ASHBURN, Va. - As Fred Smoot is apt to say, it's time for him and Champ Bailey to "man up."
Bailey and Smoot, the star cornerbacks for the Washington Redskins, will take on perhaps their toughest challenge of the season when Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and the St. Louis Rams visit FedEx Field at 1 p.m. Sunday.
But their approach to Sunday's game is as different as the cornerbacks' demeanors.
Bailey, the quiet 1999 first-round draft pick who went to the Pro Bowl last season, has a healthy respect for Bruce and Holt, who are two reasons St. Louis has the seventh-best offense in the NFL and the league's 12th-best passing attack.
"They're probably the best receiving corps we will face this year," Bailey said. "So, yeah, we're definitely up for them."
Smoot, the 2001 second-round draft choice who has succeeded Deion Sanders in the position and the brashness department, is not as awed.
"They're a nice receiving corps, but this is the NFL," Smoot said. "Every week in and week out, we see two good receivers, a good quarterback and a good running back. We're going to keep playing how we've been playing."
This season, few teams have had success throwing the ball against the Redskins, who are surrendering 197.4 yards a game and rank 10th in the league against the pass.
Much of that has to do with Bailey and Smoot. No opposing quarterback has thrown for more than 300 yards, and only three wide receivers have posted at least 100 receiving yards against Washington.
Like their personalities, Bailey and Smoot are nearly as distinct in their styles on the field.
Smoot is the risk-taker who can overplay a receiver and close gaps with his explosive speed. Bailey is the rock, a steady player who instinctively marks the receiver and matches his every move.
Both are tied with strong safety Ifeanyi Ohalete for the team lead in interceptions with three. Smoot's 18 pass breakups are two more than Bailey's, but Bailey has 18 more tackles than Smoot's 38.
Opponents have tried to pick on Smoot, opting to avoid Bailey and hoping Smoot will get careless. Rams coach Mike Martz, who isn't one to avoid a challenge, suggested during his conference call this week that he might employ a similar strategy because of Bailey's abilities.
"He's got everything you look for in a great corner," Martz said. "He has all the physical tools. He's a very patient guy. He's a physical corner. He's the prototype."
How the Redskins cornerbacks fare against Bruce and Holt may depend on the play of quarterback Kurt Warner, who is returning after six weeks of healing a broken pinkie on his throwing hand.
But the 1999 and 2001 NFL Most Valuable Player will have the luxury of throwing to the NFC's fifth- and seventh-best receiving yardage leaders in Holt and Bruce, respectively.
Holt, who entered this season with more receiving yards since the 2000 season than any other player in the league, has caught 54 passes for 792 yards and two touchdowns.
Bruce, who has 52 receptions for 734 yards and five touchdowns, is two catches away from passing wide receivers coach Henry Ellard as the franchise's career leader in receptions. Bruce has 592 catches in a little more than 8 1/2 seasons. Ellard accomplished his mark in 11 years.
If there is an aspect of Sunday's showdown that might favor Washington, it's that the natural grass of FedEx Field may slow Bruce and Holt, whose speed is an advantage on the artificial turf of the Edward Jones Dome.
"I think Champ and Smoot are going to hold their own," said free safety David Terrell. "I'll go to battle any day with those guys, and I don't think they're going to have a problem with either one of those guys."
Next for Redskins
Matchup: Redskins (4-6) vs. St. Louis Rams (5-5)
Site: FedEx Field, Landover
When: Sunday, 1 p.m.
TV/Radio: Ch. 5/WNAV (1430 AM), WJFK (106.7 FM)
Line: Rams by 4 1/2