Two NFC West rivals that are trending in opposite directions meet up in primetime Sunday. The Seattle Seahawks travel south to everyone’s home away from home, the Coliseum, in Los Angeles to square off against the Rams. It’s a must-win game for the Rams if there ever was one. The Seahawks are tied for the division lead with a 10-2 record with the San Francisco 49ers.
After winning three straight games to start the season, the Rams then lost three straight, and it’s been a roller-coaster ride ever since. They head into Sunday Night Football with a 7-5 record and a completely erratic offense. The Seahawks have been consistently good, but oddly enough, no one started talking about them nationally until after their Week 7 loss to the Ravens.
In the wins they had that followed, everyone suddenly realized just how potent Russell Wilson and the Seahawks actually are. Right around that time, the Rams started to look a bit lost and lackadaisical. Jared Goff needs to spark what would be a great win over a division rival to get this team going. In what is kind of an odd line, the Rams are actually favored by one point headed into the matchup. The over/under sits at 47 points.
A Mind-Boggling Season
The Rams’ season so far has been completely erratic. If you look at their schedule, win/loss total, and the scores in all of their matchups, you can make some sense of what is happening in Los Angeles. The Rams need the defense that held the Saints to nine points, the Falcons to 10, and the Bears and Cardinals to seven apiece to show up every week.
For them to do that, the Rams need Goff and the offense to give them a break every now and again. The Rams defense ranks fourth in the NFL in opponents yards per play, giving up only 4.9.
On a team with Todd Gurley, the Rams only rank 25th in the league in rushing yards. While Gurley’s health has been in question all season, coach Sean McVay has to find ways to utilize him.
By the numbers, Cooper Kupp is having the best season of his young career, and he definitely is. However, if you’ve watched, you know his numbers are padded by those early-season monstrous games. He’s come back down to Earth as of late. McVay needs to find more ways to utilize the dynamic slot receiver as well.
Mind-Numbingly Good
Wilson is so good at leading the Seahawks to the playoffs that it’s become boring. The MVP candidate is off to another scorching start. He’s completing over 67 percent of his passes and has thrown 26 touchdowns to only four picks.
Tyler Lockett is finally getting some shine as the No. 1 wideout, and Wilson and Lockett have a great deep game. Lockett has 63 receptions for 831 yards and six touchdowns. He was held without a catch a week ago, but eight Seahawks players had the flu, and he was one of them, so attribute the off week to health.
Chris Carson has 1,208 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns on the season and has been a first-down machine for Seattle. Rookie receiver D.K. Metcalf is off to a fantastic start to his career, to the tune of 705 yards and 16 yards per catch.
Picking The Rams
Surprisingly, the Rams have a better record against the spread than the Seahawks. Los Angeles is 8-4 against the spread, while Seattle is 7-5. Nonetheless, the pick here has to be the roaring Seahawks, as they seem to be on a mission. They win and cover on Sunday Night Football.
