Ryan Kerrigan is always a hero.
Samaje Perine will be my hero if, in "Fat Rob"'s absence, he takes the starting RB gig and never looks back. The only thing I crave more than dominance in the trenches, is a more dynamic starting RB, and not a miscast role-player. How I wish, wish, wish Thompson was more durable.
Critical win my any measure. Mandatory win, in the sense that the Rams are still firmly in the 25-32 range of NFL Teams. Simply not acceptable to come out of that game with an L. Not a pretty win, not at all. Even when they were running the ball, and running it well, it didn't feel like there was any 'flow' to the offense. Had to have this one to have even one remaining shred of optimism about 2017. Especially since we're headed into what's analagous to a 'perfect storm' scenario for the current iteration of the Redskins: 1) an upper-tier opponent, 2) home game, 3) night-time, prime-time...sure would like to get that monkey off our collective backs.
If we were a better team, playing better football, this schedule actually plays in our favor: quality Teams prefer prime-time home games vs superior opponents (SNF, Raiders), getting an extra day to prepare and playing in prime-time is about the best scenario you could ask having to travel (MNF, @ Chiefs), then a week off, followed by a home game v the hapless 49'ers (1pm west coast team traveling east), followed by a prime-time MNF rematch @ (one of the shortest road trips in football) the team you embarrassed yourselves dropping the home opener to.
A better team, playing better football, would be looking at a plausible 5-1 storyline, going into a late start Sunday home tilt vs the hated Cowboys. It couldn't be set up any better...
...for a better team, playing better football...