The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks will meet for the first time this season on Thursday night in what will surely be a game that greatly impacts the standings in the NFC West. They’re both 3-1, so the winner will have a key advantage in the division moving forward.
The Rams are looking to rebound from a 15-point home loss to the Buccaneers, while Seattle is seeking its second straight win after beating the Cardinals on the road, 27-10.
Here are five things to know about Thursday night’s matchup.
Rams have won 7 of last 10 vs. Seattle
The Rams have owned the Seahawks in the last five seasons, winning seven of their last five meetings with Seattle. The Rams have only been legitimate contenders for two seasons, but they had Seattle’s number even under Jeff Fisher.
In their last three games, the Rams are 3-0 against the Seahawks and 3-1 with Sean McVay as the head coach. Only one of those games was lopsided, though, when the Rams beat the Seahawks 42-7 in Week 15 of the 2017 season. Each of the other three matchups have been within six points each.
Sean McVay is 10-2 vs. NFC West since 2017
Divisional games are often some of the toughest, given the familiarity each team has with one another. That’s not the case for the Patriots in the AFC East, and apparently, McVay’s Rams haven’t had much trouble in the NFC West, either.
This is their first divisional matchup of the season, but dating back to McVay’s first season in L.A., the Rams are 10-2 in the NFC West since 2017. Here are the Rams’ records against each team
- Cardinals: 4-0
- 49ers: 3-1 (loss in Week 17 of 2017 without starters)
- Seahawks: 3-1
With back-to-back NFC West titles and a sweep of the division in 2018, the Rams have made it look easy the last two years.
Seahawks rank 6th in NFL in run defense
The Rams have had a surprising amount of trouble running the football this season, ranking just 22nd in rushing yards per game (99.8). The struggles might continue on Thursday night as Seattle ranks sixth in rushing yards per game allowed, surrendering just 79.5 per game.
That doesn’t bode well for Todd Gurley, who has been the center of attention after getting just five carries against the Bucs in Week 4. It’ll be tough sledding for him against a front that features Jadeveon Clowney, Ziggy Ansah, Poona Ford and Quinton Jefferson. Not to mention, Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright in the second level.
Rams and Seahawks on opposite ends in passing attempts
The Rams have thrown the ball more often than all but one team in the NFL this season, attempting 173 passes – three fewer than the league-leading Falcons. Jared Goff’s 68 attempts in Week 4 inflated the Rams’ numbers, but they were throwing the ball frequently before then, too.
Seattle is far more run-oriented. The Seahawks have thrown the ninth-fewest passes in the league and are 12th in rushing attempts; the Rams are 19th in that category. The Rams have simply run more plays, but their offense has been built around Goff’s arm instead of Gurley’s legs.
Rams had 6.0 sacks in two games vs. Seattle last season
Russell Wilson was under constant duress in his two games against Los Angeles last season. He was sacked six times in two games, including 3.5 by Aaron Donald alone. Donald has had the Seahawks’ number, recording 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in 10 career games against the Rams’ division rival.
The Seahawks’ offensive line is much-improved over last season, but Wilson is still being sacked at a fairly high rate. In three of his four games this season, he’s been sacked four times and 12 total times this year. This could be a day for the Rams pass rush to get on track, specifically for Donald; he has one sack this season.
