The SBN Power Rankings are out (I put the Lions below the Rams, FYI) and Redskins fans must surely be giddy at the possibility of jumping out to a 5-1 season, after being predicted to sweep the cellar of the NFC East. 

The networks sensed the limited appeal of such a lop-sided matchup and the game has a fairly limited television distribution (a bad break for our SoCal contingent). Perhaps they're counting on most people sleeping in, given Fox's slate of early games. 

The Redskins will need to be sleepy themselves, or at least overconfident as 13 point favorites, for the Rams to take it to them. But don't completely count the Rams out. This is a game that will come down to those shady intangibles - a sinking ship righted, a new captain leading a crew with a new sense of purpose. Ill-defined as they are, those are the kinds of things that lead to upsets (by virtue of players motivated to play error-free, 110% football). Any given Sunday, and all that. 

Silly? The Redskins have fallen victim to returning coaches like Marty Schottenheimer and Norv Turner before and there's a couple other spooky factors at play here. Others have predicted surprises in this game, and almost any gambler could spare some change to beat on the Rams and that spread.

Those first games with the new coach can always get a team playing above their actual talent level - even if they do fall back down to earth as the season progresses. I'd be thrilled to see a win today, but I'll be just as pleased to see the Rams compete, to know that there's something besides futility under the Golden Horns this season, a sign of brighter days to come. 

Too bad nobody makes a foam finger that says, "beat the spread."

As always, be sure to check out the view from Hogs Haven during the game. 

Go Rams!