Tale of the tape

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Week 2: Washington Redskins At St. Louis Rams

Redskins

Rams

We’re not going to put Robert Griffin III in the Hall of Fame after his first game, but he more than lived up to the hype in the Redskins’ 40-32 win over the Saints. Griffin displayed the accuracy, arm strength and athleticism that scouts said he had, but his poise was the factor that should mean the most to the Redskins.	Quarterback	Sam Bradford is the kind of quarterback who will give you everything he has every time he lines up under center. Unfortunately, while he’s good enough to help the Rams stay competitive, he doesn’t have enough to help the Rams secure a victory very often.
The Redskins appear to have the weapons in Pierre Garcon and Aldrick Robinson to given them a field-stretching offense. Alfred Morris is a strong power runner with a nasty attitude.	Offense	The Rams don’t want Bradford to have all the pressure on his shoulders. They need Steven Jackson to carry much of the offensive load to relieve the quarterback’s burden. Danny Amendola lacks size at 5-11 and 186 pounds but has a huge heart.
The Redskins played hard-nosed defense last year, but it could not always stop opponents and play a perfect game. They no longer have to be perfect and their physical style should produce a lot of turnovers.	Defense	The Rams registered three first-half interceptions of Matthew Stafford in Week One and had the Lions on the ropes for much of the game. However, Detroit had two TD drives in the fourth quarter as the defense crumbled.
Sav Rocca is not the kind of punter who is going to wow you with his distance. However, he is a great directional kicker who kept the Redskins in a lot of games last year.	Special Teams	The Rams were unhappy with their placekicking last year and made Greg Zuerlein their sixth-round pick. He got off to a sensational start, making all three of his FG attempts.

The winner is

Redskins

4 out of 4

While the Rams will be playing at home, the Redskins should have all the other edges. As good as RGIII looked in the opener, he will have his share of growing pains. The Redskins versatility on offense and punishing style on defense could make them a surprise team this season.

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