LANDOVER — After a 17-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, the Washington Redskins are back at FedEx Field to host the St. Louis Rams.
The Rams stunned the Seattle Seahawks in overtime last week with a 34-31 victory.
It doesn’t get any easier this week for the Redskins’ offensive line. They played well last week against Miami’s aggressive defensive front, but the Rams present a different matchup with an array of looks. Both rookie right guard Brandon Scherff and left guard Shawn Lauvao will have their turn with second-year defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had two sacks last week.
It will also be interesting to see how the Redskins respond this week without receiver DeSean Jackson on the field. Pierre Garcon and tight end Jordan Reed should get plenty of looks and Rashad Ross should factor into the game plan.
If nothing else, the speedy Ross will return kickoffs.
With that, here’s a look at what to expect today.
Logistics
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Records: Redskins 0-1, Rams 1-0
Television: Fox (Dick Stockton, play-by-play; David Diehl, color; Kristina Pink, sidelines)
Radio: ESPN 980 (Larry Michael, Sonny Jurgensen, Chris Cooley, Doc Walker)
Weather: 69 and cloudy. Wind: 12 mph
Lines: St. Louis -4, over/under 41 per Bovada
Projected Starters:
Redskins offense: QB Kirk Cousins, RB Alfred Morris, FB Darrel Young, WR Pierre Garcon, WR Andre Roberts, TE Jordan Reed, LT Trent Williams, LG Shawn Lauvao, C Kory Lichtensteiger, RG Brandon Scherff, RT Morgan Moses
Redskins defense: DE Stephen Paea, NT Terrance Knighton, DE Jason Hatcher, OLB Trent Murphy, MLB Keenan Robinson, JLB Perry Riley Jr., OLB Ryan Kerrigan, CB DeAngelo Hall, CB Bashaud Breeland, SS Trenton Robinson, FS Dashon Goldson
Rams offense: QB Nick Foles, RB Tre Mason, WR Tavon Austin, WR Kenny Britt, TE Jared Cook, TE Lance Kendricks, LT Greg Robinson, LG Jamon Brown, C Tim Barnes, RG Rodger Saffold, RT Rob Havenstein
Rams defense: LE Chris Long, DT Aaron Donald, DT Michael Brockers, RE Robert Quinn, RLB Akeem Ayers, MLB James Laurinaitis, LLB Alec Ogeltree, CB Trumaine Johnson, CB Janoris Jenkins, FS Rodney McLeod, SS T.J. McDonald
Injury report: Out — WR DeSean Jackson (hamstring), CB Justin Rogers (foot), LB Martrell Spaight (concussion); Questionable — NT Terrance Knighton (rib), T/G Tom Compton (calf), LB Jackson Jeffcoat (thigh), TE Jordan Reed (quad); Probable — C Kory Lichtensteiger (finger), CB DeAngelo Hall (rib), T Trent Williams (ankle).
Three things to watch:
* The secondary: After getting cornerback Bashaud Breeland back from a suspension, corner Chris Culliver received a suspension and the defensive backfield will be shorthanded again this week. With Justin Rogers out, the Redskins signed nine-year veteran Will Blackmon on Tuesday. He is expected to play today and it will be interesting to see how he responds. He was surprisingly cut from the Seattle Seahawks after playing as their primary slot corner in the preseason. How the unit holds up against the speedy Tavon Austin will be key.
* Rashad Ross: The Redskins receiver was inactive Week 1 but that won’t be the case this week. Without Jackson, the Redskins need Ross. His skill set is similar to Jackson’s and he gives quarterback Kirk Cousins a deep threat downfield. He led all receivers in the preseason and should get some looks today. Coach Jay Gruden also said Ross will return kicks against the Rams. Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein has a strong leg, but if Ross gets the chance to return, he has the type of speed to make a big play.
* Penalties: The Redskins committed 11 penalties last week for 88 yards. They took them all in the second half. There’s really no good time to take a penalty, but these were particularly untimely, often knocking the Redskins out of field-goal range or stalling the offense from getting going. This week, look for the Redskins to clean up in that area.
“You teach the fundamentals of football and you try not to get penalties,” Gruden said this week. “There were a couple penalties that could or could not have been thrown on both sides of the ball, I’m sure. When they do happen, we have to do a good job of digging down deep and trying to overcome them. We did a poor job of that in the game.”
Stats:
All-time record: The Redskins are 24-13-1 against the Rams.
Last regular-season meeting: Dec. 7, 2014, a 24-0 loss at home.
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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