Commander Country

Enemy Intel: The Los Angeles Rams

Sean McVay and the LA Rams are coming for a reunion that doesn't have a whole lot of juice but will be revealing for both teams.

George Carmi

When the Washington Football Team takes on the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday, we have no idea what to expect. 


The team made a bold move earlier this week, benching their supposed “quarterback of the future” in Dwayne Haskins, in favor of Kyle Allen. No matter where you stand on the matter, the move was made to jumpstart a Washington offense that ranks 30th in the NFL this season, and has largely been inept.

Questions have arisen as to what is the cause of this lack of production. Has it been the growing pains of Offensive Coordinator Scott Turner? Or has Haskins’ mechanics limited the team in their effectiveness? We’ll see in real-time tomorrow.

Heading into this game, Allen will shoulder the load in the first of five games against NFC opponents. Including three against the woeful NFC East, and two against the New York Giants.

The hope is that Allen could string together some serviceable performances and largely not stand in the way of his team over this next stretch. It’s apparent that Rivera wants to “win now” and try to make a run on an NFC East title.

Can Allen turn things around? We’ll see. The first chapter unfolds tomorrow against a hungry Rams team, who is already 3-0 against the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants.

Welcome to this week’s Enemy Intel. Last weeks' edition is right here

Los Angeles Rams (3-1)

Vegas Projected Wins: 8.5 Wins

2019 Record: 9-7, 3rd in NFC West

Offensive Ranks, 2020: 14th Passing, 7th Rushing, 7th Overall

Defensive Ranks, 2020: 8th Passing, 18th Rushing, 12th Overall

Key Additions:

RB Cam Akers (2nd Round Pick), WR Van Jefferson (2nd Round Pick), LB Leonard Floyd,  DT A’Shawn Robinson

Key Losses:

MLB Cory Littleton, RB Todd Gurley, LB Dante Fowler Jr., LB Clay Matthews

What they are saying:

According to Seth Walder, who does a great job with Sports Analytics for ESPN, the Rams are second in the league when it comes to pre-snap motion. They run pre-snap motion on 29.0% of their offensive plays. There is also a strong correlation to pre-snap motion to run plays, which coincides with the Rams like to do.

Players to Watch:

  • Running back Cam Akers will return this week after sitting out the last two games with a rib injury. The second-round pick will join a crowded backfield consisting of Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson. The trio has powered the Rams rushing attack to seventh in the league in terms of rushing yards.
  • Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp is the favorite target of quarterback Jared Goff. So far this season, Kupp has had 28 targets for 297 yards and two touchdowns. His targets and yards lead the team.
  • Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is still a one-man wrecking ball. Through four games this season, the All-Pro has 10 QB hits and 3.5 sacks. He has an inviting matchup against an embattled offensive line this week.
  • Cornerback Jalen Ramsey doubled down with his commitment to the Rams this offseason, signing a five-year deal worth up to $105 million. The lockdown corner is truly elite as his position, meaning he will likely erase Washington’s best offensive weapon. His matchup with Terry McLaurin will be something to keep an eye on.

Takeaways:

If we are being honest, the intrigue of this game rests on the performance of Allen at QB. Over the first month of the season, Washington’s offense has looked stagnant and incapable of large plays. Whether it was Turner or Haskins, there were clearly limitations on what the offense could run or produce. Now, the team turns to a quarterback who should be more familiar with the coach's offense.

Although Allen may have less arm-talent than Haskins, the thought is that his timing and processing speed should be a tad quicker, meaning he will hit his receivers in stride and on target. But as we know, plans always sound better “in-theory”, so Allen’s performance this week is what I will be keeping an eye on.

In terms of the Rams, they are a formidable team but are not unbeatable. They struggled with the New York Giants last week, and their offense sputtered at times. Could it have been that they overlooked their opponent and didn’t take New York seriously? We’ll see.

Rams Coach Sean McVay will dial up a lot of window dressing before the snap, but his play-calling will remain the same--establish the run early and then transition to heavy play action, especially on first downs. His thought is that he will catch the defense sleeping or overcommitting. If Washington wants to win this game, they need to stop the Rams’ rushing attack and make Goff a one-dimensional passer. If they can do this, the odds tip to Washington’s favor and the team can unleash its pass-rush. Goff is efficient, but not necessarily dynamic. He can be shut down with consistent pressure.

On offense, Washington needs to have a plan for Donald. The man is a machine and will likely run rampant over the team’s offensive line. It would be prudent for Washington to establish quick passes and hot reads to get rid of the ball in limited time. Considering Ramsey will likely cover McLaurin, another member of Washington’s offense needs to step up. Look for Antonio Gibson to be heavily involved and build on his strong performance last week.

This game is intriguing, since we have no idea how Allen will perform. Throughout the offseason Haskins had all the reps with the first-team offense and Allen will be stepping on the field for the first time with this group against live opponents. Due to this, I anticipate some hiccups, and at least one turnover for the new QB.

Prediction: This game will be closer than people anticipate. Allen will put up a respectable stat line of over 200 yards and two touchdowns. However, the defense will give up too many plays to close the game out. I think the Rams take this one, 24-17.

Bet MGM Sportsbook: Over/Under 45.5, Rams -7 

George Carmi joined "Washington Football" on SI.com in April. He is also an editor/contributing writer to FullPressCoverage.com or @FPC_Redskins. He is a native of the DC metropolitan area and is an avid fan of DC Sports. A former journalism major at the University of Maryland, his focus is now in public education. His earliest memories consist of Darrell Green, "The Posse" and Super Bowl XXVI. Follow him on twitter @Gcarmi21

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George Carmi
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