ESPN’s stable of talking heads would probably call this a “trap” game. The 4-1 Washington Redskins, fresh off season-defining road wins against heavily favored division rivals, come back to the expanses of Landover, Maryland to take on the winless St. Louis Rams, a team many see as one of football’s worst.

But this Rams team features one of the league’s best backs in Steven Jackson (who scampered for a thirty yard touchdown in overtime the last time these teams hooked up), a receiver who, until recently, was thought of as one of the league’s elite in Torry Holt, and a couple big time playmakers on defense in tackle-machine Will Witherspoon and pass rush specialist Leonard Little (an ironic name). They’re also a team with their QB, Marc Bulger, back at the helm after a short stint riding the pine by order of the Rams’ now-former coach Scott Linnehan. They’re also coming off a bye with a full two weeks to prepare for Jim Zorn’s retooled Skins offense.

There are plenty of Redskins fans who look at this upcoming three game stretch – against teams who have exactly one win between them so far this season – and see an all-you-can-eat prime rib buffet. I look at it and see sub-par banquet food that’s been sitting under heat lamps for maybe a little too long. In other words, likely to upset. Like many fans, I suspect, I fear the worst, especially in games like this where there’s little to gain and much to lose. Others may be confident, but I won’t feel safe until Colt Brennan is in the game handing off to Rock Cartwright. Of course, the mere act of writing those words implies that I’ve visually imagined a victory – something I consider quite the jinx just to think about, much less declare publicly.