a couple quick first downs. Tavon Austin got the possession started with a 16-yard end around to the left, and Tre Mason followed that up with a 13-yard run up the middle.

Though the drive stalled with a false start penalty, a 9-yard pass from Foles to Benny Cunningham on third down put St. Louis in field-goal range. Greg Zuerlein nailed his 52-yard attempt to get the Rams on the board, making the score 17-3.

The defense then came up with a big turnover, as Robert Quinn punched the ball out on a Jones run, giving St. Louis the ball at its own 49. Mason got the possession going with an 11-yard run. And then Foles dropped back with a play-action fake, and hit Kenny Britt in the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown. The scoring strike cut into the lead once again, with St. Louis down 17-10.

But Washington got back on the board in the fourth quarter, aided by a few Rams penalties. A 3rd-and-13 situation turned into a 3rd-and-8 due to a neutral-zone infraction penalty. Cousins converted that with a 10-yard pass to Chris Thompson. Later in the drive, St. Louis committed a facemask penalty to put Washington in the red zone on the 15. A few plays later, Jones ran around the left side for a 3-yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 1-1 on the young season. They’ll be back in action next week at home against the Steelers.

 

[RamBill]

Slow start costly in Rams' 24-10 loss
• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_c4fe361d-7289-5e65-ba48-0c8c81e714b4.html

For the Rams, the wake-up call came a bit too late on Sunday.

After spotting the Washington Redskins a 17-0 halftime lead, the visiting Rams rallied — but not quite enough — in a 24-10 loss at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

Both teams are 1-1.

The Rams host the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) Sunday at noon at the Edward Jones Dome.

The Redskins, who failed to hold a 10-0 lead in a 17-10 loss to visiting Miami to open the season, closed out the victory over the Rams with an 11-play, fourth-quarter touchdown drive that covered 74 yards and took nearly seven minutes off the clock.

Rookie Matt Jones scored on a 3-yard run with 2:38 left for the game's final score. It was the second TD of the day for Jones, a third-round draft pick from Florida. He finished with 123 yards rushing on 19 carries.

Key plays on the the drive included a 29-yard pass from Kirk Cousins to tight end Jordan Reed on a a key third-and-five play from the Washington 30. A facemask call on the Rams' Robert Quinn also aided the Redskins.

Cousins completed 23 of 27 passes (85.2 percent) for 203 yards as the Redskins rolled up 373 total yards to 213 for the Rams.


RAMS DEFENSE STEPS UP; WASHINGTON UP 17-10

After a three-and-out from the defense to start the second half, the Rams got on the scoreboard with a 52-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein with 9:33 to play in the third quarter. The drive, which featured solid runs from Tavon Austin (16 yards) and Tre Mason (13 yards), stalled when tight end Lance Kendricks was called for false start.

The defense helped out again, forcing the game's first turnover when defensive end Robert Quinn knocked the ball from Matt Jones' hands and T.J. McDonald recovered near midfield.

Two plays later, the Rams faked the end around to Tavon Austin and scored on a 40-yard bomb from Nick Foles to Kenny Britt. After the play, Britt was called for taunting, a 15-yard penalty assessed on the kickoff.

The extra point from Greg Zuerlein made it 17-0 with 7:01 to play in the third quarter.

A reminder: Washington led 10-0 last week against visting Miami and ended up losing 17-10.

There were a flurry of penalties late in the third quarter. In fact, Rams' punter Johnny Hekker was forced to kick on three successive plays, thanks to the yellow flags.

REDSKINS UP 17-0 AT THE HALF

Washington stretched its lead to 17-0 with a 12-play, 82-yard drive capped by a 4-yard scoring pass from Kirk Cousins to Pierre Garcon. The drive, which took nearly eight minutes off the clock, featured the power running of Alfred Morris and rookie Matt Jones.

On the touchdown pass, Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins argued that Garcon pushed off to create separation, but to no avail.

Averaging 46.2 per kick on six attempts, punter Johnny Hekker has been the busiest player for the Rams, who didn't run a play in Washington territory until a poor punt by the Redskins' Tress Way allowed them to take possession at the Washington 45 in the final minute of the half.

Some quick halftime numbers:

• Kirk Cousins, who is 2-8 as a starter in the NFL, has completed 12 of 14 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. His run support has been sensational: rookie Matt Jones has rushed nine times for 80 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown while Alfred Morris has 52 yards on eight carries.

• Nick Foles has completed just seven of 16 passes for 59 yards. Tre Mason has four yards on four carries. TE Jared Cook has three catches for 33 yards, but he's also dropped a pair of passes.

REDSKINS UP 10-0 AFTER A QUARTER

The Redskins grabbed the lead midway through the opening quarter when rookie Matt Jones, a third-round draft choice from Florida, broke free down the left sideline for a 39-yard touchdown with 7:05 to play in the first quarter. It was the first career touchdown for Jones. Dustin Hopkins' kick made it 7-0.

The touchdown came just two plays after a 34-yard burst from Washington's top back, Alfred Morris.

Washington stretched the lead to 10-0 in the final minute of the opening quarter when Hopkins booted a 46-yard field goal. The kick, with 53 seconds left in the quarter, was the first NFL field goal for Hopkins, a Florida State product who was signed earlier this week after cutting veteran Kai Forbath.

The key play on the scoring drive was a 35-yard pass from Kirk Cousins to speedster Ryan Grant, who got behind the Ram's Janoris Jenkins for the big gainer.

MASON ACTIVE, GURLEY IS NOT

Coach Jeff Fisher kept the Todd Gurley suspense going all week, but as expected, the first-round draft pick from Georgia was among the Rams inactives Sunday at Washington.

But another Rams running back, second-year man Tre Mason, made his season debut on the opening series against the Redskins. Mason missed last week's season opener against Seattle because of a hamstring injury.

Other Rams inactives: WR Brian Quick, QB Sean Mannion, RB Chase Reynolds (knee), OT Darrell Williams, OG Cody Wichmann, and DE Eugene Sims (knee). For Quick, it's his second week in a row on the inactive list.

He's fully healthy from shoulder surgery, but has become victim of the game- day numbers game with Fisher preferring to have Bradley Marquez as the team's fifth wide receiver because of his special teams value.

As expected, linebacker and special teams ace Daren Bates is active after missing the Seattle game with a knee injury. Same with CB Trumaine Johnson who left in the first half against the Seahawks with a concussion. Also active for the Rams is rookie offensive tackle Andrew Donnal, who was inactive last week.

For Washington, QB Robert Griffin III and WR DeSean Jackson (hamstring) are among the team's inactives. So are CB Justin Rogers, LB Martrell Spaight, OG Spencer Long, OT Tom Compton, and OG Arie Kouandjio.

(Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.)

 

[RamBill]

Jim Thomas ‏@jthom1

Just back from Rams locker room. Fisher said Jenkins' knee injury is nothing serious. Foles said he got ankle rolled up but nothing serious.

No magic answers from Rams locker room. "We knew that in order for us to win the game we were going to have to run it, stop the run....and get off the field on third down. And we didn't do any one of those with any consistency."

That was from Fisher at his press conference.

Some Rams defenders said they were surprised by Washington rookie RB Matt Jones.

 

[F. Mulder]

Jim Thomas ‏@jthom1


Some Rams defenders said they were surprised by Washington rookie RB Matt Jones.

That's stupid. Either Gregg Williams didn't know the type of runner he was or the Rams don't watch tape. He's another big boy who won't go down by arm tackles but with game tackles. I honestly think the Rams looked disinterested in tackling him. I've read that book before.

 

[Walter]

That's stupid. Either Gregg Williams didn't know the type of runner he was or the Rams don't watch tape. He's another big boy who won't go down by arm tackles but with game tackles. I honestly think the Rams looked disinterested in tackling him. I've read that book before.

Interesting, I knew to pick him up in fantasy. I must be football smarter than Williams. I kid...I kid

 

[RaminExile]

So Brian Quick can't get a game day uniform because of a guy on special teams even though one of our other special teamers (Reynolds) is out anyway so he's not really replacing anyone? If he's not up to match speed just say it...he'll get there with a few more weeks work.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Some Rams defenders said they were surprised by Washington rookie RB Matt Jones.

Why? Surely they scouted him for the draft...
I'll bet the players know about the #2 RB's for AZ, SEA and SF.

I may be overreacting but this is concerning.

 

[snackdaddy]

Well, the skins have a rookie RB contributing. Wish we had that.

 

[wolfdogg]

To suggest that it takes more than a couple series to "wake up" because you realize the home team you're playing isn't going to lay down is a horrible excuse for a team and an even worse assumption by a reporter.

What I don't understand is why over the past 2 weeks I see multiple dline back ups playing on crucial downs even after they give up a big conversion. Last week, there were 3 backups in on a 3rd and 2 play that gave the first down. Williams needs to adjust to a good halfback when he sees one and either put the defense in a better--lower risk--defense for the situation, or have better players on the field.

 

[ramsince62]

To suggest that it takes more than a couple series to "wake up" because you realize the home team you're playing isn't going to lay down is a horrible excuse for a team and an even worse assumption by a reporter.

What I don't understand is why over the past 2 weeks I see multiple dline back ups playing on crucial downs even after they give up a big conversion. Last week, there were 3 backups in on a 3rd and 2 play that gave the first down. Williams needs to adjust to a good halfback when he sees one and either put the defense in a better--lower risk--defense for the situation, or have better players on the field.

Ummm, not to mention an offense that couldn't score more than a single TD.

 

[RamBill]

Jeff Fisher talks after the 24-10 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Watch Fisher's Post Game Presser

 

[RamBill]

Nick Foles talks to the media after the 24-10 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Watch Foles Presser

 

[RamBill]

Washington jumped out to a 17-point advantage and went on to post a 24-10 victory over St. Louis on Sunday afternoon at FedExField.

Watch Rams-Redskins Highlights

 

[RamBill]

Jeff Fisher Says Rams Have Themselves to Blame for Loss to Redskins. He talks with Steve Savard and D’Marco Farr after the game.

Listen to Fisher's Comments

 

[RamBill]

Rams show up flat, get run over by Redskins
From: AP
http://www.bnd.com/sports/nfl/st-louis-rams/article35918955.html#storylink=cpy


So here's a nearly certain way to beat the Rams: Get the NFL to schedule a game against St. Louis right after it faces NFC West rival Seattle.

Dating to 2005, the Rams are 2-15 in regular-season games immediately following a matchup with the Seahawks.

The latest such loss came Sunday, when the Rams fell into a big hole, failed repeatedly on third down, gave up 123 yards and two touchdowns to Washington rookie running back Matt Jones, and were beaten by the Redskins 24-10.

No matter what the numbers say, St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher insisted his club did not have any sort of letdown after its 34-31 overtime victory over the two-time reigning NFC champion Seahawks in Week 1.

"Not at all," Fisher said. "We had a really good week. I mean, it's fair to assume that, but we guarded against it and we had a great week of practice."

Perhaps. But the Rams (1-1) came out flat-as-can-be against Washington (1-1), trailing 17-0 at halftime. It's the first time the Redskins shut out an opponent over the first two quarters since an Oct. 2, 2011, game against St. Louis.

Nick Foles was out of synch, overthrowing receivers, underthrowing receivers and simply flat-out throwing the ball nowhere near receivers. He finished 17 for 32 for 150 yards and said he was OK after a defender rolled up on his lower left leg on the Rams' final drive.

"He missed a lot of opportunities," Fisher said, "but I can't say (if) it's Nick, or his receiver or if it was a breakdown in protection."

Foles' take?

"I know it's simple," he said, "but we just did not execute."

The Rams' first six possessions each ended with a punt, and the seventh — which marked their first trip across midfield — petered out when the first-half clock expired.

In all, St. Louis was 2 for 12 on third-down conversions.

"We knew that in order for us to win the game we were going to have to run it, and stop the run, and get off the field on third down," Fisher said, "and we didn't do any one of those with any consistency."

Jones, a third-round draft pick out of Florida, scored from 39 yards in the first quarter, and from 3 with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the fourth.

"He ran like his hair was on fire today," Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said.

The Redskins finished with a 182-67 edge in rushing yards.

"If you don't stop the run against that team, it's going to be a long day, because that's what they do well," Rams defensive lineman Chris Long said. "Our strength — rushing the passer — we never got to do it."

The Rams only had two sacks, after getting six against Seattle.

Tavon Austin had a team-high 40 yards on four carries for the Rams, but the Redskins kicked the ball away from him on punts, never allowing the speedy returner to try to take one back.

Tre Mason's season debut was a quiet one, with seven carries for 26 yards, while first-round draft pick Todd Gurley was inactive again as he returns from knee surgery.

And yet, with all their problems, the Rams pulled within 17-10 in the third quarter when Foles connected with Kenny Britt on a 40-yard touchdown pass two plays after Jones fumbled.

Kirk Cousins — 23 of 27 for 203 yards, one TD and zero interceptions — led a 12-play, 77-yard drive that ate up more than 6 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter and was capped by Jones' second score, basically sealing the victory.

"We feel," Mason said, "like we are a better team than that."

Notes

When St. Louis beat Washington 24-0 last season, Fisher tweaked the Redskins during the pregame coin toss, sending out six players acquired via the trade that allowed Washington to pick Robert Griffin III second overall in the 2012 draft. This time, Fisher went with captains such as Foles; Griffin, meanwhile, was not even in uniform, inactive as the No. 3 QB behind Cousins and Colt McCoy.

 

[RamBill]

Rams notes: Mason's back, but running game struggles
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_14c3b0d7-334b-57ff-92d2-acc61793940f.html

LANDOVER, MD. • Not even the return of Tre Mason could do much to help the Rams’ ailing running game Sunday against Washington.

Mason made his season debut and started after missing the opener against Seattle with a hamstring injury. But the Rams managed only 67 yards on the ground and got only 26 of those yards from true running backs.

Mason finished with 26 yards on seven carries, while Benny Cunningham had zero yards on just one carry. Mainly through end-around plays, wide receiver Tavon Austin accounted for 40 yards rushing on four carries.

(Quarterback Nick Foles accounted for the Rams’ other rushing yard on a scramble.)

Last week, the Rams had only 76 yards rushing, so in two contests this season they have a total of 143 yards, not much better than the 123 yards posted by Washington rookie Matt Jones on Sunday afternoon.

The Washington defensive front didn’t leave much in the way of running lanes, with 354-pound nose tackle Terrance “Pot Roast” Knighton helping to clog up the middle.

“It’s a team game,” Mason said. “If one man doesn’t do his job then a whole play can go wrong. We just need to get back to practice, work on the little things, the little details, and get things corrected.”

Mason was listed as questionable entering the game, but afterwards made it sound like there was no doubt he was going to play.

“I was ready to play coming in here,” he said. “My mindset was all ‘go’ mode,” he said.

NO GURLEY

Meanwhile, first-round draft pick Todd Gurley will wait at least another week to make his Rams and NFL debut. Gurley, almost ready to go following knee surgery last year at the University of Georgia, worked out before the game but was on the inactive list. Coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams already had decided that Gurley wasn’t playing.

“He did a lot pregame, as a matter of fact, because we decided not to play him,” Fisher said.

Other Rams inactives were RB Chase Reynolds (knee), DE Eugene Sims (knee), WR Brian Quick, OT Darrell Williams, OG Cody Wichmann and QB Sean Mannion.

Although not listed on the injury report, it marked the second week in a row that Quick didn’t dress. Once again, Fisher opted for Bradley Marquez as the team’s fifth wide receiver because of his special teams value.

FOLES’ DAY

After a strong opening-day performance against Seattle, Foles wasn’t nearly as sharp against Washington, completing 17 of 32 passes for 150 yards with a passer rating of 76.3. Foles accounted for the Rams’ only touchdown with a 40-yard strike to Kenny Britt in the third quarter. But in contrast to the Seattle game, that TD toss was the only Rams pass play to gain at least 20 yards. A week ago, Foles completed eight passes of 20 yards-plus, which according to Rams radio statistician and spotter Richard Winer was the most for a Rams quarterback since Marc Bulger had 11 such passes in a 2003 victory over Pittsburgh.

“We missed a lot of opportunities,” Fisher said. “But I can’t say it’s Nick or it was the receivers, or a breakdown in protection. We’ll have to look at it. But I think everybody in that locker room when you talk to ’em wishes they would have played better, and that would include Nick.”

Foles was off-target on some throws, but also was victimized by several drops, including a couple by the normally sure-handed Cunningham.

INJURY UPDATE

Foles got his ankle rolled up at one point during the game, but said he was OK after the game. He did not have it wrapped and was not limping afterward. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins left with under 6 minutes to play with what was announced as a knee injury, but Fisher said afterward that he didn’t think it was anything major. Austin left the game briefly in the third quarter for an IV to restore fluids.

LONG DISTANCE

Greg Zuerlein’s 52-yard field goal in the third quarter was the 14th of 50 yards-plus in 50 NFL games. The FedEx Field grass surface was a nightmare for Zuerlein last season; he missed two field goals and an extra point in the Rams’ 24-0 victory on Dec. 7.

 

[RamBill]

Washington outmuscles Rams 24-10
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d54f4e3b-01cb-5868-afc3-c92c4572f62a.html

LANDOVER, MD. • The Rams have had a few trademark wins under coach Jeff Fisher, only to come back the next week or later in the same season and lose to a very beatable opponent.

Last season, they squashed Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, only to get routed by a 6-10 New York Giants squad.

In 2013, there were marquee victories over Indianapolis and New Orleans but also losses to Atlanta and Tennessee, teams that went a combined 11-21 that season.

In 2012, Fisher’s inaugural year with the Rams, there was as an overtime victory and a tie against Super Bowl-bound San Francisco. But also losses to perpetually mediocre Miami and a 6-10 New York Jets squad.

It happened again Sunday at FedEx Field. Fresh off an attention-grabbing overtime victory against Seattle on opening day, the Rams came out flat against Washington — about as flat as can be in falling behind 17-0 at the half.

The team’s hopes of starting 2-0 for the first time since 2001 never got off the launching pad in a 24-10 loss to Washington.

“We wanted to go 2-0 bad,” Rams safety T.J. McDonald said. “I’d be lying if I said we didn’t. We didn’t play good enough to get it.”

Not even close to good enough in the opening two quarters. The Rams have played a lot of bad football over the past decade, and Sunday’s first half was right up there with the worst in terms of ugly play.

Besides trailing by 17 points, the Rams were outgained 239 yards to 72 in the half. In the parity-driven NFL, it’s not supposed to happen that way. It marked the first time since Oct. 2, 2011 that Washington (1-1) has held an opponent scoreless in the first half.

“We came out a little sluggish,” Rams tight end Lance Kendricks said in understatement. “Especially on the road, you’ve got to really come out with some urgency.”

The Rams were anything but urgent Sunday. They got gashed for one big play after another in the opening half by a Washington offense that managed only 10 points in a season-opening loss to Miami.

Running backs Alfred Morris and Matt Jones had runs of 35 and 39 yards, respectively, through gaping holes in the Rams’ defense on Washington’s first touchdown drive. Jones’ 39-yard run accounted for the TD.

A 35-yard reception by wide receiver Ryan Grant on a play in which he got behind cornerback Janoris Jenkins set up a field goal on Washington’s next possession for a 10-0 lead with 53 seconds still to play in the opening quarter.

Washington’s next TD drive included a 25-yard run by Jones, the rookie from Florida. On a third-and-goal play from the Rams’ 4, Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins threw a TD pass to Pierre Garcon, who beat Jenkins on the play. Jenkins complained of a push-off, but it really wasn’t flagrant enough to merit a call by referee Ed Hochuli’s crew.

And that was pretty much the ballgame. A Washington team that was beaten 24-0 by St. Louis here last season and managed only 206 yards in the process had 17 points and the aforementioned 239 yards by intermission this time.

The Rams finally showed a pulse in the third quarter, putting up 10 points to make it a one-score contest. But overall, this was all too easy for Washington — way too easy, actually — against the highly touted Rams defense.

It was pretty basic football. Washington controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and controlled the clock, blocking and tackling better than the Rams. Sometimes it’s not all that complicated.

“We knew that in order for us to win the game we were going to have to run it, stop the run, and get off the field on third down,” Fisher said. “And we didn’t do any one of those with any consistency. That was the difference in the ballgame.”

Jones finished with 123 yards rushing and two touchdowns, on 19 carries, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. He outshone Morris, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher who finished with 59 yards on 18 carries (for a modest 3.3 average).

“He surprised a few guys who didn’t realize how big and fast he was all at once,” Rams defensive end Robert Quinn said of Jones, who stands 6 feet 2 and weighs 231 pounds. “But at the same time, I don’t think an NFL player can catch another guy off guard. They’re here for a reason. He found some holes in our defense and he ran through ’em.”

All told, Washington rushed for 182 yards, getting all but 50 of that total by halftime. Washington was eight for 16 on third-down conversions, compared to the Rams’ feeble two for 12. The home team dominated time of possession, with 37 minutes 44 seconds of ball control compared to the Rams’ 22:16.

“They out-executed us on third down, and that’s a big play during the game, just keeping those drives alive,” Rams quarterback Nick Foles said. “We didn’t do a good job of that today.”

A week earlier, after the big win over Seattle, the Rams were talking about the need for week-to-week consistency in execution and performance. They were doing so almost immediately after that triumph.

“As you know, our biggest problem has always been being consistent,” guard Rodger Saffold said after that 34-31 win. “We win one, lose one. Lose two, come back win two. Lose the third. You know what I mean?”

We know exactly what you mean. But recognizing the problem and solving it remain two distinct things for the Rams. They have managed back-to-back victories only five times during Fisher’s tenure. And they have won as many as three in a row only once — defeating Arizona, San Francisco and Buffalo in succession in 2012.

A 52-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein, followed by a 40-yard TD pass from Foles to Britt, cut Washington’s lead to 17-10 midway through the third quarter. Quinn forced a Jones fumble that was recovered by McDonald, setting up the Foles-to-Britt score.

But just as quickly, the Rams’ offense shifted back into neutral and stayed there. Washington finally put the game away with an excruciating 12-play, 77-yard TD drive that chewed up nearly 7 minutes of the fourth quarter.

Washington faced third-and-13, third-and-5, and third-and-8 situations on the drive, converting each time. Jones’ 3-yard sweep around left end gave Washington a victory-clinching 24-10 lead with 2:38 to play in the fourth.

=================

 

[RamBill]

Hochman: Rams are, well, the Rams again
By Benjamin Hochman

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_ac3f0aa2-e4b3-5781-be1d-55bbbd06c9fa.html

LANDOVER, MD. • They call him Pot Roast, and he was hungry.

Terrance Knighton, he who scares scales, was ravenous for Rams, this after St. Louis beat his Broncos last year … and shut out Washington last season, Knighton’s new team in ’15.

“We saw some things on film that we could take advantage of — we knew if we stop the run, it would be tough,” the nose tackle told me Sunday, after he and the D-line devoured the Rams, winning 24-10. “… We know what type of team they think they are; they’re going to come in, be physical, be frontrunners, and it’s a famous quote: ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.’ That’s the attitude we took. …

“Coach (Jay) Gruden got up in front of the team Wednesday and showed St. Louis tape, showed how physical they are, showing how they beat Seattle and laid it on our guys last year, running reverses when they’re up 21 points. So we took it personal.”

On Sunday, Washington’s defense played with an appetite; the Rams’ offense played full. Satisfied.

Last week, I watched Nick Foles and the offense shower the Seattle secondary. It looked to me like the Rams’ offense was on to something. Nope. Here at FedEx Field, the Rams were the Rams again.

The offense took more steps back than Foles under pressure.

They weren’t who they thought they were.

“Sometimes with the way things are going, you kind of get ahead of yourself,” offensive lineman Rodger Saffold said, when asked about the Rams being too high after beating Seattle. “But the preparation was there and the work was there — we didn’t play the way we practiced.”

So who are these guys? I suppose they’re somewhere between the team that defeated the defending conference champs, and the team here in DC that looked defeated.

The Rams were so deflated, the league might have to call Ted Wells to investigate.

Now look, I don’t think the Rams are this bad. They still can win eight total games. But Sunday, the offense fed into the belly of the beast(s): Pot Roast Knighton, Stephen Paea, Ryan Kerrigan gobbling up the Rams’ rushers, who finished with 67 yards. In the whole game!

The Rams’ best running back performance might have been the pregame drills by Todd Gurley, who didn’t play but is “week to week, and we thought he had a great week (in practice),” coach Jeff Fisher said.

At least Tre Mason returned, so he could take some of the heat otherwise thrown toward the inept Isaiah Pead.

Here’s what frustrated me most about Foles: He looked as if he was playing not to lose, even when the Rams were losing. A few times, he settled on throwing shorter passes, and even some of those were dropped. I know: If you don’t have a run game going, the offense isn’t itself. Then throw in the fact that the Rams couldn’t throw effective screen passes. But man, they converted just two of 12 third downs.

“We knew in order for us to win the game, we would have to run it,” Fisher said. “We missed a lot of opportunities. But I can’t say it’s Nick or it was the receivers, or a breakdown in protection. We’ll have to look at it. But I think everybody in that locker room when you talk to ’em wishes they would have played better, and that would include Nick.”

The easy narrative that we’ll all hear Monday is that the Rams were just too confident after the win against Seattle. They thought they’d matured, they thought they’d taken a step, but then — déjà vu (or, I suppose, déjà boooooo).

But I’ve got to bring up at least one wacky stat, per Bill Barnwell of Grantland.com. In 2014, the final 10 teams that played Seattle in the regular season and had a game the following week, lost the following week. They call it the “Seattle Hangover”: A team becomes so battered by the bruising boom of Seattle’s legion, that the next week they’re not recovered. The Rams had it last season — remember the loss at Kansas City? — and supposedly they had it again Sunday.

Asked about this, a passionate Fisher said: “It’s fair to assume that, but we guarded against that and had a great week of practice.”

Last weekend, perhaps prematurely, Foles praised his offensive line following its showing against the Seahawks. It was cool to hear: the Rams quarterback speaking as a leader, showing his young linemen that he’s behind them, and not just when he’s under center.

Well, now Foles has a new test as a leader: restoring confidence in his precocious offensive line while also restoring confidence in himself. Let’s not forget, the Rams’ offense only had one play for more than 20 yards Sunday.

Pot Roast and the defense didn’t just feast on the Rams.

They poured gravy on them.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Why? Surely they scouted him for the draft...
I'll bet the players know about the #2 RB's for AZ, SEA and SF.

I may be overreacting but this is concerning.

i think there's a difference between scouting and seeing him in person for the first time. talking about our d players.

look at david johnson. he's touched the ball 3 times and already has 2 longish tds. players aren't ready for him.

hopefully gurley is like that.

.