St. Louis Rams: 5 things to watch for against the Washington Redskins - Examiner.com

The 2012 St. Louis Rams home opener against the Washington Redskins at the Edward Jones Dome is set for Sunday at 3:05 p.m., with the Rams hoping to bounce back from their Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, while the 'Skins are riding high after their upset win over the Super Bowl contender New Orleans Saints.

The Rams had the lead twice in the fourth quarter, but couldn't hold it in a 27-23 loss, while Washington led from start to finish in a 40-32 victory over the Saints.

On Sunday, the two clubs that pulled a blockbuster NFL Draft week trade that landed St. Louis three first-round picks and the Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, will meet up in one of the most intriguing pro football matchups of the day.

Here's our list of five things fans should watch for during Sunday's Rams-Redskins matchup:

Key No. 1 -- Rams O-Line woes.

Injuries have decimated the Rams offensive line already this season, and we're only in Week 2.

Last week, starting center Scott Wells broke his leg and is out for at least six weeks, and left tackle Rodger Saffold nearly broke his neck after a hard hit with Detroit end Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Rookie guard Rokevious Watkins may also not play, meaning St. Louis will somehow have to piece together a front five capable of protecting quarterback Sam Bradford against what can be a dynamic Washington pass rush. (More on that later.)

Saffold might actually play, he practiced Thursday and Friday. If not, veteran Wayne Hunter will get the nod at left tackle, leaving the Rams with almost no continuity up front and no time to get it with Sunday's kickoff just hours away.

“Well, again, we’re going to play with five and we’ll have five of them ready and we’ll have some backups ready to go in if we need it," Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said. "So, that’s just part of the business. Fortunately, most of the guys that we’ve got here been here for some time now.”

Key No. 2 -- RG3 = excitement.

The Redskins' quarterback and 2011 Heisman Trophy award winner might already be the most exciting player in the NFL. And again we're only in Week 2.

But that's been the sentiment around the league, after Robert Griffin III's tremendous NFL debut -- 320 pass yards, 42 rush yards, and two touchdowns -- in the 'Skins win over the Saints.

Griffin has a fantastic arm, great pocket presence, and world-class sprinter's speed when he gets into the open field.

So the simple question is, can the Rams contain him?

“Well, as everybody’s saying, his debut in the opener as a rookie, statistically, is historic," Fisher said. "They said you have to go back to 1950 to see that kind of execution. He did a great job. He managed the offense well. He extended plays, made throws and clearly caught the Saints a little bit off guard.

"We’ve got our hands full, no doubt. He’s an extra dimension. Our defense, however, our focus is on their offense not just on the quarterback. If you focus in on one aspect, then you’re not going to be successful. Particularly because they’ve got weapons all over the place. So, we have to play team defense against their offense.”

Key No. 3 -- 'Skins dynamic LBs.

Along with shutdown corner DeAngelo Hall, Washington's best playmakers on defense are middle linebacker London Fletcher and pass-rush specialist Brian Orakpo.

Fletcher, a former Ram who won a Super Bowl here in 1999, is still one of the best sideline-to-sideline defenders in the league, while Orakpo is emerging as one of the best pass rushers in the league.

Last year, he had 2 1/2 sacks and a forced fumble in the 'Skins' 17-10 win over the Rams.

St. Louis, with its depleted offensive line, has to figure out a way to block those guys if it's going to have any chance on Sunday.

Key No. 4 -- SJ39 must be big time.

With Bradford likely to see many types of blitzes and exotic defensive fronts, expect running back Steven Jackson to see lots of the ball on Sunday.

Last week, SJ39 as he's called, had 25 touches (21 carries and four receptions), but just 57 total yards.

That's not the kind of production the Rams need from their best player.

On Sunday, Jackson needs to play like the guy on those dynamite Under Armour commercials from a few years ago, which featured the Rams RB relentlessly running through defenses that tried all types of means to stop him.

Jackson probably needs to be in the 30s in total touches and three times as many total yards as he had last week, if the Rams are going to pull out a win against the explosive Redskins on Sunday.

Key No. 5 -- Rams young WRs on fast track.

St. Louis played conservative, ball-control football for most of last week's game against Detroit. Then turned Bradford loose for 104 of his 198 passing yards in the fourth quarter against the Lions.

That plan almost worked, as the Rams had the lead twice in the fourth before the defense gave away their edge at the end of the game.

This week, look for Bradford to be a little more aggressive early, especially with young wideouts Brian Quick and Chris Givens, who are just itching to make their first big plays in the NFL.

We've seen in years past, something about playing on that Edward Jones Dome turf just seems to make Rams receivers a little bit faster and a little bit quicker than they normally play other places.

Game prediction: Rams 26, Redskins 21. Good guys figure out a way to contain RG3, and Steven Jackson has a big day, with 130-plus yards and two touchdowns. Greg "The Leg" Zuerlein will also hit four field goals (two from at least 50 yards out) to help seal Jeff Fisher's first win as Rams coach.