John Keim‘s observations from Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010’s game at St. Louis, in which the Rams beat the Redskins, 30-16.
Early trend
The Redskins dominated on the ground, rushing for 115 yards in the first half and averaging 9.6 yards a run. But they ran just five times for 1 yard in the second half. Huh? And Ryan Torain essentially replaced Clinton Portis.
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Under the radar
The Redskins managed one sack of rookie quarterback Sam Bradford on 38 drop-backs. Washington did not blitz him as much as it did Houston’s Matt Schaub. Bradford hurt the Redskins with a lot of short passes. And when they did blitz, he made smart decisions.
Did you notice …
How often the Redskins’ defensive line got shoved back? Nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu had another tough game, continuing a trend that started in the preseason. A 3-4 defense can’t succeed vs. the run without strong play at nose tackle.
From the sidelines
» The Rams had lost 27 of 28 games and lost their top offensive player. Yet they never flinched. Give coach Steve Spagnuolo’s staff credit for adjustments. They pressured with blitzes late and stung the defense with quick passes. They ran from pass formations, too.
» Jim Haslett was severely outcoached by the Rams. No matter what the Redskins’ defense did, the Rams had an answer — and always were one step ahead. Though the move to a 3-4 defense might pay off next year, it’ll be painful this season.
