Last week, we saw our first glimpse at the Rams in full form. With the return of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, not only were the Rams able to wake its offense up, but they were also able to get a much-needed win over a very game Minnesota team that is still suffering from the Lions Bug that plagued them the week before. With that huge win on Lil’ McVay’s first birthday, the Rams now look to travel north and silence a team that has been a thorn for years.
At the beginning of the season, Geno Smith had the Seahawks flying high and sitting pretty atop the NFC West. While the division has been one of the most battered this year, none of the teams in it have clearly separated themselves from the rest. After getting stomped out by Buffalo last week, there are lots of questions when it comes to Seattle. While their offense has been on point for a majority of the year (currently 8th in the league), it is their defense that has been questionable at best (ranked 23rd in the league to this point).
On the other side of the coin, however, the Rams offense picked the right time to wake up and shake off the Rip Van Winkle Syndrome that has plagued them all season long. Last week, they looked like a complete team, and they even brought Demarcus Robinson in the party with two huge snags, both for touchdowns. But the return of Kupp and Nacua should take some of the heavy burden off of All-Pro RB Kyren Williams, who has been the focal point for the Rams’ entire offense. Matthew Stafford is starting to look like the quarterback that the Rams traded for once again as he snagged a win over the NFC North this season (1-3 against them this year). Now Week 9 has been the moment when we found out who is legit thinking postseason and who is legitimately aiming for a high draft pick. Obviously, teams like Carolina, New England, Miami, Vegas, Cleveland, Tennessee are holding glimmers of hope that they can turn it around just in time. But in the NFC, the adage of Ricky Bobby fits perfectly
With a shoddy defense that is just as plagued by injury as it is about inconsistency, the Seahawks should have some trouble with the very deep Rams wide receiver corps. Kupp and Nacua will be the one-two punch Stafford will need to contend with the Seahawks offense, and Kyren Williams should continue his streak of finding the end zone in this game as well since he has been the workhorse for them this season.
However, while the Hawks will be homed in on Kupp and Nacua, they might want to consider the fact that it was Robinson and Tutu Atwell that has been a great set of option B receivers for the team in the absence of Batman and Robin.
Another huge wake up from that game against Minnesota for the Rams was the fact that the defense looked dangerous as they made sure that Sam Darnold saw his share of ghosts even before Halloween showed up. While the Rams may rank close to the bottom on passing and rushing defense this year, the game last week definitely turned some heads as they looked like the defense a lot of Rams fans were waiting for. And despite the controversial way the game ended, the Rams Defense looked like they channeled their inner Aaron Donald…at least for one night.
But now, we find out who will take a step in the right direction. For the Rams, a win will find them in a temporary tie for the top spot in the NFC West with San Francisco and Arizona (yes, Arizona), while a loss does not really hurt their postseason aspirations…but it doesn’t help them either. Neither team can afford a loss in this game, and after their performance last week against the Bills, Seattle would rather forget that the matchup ever happened and try to focus on a team they have had the number of for a New York Minute.
This game may start off a little blah considering it will be in Seattle, where it is slated to rain, and the crowd may be a factor in increments during the game. But this will be a good test for the Rams, as they are currently 1-1 in the division to this point (a win over SF and loss against AZ). I am not saying that the NFC West is the new NFC Least, but it will at least be entertaining all the way to the end. In fact, the Rams-Seahawks rivalry has been just that with the debuts and performances of past legends (Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Kurt Warner, Aaron Donald, Richard Sherman, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, etc.
Don’t be surprised to see some good fireworks towards the end of this game, because both teams know what is at stake for them this weekend. It will fun. It will be chaotic. It will be messy. It may be controversial at times. Yes, this weekend’s LA-SEA game may have it all…
But by the time it is over, there will be a winner, and we should all know who is gearing up for a late season playoff push.
Final Score Prediction: Rams 31, Seahawks 21