Redskins vs. Rams: 5 questions with Riggo’s Rag

Looking ahead to the Los Angeles Rams matchup against the Washington Redskins, here are five questions from our friends at Riggo’s Rag.

After an impressive start to the season following a blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Los Angeles Rams hope to have another strong performance on Sunday against the Washington Redskins. To help prepare for the game, here are five questions involving the Redskins from our friends over at Riggo’s Rag.

Does Terrelle Pryor have what it takes to handle the responsibilities of a No. 1 wideout?

Terrelle Pryor has the potential to develop into a starting wideout for the Redskins. But right now, he has a few areas that he needs to improve. Notably, his hands have not been great, and he had two critical drops in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Pryor needs to clean that up and also has to get on the same page as Kirk Cousins.

Related Story: 3 predictions for Rams vs. Redskins Week 2

In the preseason, Cousins and Pryor never really developed a strong rapport in limited playing time, but Pryor did lead the team in targets for the contest. If that continues in Week 2, the Pryor will have a chance to be the No. 1 guy. But all of that hinges on his ability to avoid drops.

After one game, how much does Kirk Cousins miss having Sean McVay at offensive coordinator?

It looks like a lot. Cousins has been off during the preseason, and had some major issues with accuracy in the first game. This is nothing new for Cousins, as he had a bad start at the beginning of the 2016 season, but this time, things are different. Without Sean McVay and his top receivers from last year, Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, Cousins has been inconsistent.

With a chance to put the Redskins up last week in a game they were trailing 19-17, he threw a critical pick that ended up losing the game for the team. It swung momentum in favor of the Eagles and it was just an awful throw from Cousins. It’s not clear if McVay could have prevented that throw, but if he was with the team, it seems likely that Cousins would be doing at least a bit better right now.

Who is the one player on the Redskins that needs to step up against the Rams?

Rob Kelley. The starting running back only averaged 3.0 yards per carry last week, and the team needs him to perform well to avoid rendering the offense one dimensional. Sure, some of the blame for his poor performance could be placed on the offensive line, namely Morgan Moses, but Kelley needs to run a bit better regardless. If he can’t help the Redskins keep the Rams honest, they will likely drop to 0-2.

If Washington starts 0-2, is it fair to say Jay Gruden is on the hot seat?

I would say yes. Jay Gruden did land a contract extension last offseason, but as Rams fans know, that does not guarantee that a coach will stay. Gruden needs to at least keep the team competitive moving forward to keep the job. If the offense doesn’t improve and the team fails to go 8-8 this year, the Redskins may regret letting McVay walk. However, all of this would be a moot point if the Redskins can notch a victory.

Next: 5 storylines to follow Rams vs. Redskins Week 2

What are your predictions for the game?

I think that this will be a closer game than some are thinking. The Rams looked very good in their Week 1 victory, but they were playing one of the weakest teams in the NFL. The Colts, minus Andrew Luck. Their defense should still do well against the Redskins, but their offense won’t do quite as well against the Redskins improved stop unit. Still, Cousins and the offense have not done enough for me to expect the Redskins to win this game. I’ll go with Rams 21, Redskins 14 as my final score for this one.