Last week, Thursday Night Football gave the world a Jaguars-Bengals matchup that was more notable for what happened afterward in an Ohio bar than anything that occurred on the field. This week, as if to make up for polluting our timelines with breathless Urban Meyer takes, the schedule gods have gifted us a matchup with playoff implications.
The Rams, fresh off their first loss of the season, will face a 2-2 Seahawks team capable of big wins and jarring disappointments. Seattle risks wasting another season of Russell Wilson’s prime thanks to a lethargic defense. Through roughly one quarter of the season Wilson leads the league in passer rating by more than 10 full points, but his team sits on the fringe of the playoff race thanks to a defense that’s given up more yards than anyone in the league.
Los Angeles is in better shape, though last week’s trouncing at the hands of the Cardinals has left questions to answer. Matthew Stafford’s arrival unlocked the dynamic vertical offense head coach Sean McVay couldn’t operate with Jared Goff. A run game beset by injuries and a top-heavy defense with limited depth behind it have left questions about whether this team can finally deliver Stafford a playoff win.
