Things will be different for the Los Angeles Rams this week as they look to rebound off of a loss for the first time this season. Luckily for the Rams, they’ll have a chance to forget about the loss quickly with the divisional rival Seattle Seahawks coming to town. Even though it wouldn’t be mathematically decided just yet, the Rams could essentially close up the NFC West this weekend if they can complete the season sweep against the Seahawks.
Let’s take a look at the matchups to watch:
CB’s Marcus Peters/Troy Hill vs WR’s Tyler Lockett/David Moore
This was a relatively easy one to jot down, wasn’t it? Last go around, Peters was torched as he allowed two touchdowns to David Moore and one very long touchdown on a post to Lockett. Hill was better on the other side but his game never seems concrete and he’s always susceptible to a bad game too. Will the Rams’ cornerbacks duo do a better job of covering this time around? Can Marcus Peters bounce back after two awful weeks against the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints? Let’s hope so.
DT’s Aaron Donald/Ndamukong Suh vs OG D.J. Fluker
Both Donald and Suh registered a sack last time around against the Seahawks (with Suh registering one more that was negated by a holding penalty in the secondary). Admittedly, the Seahawks’ offensive line and running game absolutely demolished the Rams’ front-seven. The reason I singled out D.J. Fluker here was because of his postgame comments which can be found here. It doesn’t seem Donald was all too thrilled about those comments:
Rams’ front-seven vs Seahawks’ running game
Like I said above, the Rams really struggled to stop the run the first time around. The Seahawks had 190 total rushing yards and averaged nearly six yards a run. The front-seven needs to stay more disciplined, win more one-on-one’s, and need to shoot gaps more effectively. It’s imperative the defense does a better job this time because the Seahawks simply hung around too long last time.
WR Robert Woods vs CB Shaquill Griffin
Last meeting, the trio of Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, and Robert Woods all started the game. Only one (Woods) made it to the end with the other two suffering concussions. Woods put on a route-running clinic with over 140 total yards in that game. Look for Woods to continue to uncover as a technician who creates major separation for his QB in Jared Goff. Shaq Griffin is also banged up and questionable for the game.
TE Gerald Everett vs SS Bradley McDougald
Everett’s role in the offense continues to slowly expand as the season goes by. With 70 yards receiving in his past two games, Everett is proving to be a valuable weapon though he simply doesn’t get many chances to show it. This could be a week where the Rams look to let him make a handful of plays as he’s shown to be a reliable weapon in the past few games.
Rams’ defense vs QB Russell Wilson
Anytime you play Russ Wilson you’ve got to be on your p’s and q’s. In their first duel, Wilson had 198 passing yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. A pissed off Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh will look to impale the signal caller, though the Rams now also have reinforcements which they didn’t possess in the prior game in OLB Dante Fowler Jr. Maintain your rush lanes, apply pressure, and finish the sacks when they present themselves.
The Rams narrowly won the last duel with a gutsy fourth-down conversion on a QB sneak to seal the game. This time around, I think the Rams win comfortably and maintain a strong grip on the NFC West title.