Thursday Night Football always proves to be a test. Coming off a short week of preparation and playing a divisional rival is the toughest game to compete in. It's a massive spot to bounce back for the 2nd place Los Angeles Rams after an embarrassing 37-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. For 3rd place Seattle Seahawks, it's a chance to head back home and snag favorable spot in the division standings after a quality 28-21 win against the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams played atrociously in the game against the Cardinals, there's no denying it. Now they head to a very loud Lumen Field, where Head Coach Sean McVay is 3-2. That's including a playoff win in the wildcard round in 2020 (no fans were allowed in the stadium due to Covid-19). All in all the Rams have played Seattle and Head Coach Pete Carroll very well since McVay's arrival and I believe his success all begins with the defense.
On the outside is Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has been bouncing around the defensive scheme this season more than any other time in his pro career. Ramsey is usually shadowing the best wide receiver on the field in most cases. Now he's been punched into a slot corner role that can allow him to be utilized in ways that can confuse opposing offenses. 55% of Ramsey's snaps are in this slot corner role this season. If Ramsey were to shadow the Hawks #1, it'd be monster 2nd year receiver D.K. Metcalf, who Ramsey shut down last year in the regular season holding him 8 receptions for 87 yards and no scores. Whenever those two line up across each other, the fans are in for one of the best receiver-corner battles in the league. The real top WR in the Seattle offense has been Tyler Lockett, though. Lockett is leading the team in receiving with 20 receptions, 333 yards and 3 touchdowns. The defense as a whole needs to keep this consistency they've sustained over the years against the Hawks. Their play last season in the wildcard was the sole factor in the Rams advancing and leaving the Seahawks to, as said by Ramsey, "Take their divisional champs hats and t-shirts to Cabo".
The Rams must set the tone and be in firm control of this game from start to finish if they want to win. All of these divisional games matter just that much more. The Seahawks are 1-0, Rams are 0-1 in division play. L.A. just simply can't afford to drop two of these matchups in the span of less than a week. It's a very winnable game given how the Seahawks have played these last few weeks and they're simply not the same unbeatable team they used to be at home.
The Rams D, more particularly defensive tackle Aaron Donald, have tortured quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offensive line for over half a decade now. AD has earned more sacks on Wilson than any other QB he's faced with 13 in 10 Rams wins, and 2 sacks in 5 Rams losses. Now Donald is coming off one of his worst games pass-rushing-wise as a pro against Arizona. His PFF grade was his lowest in his entire career with a 51.5. If there's a spot he'd thrive in and put emphasis on getting right, it's against Wilson. The Rams also have to keep an eye on Hawks running back Chris Carson. Carson has had somewhat of a slow start with 232 yards on 54 rushes and 3 touchdowns. If the Rams front-seven can do their job in containing the run, the secondary should have a relatively easy evening. As long as the D improves as a whole and doesn't allow Russell Wilson to make the same shocking and mind-bending plays we've all seen him make over the years, they should have this matchup locked in their favor.
On the outside is Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has been bouncing around the defensive scheme this season more than any other time in his pro career. Ramsey is usually shadowing the best wide receiver on the field in most cases. Now he's been punched into a slot corner role that can allow him to be utilized in ways that can confuse opposing offenses. 55% of Ramsey's snaps are in this slot corner role this season. If Ramsey were to shadow the Hawks #1, it'd be monster 2nd year receiver D.K. Metcalf, who Ramsey shut down last year in the regular season holding him 8 receptions for 87 yards and no scores. Whenever those two line up across each other, the fans are in for one of the best receiver-corner battles in the league. The real top WR in the Seattle offense has been Tyler Lockett, though. Lockett is leading the team in receiving with 20 receptions, 333 yards and 3 touchdowns. The defense as a whole needs to keep this consistency they've sustained over the years against the Hawks. Their play last season in the wildcard was the sole factor in the Rams advancing and leaving the Seahawks to, as said by Ramsey, "Take their divisional champs hats and t-shirts to Cabo".
The Rams offense sputtered mightily against Arizona in week 3 as QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp had absolutely zero rhythm throughout the game. The groove that was nowhere to be found needs to be emphasized in the game plan against the Seattle defense. I also think it'd be in the Rams best interest on offense to utilize running back Darrell Henderson early on before committing to throwing the ball. Henderson was incredibly poised while running the football against the Cardinals. McVay was doing McVay things, though. The coach chose to focus solely on the passing game when running the ball was the way they were really getting the chunk plays the Rams needed. As long as the Rams offensive line holds up their end as they've been doing all season long, the Rams should be in good shape on offense. Side note: The Seahawks are ranked 21st in total defense along with being 30th in allowing rush yards as well as 28th in passing yards allowed.
The Rams must set the tone and be in firm control of this game from start to finish if they want to win. All of these divisional games matter just that much more. The Seahawks are 1-0, Rams are 0-1 in division play. L.A. just simply can't afford to drop two of these matchups in the span of less than a week. It's a very winnable game given how the Seahawks have played these last few weeks and they're simply not the same unbeatable team they used to be at home.
I have the Rams winning by a score of 27-20.
2021 Leaders per pro-football-reference.com
| Los Angeles Rams 2021 Leaders | |
| Matthew Stafford | 92/135, 1222 yds, 11 TDs |
|---|---|
| Cooper Kupp | 30 rec, 431 yds, 5 TDs |
| Darrell Henderson | 43 rush, 212 yds, 2 TDs |
| Seattle Seahawks 2021 Leaders | |
| Russell Wilson | 79/109, 1044 yds, 9 TDs |
| Tyler Lockett | 20 rec, 333 yds, 3 TDs |
| Chris Carson | 54 rush, 232 yds, 3 TDs |
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