The Rams weathered the storm, literally. Despite the pouring rain, Los Angeles blew up The Football Team 30-10. Here’s what we learned from FedEx Field:

Unstoppable Force vs Movable Object

The Rams’ defense was just too much for Washington. L.A. consistently got penetration and blew up The Football Team’s offensive line, finishing the game with eight total sacks. Leading the way were Aaron Donald and Troy Reeder, earning four and three sacks, respectively. Washington finished with just over 100 yards of total offense; L.A., on the other hand, finished with over 400 yards of total offense. Washington’s leading receiver was running back J.D. McKissic, with 46 yards. Great day in the office for Los Angeles.

The Football Team: Return of the Smith

With two minutes left in the first half, Alex Smith made his return to the NFL. A Jalen Ramsey helmet-to-helmet hit on Washington quarterback Kyle Allen knocked him out for the remainder of the game. This paved the way for Smith’s return to football action for the first time in 693 days. Smith missed the 2019 season after sustaining a gruesome leg injury in a Week 11 matchup against the Houston Texans in 2018. While it was nothing short of a miracle to see Smith back on the field, he probably wanted to write Ramsey’s name in the Death Note after the game. Despite Smith’s dink-and-dunk heroics, the Rams’ defense continually harassed and pummeled him, sacking him six times.  Smith finished 9 of 17 passing with 37 yards. I haven’t been this scared to watch a quarterback play since Sam Bradford. While Smith is unquestionably The Football Team’s best quarterback, he needs his offensive line to step up and protect him better. Thankfully, their next six games include four matchups against division rivals Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants (1-3 and 0-4, respectively). 

Rams Offense Hums Along

After managing a little over 200 yards of offense last week, the Rams’ offense came back to life. This was especially evident in the run game, where they totaled 129 yards. Leading the way was rookie Cam Akers, toting the rock for a career-high 61 yards. Jared Goff finished a crisp 21 of 30 passing with 309 yards and three total touchdowns (two passing, one on the ground). Though the offense hit the snooze button during the second half (10 points scored), they did just enough to beat an overmatched Washington team. 

The win over Washington completed Los Angeles’ sweep of the NFC East, who have contributed to all four of the Rams’ wins so far. Their real test comes next week, when they travel up north to Levi’s Stadium to take on the San Francisco 49ers. Kick off will start at 5:20 pm PST on Sunday Night Football on NBC.