Redskins at Rams: 5 Keys to a Redskins Victory in Week 4 of the NFL Season

On paper, this game doesn't look very close.  The Washington Redskins are the clearly superior team in this matchup, leading nearly every important statistical category on offense and defense over the St. Louis Rams.  But Redskins fans will vividly—and not happily—remember that the Rams have given Washington problems over the years.

Last season, the Redskins led against the Rams for most of the game before being blown out 30-16.  In 2009, Washington turned in one of the ugliest wins in franchise history, a 9-7 stinker that left even the most devout fans feeling as if the game had been lost.  

There was also a 2008 matchup, a game that I fondly remember.  The Redskins were 4-1 on the season and needed to show an inferior Rams team that they were a legitimate contender in the NFL.  The Rams made a comeback late and shocked FedEx Field with a 19-17 win.  The Redskins finished 8-8 on the year.

With that in mind, Redskins fans can be excused if playing against the Rams is not their idea of a fun Sunday.  While Washington looks to be the better team in 2011, there are five things that it must do in order to ensure victory in Week 4:

1. Don't Get Cocky.  The Redskins, cocky?  It's hard to imagine this team being good enough to look down on the opposition but that is exactly what they will be up against this week.  

The Skins have looked very good through three weeks (even in the Week 3 loss to Dallas) and the bar has been raised.  They will be favored against an 0-3 Rams team that has looked nothing short of awful this year and this is their chance to beat up on a team they are better than.  

The Redskins have to take the Rams seriously and remember the mantra that all good teams follow: win at home, and beat bad teams on the road.  The perfect opportunity has presented itself in the Rams.

2. Run the Ball, Stop the Run.  This seems like a pretty cliche key for a game, but it has extra meaning for this game.  Although the Rams have QB Sam Bradford under center and their All-Pro RB Steven Jackson seems perpetually injured, St. Louis runs the ball much better than it throws. If the Redskins want to bury the Rams offense into the ground they have to control RB Cadillac Williams and hold the line of scrimmage.  

The Rams also have the league's most porous run defense, so it will be imperative for RBs Tim Hightower and Roy Helu, Jr. to pick up big chunks of yardage to control the clock and take pressure off of QB Rex Grossman.

3. Win the Turnover Battle.  For a team like the Redskins, turnovers are possibly the most important factor in winning football games.  Turnovers are the NFL's great equalizer—bad teams who create multiple turnovers will beat good teams who don't.  The Redskins are far from dominant and losing the turnover battle could mean embarrassment at the hands of a team that is among the worst in the NFL.  

Additionally, turnovers tend to throw the home crowd into a tizzy so Washington needs to make sure they keep the fans at the Edward Jones Dome at bay.  Rex Grossman cannot fumble the ball and cannot throw interceptions.  It is absolutely paramount that he protects the ball.

4. Create Pressure with the Defensive Front.  Creating QB pressure with defensive linemen is very tough in a base 3-4 defense like the Redskins run.  The Redskins create pressure mostly by blitzing one or two linebackers.  But if DE Adam Carriker, NT Barry Coefield and DE Stephen Bowen can pressure the Rams and allow the Redskins' LBs to drop back into coverage, it's going to be a long day for Sam Bradford.  

If anything, the defensive line needs to provide enough pressure so that the Redskins don't need to blitz more than one or two LBs.  Pressuring the QB with limited blitzing is one of the best ways to absolutely stop an opposing offense.

5. Stay on Schedule.  This isn't just a suggestion for the offense, this is actually a term that NFL coaches use and use often.  To stay on schedule is to run your offense efficiently and effectively.  This means limit negative plays (plays that lose yards) and make sure third downs are manageable.

A team that consistently finds itself in 3rd-and-long will never have an on-schedule offense, it doesn't matter how good the offense is.  Defenses do all kinds of crazy things on third down and Rex Grossman's struggles have been well-documented enough for defensive coordinators to know that blitzing him on third down will create good results for the defense.

Of course, the best indicator of how this game will go is simply determining which team is better. The Redskins clearly have the upper-hand in the category.  Their offense is more balanced and their defense is one of the NFL's best.  As long as the Redskins remember that they should win this game, it should be a 3-1 start for Washington.

Prediction: Redskins 24, Rams 9