The Seattle Seahawks have their eyes set on a division title this year, and their first big hurdle to accomplishing this goal is a Thursday Night Football duel with the reigning division champs – the Los Angeles Rams.
Los Angeles has won 3 out of 4 meetings at CenturyLink Field, including their last two straight. The Seahawks have not managed to win at home versus the Rams since 2016, which interestingly was also a Thursday Night Football game and the debut of Seattle’s all-green alternate uniforms – which they will wear in Week 5.
The Rams may still be a top tier team in the NFL in terms of talent and their 3-1 record, but they are vulnerable right now. They are coming off a Week 4 game where they scored 40 points at home . . . and still lost by 15. A lot of blame has gone to quarterback Jared Goff, who is genuinely struggling as of late, but a lot of their issues can be traced back to the offensive line.
Last year Los Angeles boasted one of the best, and deepest, offensive lines in the league. This year has seen a significant drop off. Now the Rams have the No. 32 ranked line, according to Pro Football Focus, and as a result Jared Goff has become the most pressured quarterback in the NFL.
For as bad as the Seahawks line has been at times this year, the Rams are actually worse. Seattle’s pass rush has been hit or miss so far this year, but if there was ever a time to capitalize it would be on Thursday.
However, the true X-factor in this game for the Rams is their running back Todd Gurley. After a knee injury late last year limited him in the playoffs, Gurley hasn’t seemed like himself. Gurley peaked at 97 yards in Week 1, but has rushed for less and less each week, with his lowest output coming against the Bucs at only 16 yards.
In all fairness, the Rams fell behind early to Tampa Bay and abandoned the run as a result. But the truth of the matter is their offense truly runs through Gurley. Whether Gurley is still being bothered by a nagging injury or if the Rams have him on a pitch count so he is fresh for the playoff stretch remains to be seen.
If the latter is true, then the Rams will probably consider unleashing Gurley on Thursday, which would not bode well for the Seahawks. Gurley is Seattle’s kryptonite, as the Seahawks defense has been incapable of even slowing him down. In his last three games against Seattle, Gurley has 453 total yards – 349 of which came on the ground – and eight total touchdowns.
But if Gurley truly is hampered, then this might be the best opportunity Seattle has at stopping the bruising back, allowing their pass rush to tee off on Jared Goff.
Prediction: Seahawks over Rams 30-27
The Rams and the Seahawks appear to be trending in opposite directions in the short term after Week 4. Seattle had a dominating win while the Rams lost by double digits. Quarterback Russell Wilson is actively campaigning for the MVP with his best start ever, while Jared Goff has visibly regressed.
But all of this can change in one game. Make no mistake, the Rams are still a team looking to get back to the Super Bowl to avenge their humiliating loss and to get back on track after last week. The Seahawks should expect yet another competitive brawl against their chief rivals.
Last year the Seahawks lost two razor-thin games to the Rams, which could have gone either way. Seattle seems more than overdue for a revenge victory, and with Russell Wilson off to his best start in his career, there doesn’t seem like a better time. The Rams defense may be talented but very susceptible to big plays. If the Seahawks defense can slow Goff, Gurley and the offense even a little bit, they have a good chance to take advantage and a narrow win.
