By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer
LANDOVER, Mary. – Like many games do in the competitive and parity filled world of the NFL, Sunday’s contest between the Rams and the Redskins came down to a few critical plays.

And like most of those cases, the team that wins on those plays usually comes out of the game with a victory. Despite a resilient and gritty effort at FedEx Field, the Rams simply couldn’t come up on the positive side of enough of those critical plays in a disappointing 9-7 loss to Washington that drops them to 0-2.

“I am mostly disappointed in the fact that we have got a football team that works their butts off and they haven’t had a chance to feel victory yet,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “Now we have a long ways to go and we have another game this upcoming week but I am disappointed for them. It is a cliché where you take one or two plays out of the game and the outcome changes but in this particular one, that would be true because there were a couple of plays in there if it went differently, we might be on the other end of the win loss column.”

Indeed, one week after the game turned on a dime and the Rams fell far behind in the third quarter, Sunday’s contest had a decidedly different feel. In fact, right up until the final moments of the game, the Rams had opportunity after opportunity to pull out a victory on the road.

The Rams defense made tremendous strides in one week. Washington continuously found ways to move the ball into Rams territory but time and again that unit bowed its neck and found ways to get stops when it needed them.

On three occasions, Washington penetrated deep into Rams territory, with drives that resulted in first downs at the Rams’ 8, 8 and 7. Each time, the Rams found a way to get off the field and the Redskins settled for a Shaun Suisham field goal.

Spagnuolo would prefer the opponent never get that deep into Rams territory but he knows how important it is for the defense to stiffen in those instances.

“There’s a silver lining there,” Spagnuolo said. “Red zone defense is important in this league because offenses are talented and they are going to move the ball. But when it does get down tight there, you have got to be able to stop them and hold them to field goals and that’s what we did.”

Those three trips to the red zone weren’t the only times the Redskins moved into Rams territory. After a long drive to the Rams’ 4, the defense again tightened and got the ball back when it got a huge stop on fourth down.

But the Rams were pinned too far back to make any noise and four incompletions led to Washington taking a knee three times for the victory.

All told, it was a valiant effort by the Rams that just came up short. In the aftermath of a difficult loss, it can be hard to remain optimistic but you wouldn’t know it from talking to those who populate the Rams locker room.

“It’s a different locker room this year,” Bulger said. “We know we are getting better. This thing is going to turn whether it’s next week, the week after, three weeks from now. It’s going to turn. I promise you that.”

But like Spagnuolo said, the Rams had a few critical plays that ultimately decided the outcome and could have swung the game the other way had the Rams been able to win those plays.

With the Rams trailing 9-7, the offense had pieced together an excellent drive that seemed certain to result in the points that would give them a fourth quarter lead and possibly one large enough to hold off the Redskins considering how the defense had played.

Facing third-and-4 at Washington’s 9, quarterback Marc Bulger dropped back fired a pass to the right to receiver Donnie Avery, who was stationed right at the first down marker. Avery hauled it in and attempted to fight for some extra yards and, possibly, the end zone.

Instead, Redskins safety Chris Horton hit Avery, jarring the ball loose and cornerback Carlos Rogers recovered at Washington’s 7.

“I was just trying to get more yards and I didn’t have the ball high and tight and I, you know, lost it,” Avery said. “I was just trying to get YAC on the play. And I ended up fumbling.”

While Avery was disappointed in his error, had it not been for a miscue earlier on that drive, that situation might never have happened.

Of course, not all of the details are always in control of the teams on the field. Had it not been for one important officiating error, then maybe the Rams win also.

With a 7-6 lead and 1:36 to go in the first half, Rams cornerback Ron Bartell and safety Oshiomogho Atogwe converged on Redskins receiver Santana Moss on the sideline. Atogwe came up on the inside of Moss for the tackle and Bartell ripped at the ball.

Before Moss could hit the ground, Bartell knocked the ball loose and recovered it at St. Louis’ 30. But the officials blew the play dead, saying Moss was down by contact.

Because it happened inside two minutes to go in the half, the play called for an official review. The review overturned the ruling on the field and because there was overwhelming evidence that the Rams recovered, the Rams got the ball.

Unfortunately, though, the Rams did not get a chance to advance the ball. When Bartell scooped it up, he had nothing but open space in front of him and very possibly could have raced for a touchdown (though it was unclear if he had been in bounds after sliding on to the ball).

Chalk that one up to bad luck.

“That was tough,” Bartell said. “I wish they hadn’t blown the whistle. I probably would have been able to score on that. But it’s a tough call for the official to make on a bang bang play like that but he got the call right. I wish they hadn’t blown it but we can’t worry about that right now.”