Washington Redskins' RB Transition in Full Effect After Matt Jones' Big Day

As more than one St. Louis Rams defender picked themselves up off the floor at FedEx Field and wondered what had just hit them, the new star of the Washington Redskins backfield buckled his chin strap and got ready for another handoff.

Another play, another run, another Rams defensive player clutching at his own, battered and bruised body. Lather, rinse, repeat. That was the story of Week 2's 24-10 win for Washington's rookie running back, Matt Jones.

The Redskins piling up 182 yards rushing against a star-studded St. Louis defensive front shouldn't really surprise you too much. Sure, the Rams have Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald and Nick Fairley up front, but that same group allowed the Seattle Seahawks to enjoy a big day on the ground in Week 1, according to Thom Loverro of the Washington Times:

At the same time, Washington was trampling over the Miami Dolphins, another defense with big names in the trenches, en route to 161 rushing yards.

No, the real surprise about the run-heavy effort in Week 2 was how Jones led the way while Alfred Morris looked on. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch summed up the appropriate sentiment:

Washington's three-time 1,000-yard rusher was forced to stay on the sidelines and cast a steely-eyed glance toward the field where his heir apparent was putting the writing on the wall for No. 46.

But Morris had to watch because he couldn't hurt the Rams the way Jones did. This year's third-round pick showed off awesome speed and brute-force tenacity to sprint past front-line defenders and punish would-be tacklers at the second level.

The result was one hell of an impressive stat line for a back playing in his second pro game against one of the NFL's most vaunted defenses. For the day, Jones ran the ball 19 times for 123 yards at a whopping 6.5 yards per carry average.

Whether he was speeding around the corner or lowering his head to smash through the middle, almost every one of Jones' carries said one thing: Move over Morris, this is my show now.

Of course, the irony here is obvious. Three seasons ago, it was Morris emerging from obscurity to defy his lowly status as a sixth-round pick and top 1,600 yards as a rookie.

In the process, Alf usurped both Evan Royster and Roy Helu Jr. in Washington's backfield. The duo had shown plenty of promise during the late stages of the 2011 season.

Rich Lipski/Associated Press

They'd produced 100-yard games and looked like potential stars of the future. But Morris changed all that the moment he seized his chance.

In one of fate's malevolent jokes, history is repeating itself. Jones is taking his chance to become the lead workhorse of choice for Washington's running game.

If you want an indication that the guard is changing, look no further than the game-sealing drive Jones inspired for the Redskins in the fourth quarter. He made some clutch runs at the start of the 12-play march before giving way to Morris.

Now it was No. 46 acting as the relief pitcher. He was the one helping to ease the pressure on Jones and keep him fresh.

But when Washington needed a play, like on 3rd-and-8 in the red zone, Jones was back on the field. He was back on the field because he was the one making the plays, as noted by Thomas:

It was also Jones who soon bulldozed his way over the line for his second and decisive touchdown. Again, when a big play was needed, it was No. 31 being given the ball.

Make no mistake, that's a seismic change in Washington's running game. Morris has been the man since he entered the league in 2012. He's been the go-to guy when times were good, and he stayed that way even when things weren't working.

But now he's looking like the supporting player to Jones' star-in-the-making turn.

On a personal level, the timing couldn't be worse for Morris. He's in a contract year ahead of potentially dipping his toes into the free-agency waters in 2016.

If Jones continues to thrive, Morris' negotiating stance is going to be pretty weak when he sits down with general manager Scot McCloughan. It'll be weak because Morris won't be getting the touches he needs to rebound from his career-worst numbers in 2014.

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Then he didn't get the carries in a pass-first offense. Now, he may not get the ball even when the Redskins are running it a bunch every week. Not if Jones is too effective to leave on the sideline.

To many, this will no doubt read as a premature anointing of Jones and a call for time on Morris. Really, it's neither.

Instead, it's just a written acknowledgement of what your eyes should already be telling you. Jones is the fastest—his initial burst and acceleration are way above my initial expectations—strongest and most decisive runner on Washington's roster.

Of course, that doesn't mean the end is nigh for Morris. He's far from a spent force. Rumbling his way to 121 yards on 25 carries against the Dolphins proved that.

But he is starting to look more like a complementary back. He's averaging less yards per carry than Jones and isn't attacking defenses with the same explosive tenacity.

This numerical comparison, highlighted by 106.7 The Fan's Brian McNally, helps emphasize the point:

Yet if Morris does eventually become a relief runner as Jones' star ascends, who better to turn to than a man with three 1,000-yard seasons?

That's what Washington's running game is really transitioning toward. It's no longer a one-man band. Instead, there's now a legitimate rotation, a one-two punch defenses have to plan for.

It's exactly what head coach Jay Gruden and his staff want on the ground this season, according to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times:

Watching Morris and now Jones batter two tough defensive fronts for triple-digit days has reminded me of a few more prime evil backfield combos. How about Barry Foster and Bam Morris of the 1994 Pittsburgh Steelers?

Foster entered that season as the entrenched workhorse. But it was Morris who provided the spark for the top rushing offense in football that year, per Pro-Football-Reference.com.

BILL SIKES/Associated Press

Finding the better example might require going back a little further in time. The 1990 New York Giants added rookie Rodney Hampton alongside Ottis Anderson. Hampton steadily began to outshine the old warhorse. But ultimately, his presence also spurred Anderson to produce a super swan song when Big Blue really needed it.

If this is Morris' final year with Burgundy and Gold, Jones' performances may nudge him into his best season yet. Either way, Jones is providing genuine excitement, big-play chops and a real lift to Washington's offense.

The future of the Redskins' rushing attack looks very secure.

All statistics and player information via NFL.com.