The Rams may not have a legitimate chance to win the NFC West for a third straight year, but they are still int he playoff hunt. On Sunday night, they’ll play their most important game of the season, hosting the Seahawks at the Coliseum.
A win will move the Rams that much closer to a wild-card berth. A loss will set them back, especially if Minnesota takes care of business against the Lions.
Sean McVay’s team is focused on Seattle right now, and the many threats the Seahawks pose. Here are the Rams’ three biggest causes for concern in this matchup.
Russell Wilson’s wizardry
The list of concerns when facing the Seahawks always begins with Wilson. He’s been one of the best quarterbacks in the league this season – and for several years, really – finding himself in the midst of the MVP race. He picked apart the Rams secondary last time around, throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns, only getting sacked once. His passer rating of 151.8 is his best of the year so far.
The Rams talked about his ability to make plays off-schedule all week, which is what makes Wilson so good. It’s also something you can’t exactly plan for. There’s really no game plan for defending Wilson outside the pocket, other than plastering receivers in the secondary.
The only way Los Angeles is going to win this game is if Wilson is held at least somewhat in check.
Stopping Seattle’s ground game
The Seahawks are third in the league in rushing attempts and yards, averaging an impressive 4.6 yards per carry. They’re led by the one-two punch of Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, who have really gotten it going of late. The Seahawks have rushed for at least 145 yards in each of the last four games and poured 167 yards rushing on the Rams in Week 5.
Seattle is one of the few teams that leans heavily on the ground game, despite having an elite quarterback. It sets up the play-action passing game and wears down the defense, while also controlling the time of possession. The Rams have been good against the run this year, but we said the same thing before the Ravens game and Baltimore ran all over L.A.
Avoiding costly turnovers
Seattle is No. 3 in the NFL in takeaways this season, forcing at least one turnover in all but one game. In the Seahawks’ last three games, they’ve taken it away 11 times. Their defense may not be as good as it once was, but it does create turnovers, which in turn gives the offense extra possessions.
The Rams have turned it over 20 times this season, and while Jared Goff has been better about that as of late, it’s still a problem. If Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah both play, combining with Jarran Reed and Quinton Jefferson on the interior, Goff is sure to face some pressure.
When under pressure, Goff has a tendency to force the issue. He tries to make plays that aren’t there and skips over priority No. 1: protecting the football. Goff and the Rams can’t give this Seahawks offense added opportunities to score because Wilson will make them pay.
