Photo by turn’table.

Any optimism about the 2010 edition of the Redskins that was left in reserve after last week’s heartbreaking loss to the Texans has surely evaporated after yesterday’s humiliating 30-16 loss to the St. Louis Rams. Yes, they lost to a Rams team that was starting a rookie quarterback, sporting a 3-31 record in their previous 34 games and hadn’t scored more than 23 points in a game during coach Steve Spagnuolo’s tenure. But the Redskins Charity Express rumbled on, faithfully keeping expectations low and handing out wins to undeserving opponents (see Detroit, Carolina, and Kansas City last season).

Once things settled down after an early 14-point surge by the Rams, the Redskins’ running game looked like it was ready to take over and dominate one of the worst run defenses in the league. Clinton Portis and Ryan Torain were attacking the holes, even gaining some yardage on cutback runs. But after Portis’ inexplicable slide on a 27-yard run in the 1st quarter, he only carried five more times and spent most of the game sulking on the sidelines. Torain broke off a 36-yard run early in the second quarter, but couldn’t find any room the rest of the game. The trio of Donovan McNabb, Santana Moss, and Chris Cooley is finding success in the passing game, but for every completion underneath that moves the sticks, a play is wasted on first down trying to complete a home-run ball to Joey Galloway. If Moss continues excelling at catching passes in the middle of the field, something he has been allergic to for years, then there needs to be a more reliable speed threat down the field.