The Los Angeles Rams have had a full off week to get healthy and reset ahead of the final two months of the regular season. At this point, the chips are down and the team will need a surge if they want to stay relevant in the playoff conversation. It starts this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks. Here’s a look at everything worth knowing about the matchup to get you ready.
Everything You Need To Know About Rams Vs Seahawks
Rams And Seahawks Injury Report: Will Matthew Stafford Play?
The biggest question facing the team as they went into the bye was whether Matthew Stafford would be back in action. The answer is an emphatic “yes.” Stafford will be back under center and should be throwing as well as could be expected.
The other question is whether Puka Nacua will be healthy for the game. He’s listed with an injured knee and only had a limited practice on Wednesday. He’s currently questionable.
On the Seahawk’s side of things, wide receiver Tyler Lockett is the biggest injury concern as he is listed with a hamstring injury, per ESPN. He’s currently questionable.
Rams And Seahawks NFC West Standings
Both teams are three games away from .500 in opposite ways. The Rams need to win three games to get back to .500. Meanwhile, the Seahawks would need to lose three games to slip to .500. The Rams will be hoping to start that losing trend this weekend. The Rams already have won one matchup in the divisional series with the team and the hope is they can sweep at least one divisional opponent ahead of them in the standings.
Rams Offense
The Los Angeles Rams, despite having exceptional pieces littered throughout the offensive side of the roster, have underperformed as a unit this season. Cooper Kupp‘s injury took turns with Puka Nacua’s explosive arrival to the NFL and Kyren Williams‘ injury. Matthew Stafford’s ability to be 100% healthy has also impacted the team’s ability to thrive.
However, if there was one team that could surge over the next couple of weeks with their backs against the wall, it is the Rams offense. The Rams are 14th in yards per game and 22nd in points per game. The team is 14th in passing yards per game and 17th in rushing yards per game.
Matthew Stafford has thrown for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions this year. The team’s receiving leader isn’t Cooper Kupp, but rather Puka Nacua at 827 yards and two touchdowns. Their top rusher is Kyren Williams, who is still more than 300 yards ahead of the next closest, backup Royce Freeman.
Rams Defense
Defensively, the unit has their work cut out for them. They rank 20th in yards allowed per game and 22nd in points allowed per game. Their passing defense ranks 14th in passing yards allowed per game and their rushing defense ranks 22nd in rushing yards allowed per game. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has his work cut out for him to elevate the unit over the next three games.
Aaron Donald leads the defense with 5.5 sacks but linebacker Ernest Jones leads the team in tackles at 75 total tackles. Ahkello Witherspoon leads the team in total interceptions with two picks.
Related: Fixing The Rams Offense Against The Blitz
Seahawks Offense
The Seahawks rank 18th in yards per game. They also rank 14th in points per game. Geno Smith‘s passing offense ranks 13th in yards per game while Kenneth Walker‘s rushing unit ranks 24th in the NFL. For the Rams to win, they need to lock down the secondary and find a way to force Seattle to attempt to rush.
However, rushing usually only rises in winning efforts, so the Rams need to find a way to convince the Seahawks that they need to rush to keep the Rams offense off the field. Perhaps Stafford returning and based on how well the team’s offense did the first time accomplishes that.
Geno Smith has thrown for 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season while Kenneth Walker has rushed for 595 yards and six touchdowns. At receiver, the leader is split between DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Metcalf has 552 yards and two touchdowns but Tyler Lockett isn’t far behind at 494 yards and four touchdowns.
Seahawks Defense
The Seahawks defense is a far cry from the days of the Legion of Boom, despite the fact that the team somehow is in possession of Bobby Wagner all these years later. In terms of total yards per game, the team ranks 25th. In points per game, the Seahawks rank 20th. In passing yards allowed, they rank 22nd. In rushing yards allowed, they rank 20th. If there was a game for the Rams to take off offensively, this theoretically should be it.
Bobby Wagner leads the defense in tackles at 95. Boye Mafe leads the defense in sacks at seven, but there are seven defenders with at least two sacks, so they can pressure from anywhere. Tre Brown leads the secondary in interceptions with two. Five total defenders have at least one interception this season.