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December 26, 2014 at 9:17 am #14725
znModeratorRams vs. Seahawks preview
By Terry Blount and Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com
http://espn.go.com/blog/seattle-seahawks/post/_/id/10879/rams-vs-seahawks-preview
When: 4:25 pm. ET, Sunday Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle TV: FOX
It all comes down to this for the Seattle Seahawks. They must beat one of the four teams that beat them earlier this season in order to reach all their regular-season goals.
The Seahawks (11-4) play the St. Louis Rams (6-9) on Sunday at CenturyLink Field with everything on the line. A victory will clinch the NFC West title for Seattle and give the Seahawks home-field advantage for the playoffs, barring an unlikely tie between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.
But the Rams defeated the Seahawks 28-26 earlier this year, only 48 hours after the shocking trade of Percy Harvin. Now the Rams hope to spoil Seattle’s playoff plans.
Rams reporter Nick Wagoner and Seahawks reporter Terry Blount take an in-depth look at both teams heading into this important regular-season finale.
Blount: Nick, I guess the most obvious question is what in the world happened to the Rams defense last week? The New York Giants, not exactly an offensive juggernaut, scored 37 points and had over 500 yards of offense.
Wagoner: I’m not sure even the Rams know what hit them on Sunday. What the Rams had done in the previous eight weeks, let alone the previous three was not sustainable, but to see it go from one extreme to the other was shocking. Words like unacceptable, shocking and embarrassing were being used by various members of the defense after the game. On a more X’s and O’s front, the Rams weren’t getting much pass rush, and when they tried to generate it with the blitz, Eli Manning picked them apart. It was strange to see the Rams shut down Peyton Manning only to get picked apart by little brother. I also am of the belief the Rams secondary let Odell Beckham Jr. get in their heads. They were upset when he spun the ball after a touchdown and there were rumors that he’d gotten under their skin with some pregame trash-talking. If that’s all it takes to get them off balance, maybe Doug Baldwin should conduct another impromptu news conference with Richard Sherman. I still tend to think this was more of an aberration for the defense, but they should be past having their bad games be that bad at this point in the rebuilding project.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, things are clicking at just the right time. I know the Seahawks have gotten some guys healthy in recent weeks. Is there more to their current run than that? If so, what are a few things that have them rolling right now?
Blount: Certainly getting healthy on defense, especially the return of middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, has been a big factor in an amazing defensive run the last five games, when the Seahawks have allowed only 33 total points. But overall, the biggest turnaround moment for the team, on and off the field, was trading Percy Harvin. At first it was a shocker, and they paid the price with the loss at St. Louis, but the long-term effect was getting back to who they were as an offense, a power-running team that feeds the beast in Marshawn Lynch and makes things happen in the passing game off play-action and Russell Wilson’s running ability. Just as important is the change in attitude that came after Harvin was sent packing. They eliminated a locker-room disruption and starting believing in each other again, regaining their swagger from a year ago.
I know the Rams were hoping for better this year than a losing record, but things got off to a bad start with quarterback Sam Bradford’s injury. Even so, the team still had a chance finish with a winning record before back-to-back losses. What’s gone wrong this season, and where do they go from here?
Wagoner: Looking at it now, there’s not any one thing to point to. The quarterback situation certainly hasn’t helped, and when Bradford went down it set off a chain of events that made it tougher. But it’s been more far-reaching than just quarterback. The defense took about seven weeks to finally jell and become the type of unit that could help them beat anybody. And even after that happened, they still had bad performances like the San Diego and New York games in their back pocket. Meanwhile, the offense has been good enough to beat some bad defenses like Oakland and Washington, but it hasn’t been good enough to overcome top defenses consistently (though they have scored just enough to beat a couple). The funny thing is I keep seeing people say the Rams “only” need to find a quarterback to get going next year. And I “only” need to hit the lottery to be able to retire early. Point is, there’s truth to the idea that an upgrade at quarterback would make them a contender — they also need to bolster the offensive line at two, maybe three spots — but it’s obviously not that easy to find a difference-maker at quarterback. For proof, one needs only to look around the league. They’d like to bring Bradford back at a reduced rate and spend a relatively high pick on another quarterback. If they can do that, bolster the line and add a couple of pieces on defense, they could be in the mix. The good news is they don’t have as many needs as they’ve had in past years. The bad news is the needs they do have are difficult ones to fill, especially the most important one of all.
Seattle’s defense is firing on all cylinders. Maybe it’s unfair to ask this, because I don’t want to put you in a prisoner-of-the-moment scenario, but can you put some historical context behind what we’re seeing from that group? Between last year and where that group is now, is it fair to start including this group in the conversation with some of the greatest defenses of all time?
Blount: I love this question. Look, I know people get testy when you start saying the “best of all time” and the “greatest defense ever” and that kind of stuff. But I’m telling you, in my 30-plus years of doing this for a living, I’ve never seen anything quite like the dominating force of the Seahawks over the last five weeks. That includes the 1986 Bears defense under Buddy Ryan. That famous “46” defense was led by Mike Singletary in the middle, and this one is by Wagner. The Seahawks aren’t as good at rushing the passer as that defense was, but the Seattle secondary is well on its way to going down as the best in NFL history with Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and cornerback Byron Maxwell, one of the most underrated players in the league.
Nick, the Rams have nothing to play for and the Seahawks have everything on the line, the NFC West title and home-field advantage for the playoffs. It’s similar to the season finale a year ago that Seattle won. The Seahawks got it done that day, but Jeff Fisher has been a thorn in Seattle’s side. Do you sense the Rams will be fired up to be spoilers or has the ship sailed for 2014 and they’ll just go through the motions?
Wagoner: I know Jeff Fisher would disagree with me; heck I know he does disagree with me because he said so last week, but I thought the Rams came out flat against the Giants. To their credit, they did try to fight their way back into that game, but I was surprised to see how they started and some of the silly mistakes a team playing its 15th game shouldn’t be making. That said, I expect the Rams to be fired up for this game. One thing Fisher has rarely had trouble doing is getting his team ready and excited to play division foes, even if the results haven’t always been great. They love the underdog role and have embraced it enough to beat teams like Denver, San Francisco and Seattle earlier this year when people have written off their chances as a long shot. That’s not to say the Rams are going to win, but I tend to doubt they’ll just mail it in.
Terry, certainly all signs point to the Super Bowl going back through Seattle and the Seahawks being the favorites to win it all again. That’s a tough task for any team but especially one trying to repeat. So what are a couple of things that might prevent them from doing it? Are there any weaknesses significant enough — other than possible injuries, which can happen to anyone — that teams can exploit right now?
Blount: There doesn’t appear to be any on defense, but there were plenty of questions about the Seattle offense in recent weeks, until Sunday night at Arizona. It was a real “wow” moment, with the Seahawks setting a franchise record of 596 yards of offense against a good defense in the Cardinals. It was big play after big play — an 80-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Luke Willson, a 55-yard run by Wilson, a 49-yard pass to Doug Baldwin and a 79-yard touchdown run by Lynch, a Beast Mode special that you had to see to believe. What allowed all that to happen was surprisingly strong play up front by an offensive line that was missing two starters. The offensive line has been the obvious weakness of this team the last two seasons. They were sensational last weekend, but I’m not convinced they can play at that level throughout the playoffs. Pass blocking has been a big issue at times, the one thing that could derail this remarkable run.
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Rams at Seahawks: Stats of the Week1
The Rams have allowed only 14 completions on passes that have traveled 20-plus yards in the air this season, which is third fewest in the league but half of those completions (seven) have gone for touchdowns, tied for 22nd in the NFL.
16
Touchdowns this season for Marshawn Lynch, which is a career high. That includes four receiving TDs, also a career high. But he will break his career high for rushing TDs in a season with one running touchdown Sunday
December 26, 2014 at 10:11 am #14726znModerator
Rams are familiar with “Mr. December”By Jim Thomas
As he closes out his third NFL regular season, quarterback Russell Wilson has been Mr. December for the Seattle Seahawks.
He is 11-2 this month since entering the league in 2012, with a 102.1 passer rating, 21 touchdown passes and only six interceptions.
This is shaping up as another December to remember. Wilson was the NFC offensive player of the week last week when he threw for 339 yards, rushed for 88 and accounted for three touchdowns in a 35-6 victory over NFC West rival Arizona.
The red-hot Seahawks have won five in a row, outscoring opponents 114-33 in that span. Wilson didn’t make the Pro Bowl this year, but because of another strong finish is garnering some late MVP support around the league.
But as well as Wilson plays in December, it would be hard to top his spellbinding performance against the Rams 10 weeks ago in St. Louis, when he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 in the same game.
“He’s the most dynamic dual-threat quarterback in the league,” Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Wilson completed 23 of 36 passes for 313 yards and two TDs in that Oct. 19 contest at the Edward Jones Dome. He also gained 106 yards on just seven carries, one of which went for a 19-yard TD and another going for 52 yards on a non-scoring play.
Those TDs came during a furious second-half rally, as did 264 of Wilson’s 419 passing and rushing yards. The Seahawks, who trailed 21-3 at the half, couldn’t quite catch the Rams in a 28-26 defeat.
“He’s always taking advantage of his legs,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s a special athlete. He’s got a great release. He just extends plays all the time. He knows where to go with the football.”
The Seahawks have a talented group of skill players around him, headed by Marshawn Lynch but also including backup running back Robert Turbin as well as an underrated receiver corps.
But it’s Wilson who brings the added dimension because of his ability to pass and run.
“It’s almost as if there’s an extra player,” Fisher said. “He’s like the 11th and 12th player on offense. Because of his legs, he’s just so hard to defend.”
So the 12th Man in Sunday’s Rams-Seahawks rematch at CenturyLink Field may not be Seattle’s rabid fan base, but rather the 5-foot-11 guy playing quarterback — Wilson.
“Obviously Russell is the best improv quarterback in the National Football League,” Laurinaitis said. “He has such control over the football game. Even when those plays break down, it’s not somebody scrambling or panicking, and trying to find something.
“It’s so rehearsed and so well done, it’s almost like he makes the perfect decisions at the right moments.”
Wilson went through a bit of a midseason slump, but already has a personal-best 4,078 yards passing and running.
Of that total, 842 yards have come on the ground along with six TDs. Many of his 112 runs have come on designed plays, where he’ll fake a handoff to a running back, then pull the ball out, keep it himself, and dash into the secondary of a hoodwinked defense.
“He knows how to pull it in the zone read at the right time,” Laurinaitis said. “He’ll just hand it to Marshawn over and over, and it seems like right at the right moment — where a team’s maybe within one score — he’ll decide to pull it and it’s a 65-yard run. And you’re like, ‘Goodness.’”
He fooled Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree on just such an option read on the 19-yard touchdown in October.
Of course, many of Wilson’s rushing yards come on plays that are, as Laurinaitis puts it, totally improvisational. Trouble is, Wilson doesn’t always run when he’s scrambling.
“He’ll keep the play alive, and when he’s scrambling he’ll look to throw downfield, too,” Ogletree said. “That’s probably what he’s best at, is running around and throwing the ball. So we’ve definitely got to try and contain him and be ready for the challenge.”
In fact, there may not be a better quarterback in the league when it comes to throwing on the move.
“I’d have to say so,” Rams safety T.J. McDonald said. “He’s definitely dynamic in that sense. The best and biggest thing that you see on tape is he makes good decisions with the ball.”
Because of that, defensive backs have to do what players and coaches call “plastering” the wide receiver. That is, staying with the wideout no matter what Wilson is doing on a rollout or scramble. At least until Wilson crosses the line of scrimmage.
The Rams have had varying degrees of success corralling Wilson since he’s been in the league. Maintaining outside contain is essential, particularly for the defensive ends and linebackers. Otherwise, Wilson will simply roll outside when warranted.
A strong inside push can lead to some sacks because Wilson isn’t tall enough to just stand in the pocket all day and look over linemen for passing lanes.
“He does fine (in the pocket),” Fisher said. “They move the pocket a little bit for him. But drop-back stuff, when they go no-back and things like that, he makes good decisions and he gets rid of the football.”
December 26, 2014 at 10:19 am #14728
wvParticipant“He knows how to pull it in the zone read at the right time,” Laurinaitis said. “He’ll just hand it to Marshawn over and over, and it seems like right at the right moment — where a team’s maybe within one score — he’ll decide to pull it and it’s a 65-yard run. And you’re like, ‘Goodness.’”
Laurinaitiis is the only middle linebacker
ive ever heard say things like
“goodness.”I dont recall Jack Lambert or
Ray Lewis or Dick Butkis
using such language.w
vDecember 27, 2014 at 2:41 pm #14769znModeratorW2W4: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14924/w2w4-st-louis-rams-20
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks kick off Week 17 on Sunday at CenturyLink Field. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET on regional Fox coverage.
Here are three things to watch for from the Rams’ end:
1. Getting after Wilson: The Rams have been one of the league’s best pass-rushing teams over the past three seasons when it comes to sacks, but for whatever reason they seem to have even more success when it’s Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson on the other side. In five games against Wilson since Jeff Fisher arrived in St. Louis, the Rams have 22 sacks, including a combined 10 in two games in Seattle. And the Seahawks are banged up on the offensive line, with center Max Unger and left tackle Russell Okung dealing with injury issues. That pass rush must rebound from a shoddy performance against the Giants and continue to create pressure on Wilson for the Rams to have a chance.
2. Deeper in the bag: The Rams left no stone unturned when they pulled off the upset of Seattle earlier this season. They perfectly executed a fake punt to seal the game and a tricky punt return that went for a 90-yard touchdown. When you’re overmatched by another team, some trickery is always useful and the Rams will probably need to once again dig deep to find something that they can use. Of course, Seattle will almost certainly be more prepared for such tactics this time but that doesn’t mean the Rams can’t figure out some ways to take advantage. To keep this one close, they’ll likely need another play or two that falls outside the normal box to work.
3. Running in place: It’s been incredibly difficult for teams to move the ball against Seattle’s defense over the past five or six weeks. It was hard anyway but that group has been even better with the return of linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Kam Chancellor from injury. But for the Rams’ offense, which hasn’t done much against top defenses this season, to have any chance, they have to figure out a way to run the ball consistently. In the first meeting, the Rams didn’t exactly run all over the Seahawks but they were good enough that they could stick with it and finished with 102 rushing yards on 27 carries. That at least kept the Seahawks honest and allowed for some opportunities in the passing game. With Wagner and Chancellor back (only Wagner missed the first meeting), the Seahawks are even more difficult to work against. But the Rams have to find a way or they’ll end up stuck in the mud like their recent loss to Arizona.
December 27, 2014 at 10:24 pm #14780znModeratorRams-Seahawks: Matchup breakdown
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14936/rams-seahawks-matchup-breakdown-3
EARTH CITY, Mo. — A look at three individual matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks meet at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.
Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree vs. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson
The Rams’ defense played just well enough to beat Seattle in the first meeting with plenty of help from the special teams but the Seahawks nearly pulled off a second-half comeback largely because of Wilson’s performance. Wilson finished with 313 yards and two touchdowns in the air with no interceptions, but it was the damage he did with his legs that really gave the Rams problems.
And nobody struggled more in that situation than Ogletree, who was drafted in large part because the Rams wanted a linebacker who could keep up with athletic quarterbacks like Wilson. In that first meeting, Wilson exploited Ogletree’s propensity for over pursuing and falling for misdirection to the tune of 106 yards on seven carries with a 19-yard touchdown and a 52-yard run both coming in Ogletree’s direction.
Since that time, Ogletree has been more disciplined and played much better over the final half of the season. But he’ll need to be at his best for the Rams to have a chance on Sunday.
Rams right tackle Joe Barksdale vs. Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett
For the many things the Seahawks’ defense does well, posting sacks isn’t necessarily at the top of the list. But Bennett is the best on the roster with seven sacks and is generally able to create pressure on a consistent basis. Barksdale did well against Bennett in the first meeting this year as Bennett had three tackles but no sacks.
With unrestricted free agency awaiting in the offseason, this is Barksdale’s last chance to state his case for big money when he hits the open market. Faring well against Bennett won’t guarantee anything but it certainly couldn’t hurt. It would also go a long way toward helping the Rams move closer to an upset.
Rams safety T.J. McDonald vs. Seahawks tight end Luke Willson
The Rams have been outstanding defending tight ends this season, regularly taking away the middle of the field and forcing the action to the outside. Opposing tight ends have managed just 64 catches for 661 yards, eighth best in the NFL, against the Rams this season. Of course, opponents have had much more success but with Willson emerging as one of Wilson’s top targets, the Rams will have to find a way to slow the tight end down.
Willson had three catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals last week but hasn’t been a consistent threat for most of the season. Still, it’s easy to imagine that Willson is playing with more confidence than he has at any point in his career. McDonald spends plenty of his time in the run box and isn’t always back in coverage but he has proved better in coverage than initially suspected when he entered the league. According to Pro Football Focus, McDonald has been targeted 58 times this year, allowing 42 receptions for 472 yards and six touchdowns. Most of that damage came early in the season but it’s worth keeping an eye on McDonald in coverage after a rough outing last week against the Giants.
December 27, 2014 at 11:40 pm #14788
AgamemnonParticipantWhen they traded for Barron, I thought he might be the QB chaser.
AgamemnonDecember 28, 2014 at 9:05 am #14802znModerator
Rams need more magic to pull off upsetBy Jim Thomas
No doubt about it, the Rams have pulled some rabbits out of their helmets this season.
There was that 28-26 home victory over Seattle in mid October, six days after getting shut down in the second half of a frustrating 31-17 Monday night loss to San Francisco.
On the heels of a 34-7 second-half meltdown at Kansas City, a game in which the Rams lost left tackle Jake Long and wide receiver Brian Quick for the season because of injuries, they rode out of San Francisco with a 13-10 victory over the 49ers in early November.
And then came the ultimate. Following a 31-14 fourth-quarter collapse at Arizona, they dominated — yes, dominated — Denver 22-7 in quarterback Shaun Hill’s return to the starting lineup in mid November.
But if they could somehow, some way pull off the upset Sunday in Seattle over the defending Super Bowl champions, well, that would top them all.
Kickoff is 3:25 p.m. (St. Louis time) in the season finale for the Rams (6-9) and the regular-season sign-off for Seattle (11-4).
“It’s the last one,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “It’s important to us, and we’re taking it very seriously.”
After last week’s bitterly disappointing 37-27 loss to the New York Giants, Fisher said part of his message to the team was, “We want to go into this offseason and offseason program playing good football. That’s very important to us.”
The Rams have lost nine in a row in Seattle; they haven’t won there since a wild-card playoff victory during the 2004 season.
Perhaps defensive end Chris Long best framed the Rams’ motivation for this one.
“I’m as excited about our future as ever,” he said. “The future starts this weekend. If you want to be somebody competing for the division (title), you’ve got to be able to go to a place like Seattle and win.
“If we’re up there next year playing for something big, which we plan on doing, you want to be able to say, ‘OK, we’ve done this before.’ So it’s important to us. I really do think we’re getting better and better every year. We’ve just got to get over the hump.”
Winning there is more like scaling a mountain than a hump.
Counting playoff games, the Seahawks have won 23 of their last 25 games at the home of the 12th Man.
“Yeah, it’s an exciting place,” Fisher said. “It’s a challenge. It’s different than most places in the league. That ‘12th Man’ is unique and special. It’s hard to hear and they force mistakes and they take advantage of it.”
For the second year in a row, the Rams close a season against a Seattle team with much to play for. As was the case in 2013, the Seahawks are in position to claim the top seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a victory. Or possibly fall to the No. 5 seed and open the playoffs on the road as a wild-card team with a loss.
In a scheduling quirk that gets more peculiar as each season goes by, it’s the third year in a row the Rams have played their season finale in Seattle, and the fourth time in the last five seasons.
“The NFL does love putting us up there, it looks like, in the last week of the season,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “Just take ‘em as they roll, I guess. Got to go up there sometime.
“Last year they were playing for home field. And this year they’re playing for home field in the playoffs. So they’ll have plenty of reason to play ball. So do we.
“So it’ll be a fun Sunday.”
Last Sunday was no fun at all for the Rams, especially on defense — the secondary was awful and the Giants piled up 514 yards.
“We (allowed) four of five explosive plays on third down that’s just uncharacteristic of us because we’ve played so solid,” Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said.
He further described the breakdowns as: “Head-scratching. I’m not going to use the bad words, but very irritating.”
Suffice it to say, Williams used several of the “bad words” in the defensive meeting room during the week.
“It’s not something where anybody does it on purpose, but there were just some hesitations and some miscommunications, and a couple different guys playing that haven’t been playing in a while,” Williams continued. “All of a sudden you lose your comfort zone on expecting people to do things.”
Williams also thought there were several occasions in which Rams defenders let a bad play linger in their heads, or “travel” with them for the next several plays against the Giants.
“When we let a play travel with us four or five plays later, all of a sudden it compounds, then dominos,” Williams said. “You’ve got to be able to stop the avalanche. You’ve got to be able to stop the mistake that’s going on and do it the right way.”
If the Rams’ defense doesn’t do it the right way Sunday, things could get extremely ugly. Last week, Seattle’s ninth-ranked offense piled up an astounding 596 yards against the rugged Arizona defense — at University of Phoenix Stadium, no less.
The Seahawks had running plays of 79 and 55 yards in that contest, and passing plays of 80 and 49 yards.
“I mean, 596 yards against the Arizona defense, at Arizona, says a lot for an offense,” Fisher said. “(Plus the Seahawks) have the best defense in the National Football League.”
Yes they do.
During their current five-game winning streak, they’ve allowed only 33 total points against some pretty good teams. (Arizona twice, San Francisco twice and Philadelphia.)
The Seahawks’ defensive scheme isn’t all that complicated schematically and doesn’t change much from week to week.
So much so that Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer joked, “They’ve probably been home for Christmas all week. They don’t do too much. They do what they do, and they do it well.”
Better, in fact, than anyone in the NFL.
December 28, 2014 at 9:41 am #14808znModerator7 things to watch: Rams at Seahawks
By Jim Thomas
CONTAINING LYNCH IS KEY
The formula has remained the same almost since the trade in 2010 that brought him to Seattle: In order to have a chance against the Seahawks, you better contain running back Marshawn Lynch. He ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards this season with 1,246. He trails only Dallas’ DeMarco Murray (1,745) and Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell (1,341). He leads the league in touchdowns with 16, a career best. “Obviously, he’s very hard to get down,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s quite a player.” The Rams held Lynch to just 2.9 yards per carry and 53 yards when the teams met Oct. 19 in St. Louis, which was a 28-26 Rams victory. Since then, Lynch has averaged 92 yards a game and scored 10 of those 16 TDs. The Rams have been far from stellar against the run the past two weeks, yielding a total of 271 yards to lesser runners in losses to Arizona and the New York Giants.
DEFENDING WILSON
In quarterback Russell Wilson’s five starts against them, the Rams have had success getting him to the ground — they’ve sacked him 22 times. Nonetheless, Wilson has been very successful against them, with a 115.5 passer rating in the last four meetings. That’s partly because he’s taking care of the football. Since being intercepted three times in his first contest vs. the Rams in 2012, Wilson has gone 96 passes without an interception over the next four meetings.
NOT PEDESTRIAN
Seattle’s receiving unit dubbed itself “The Pedestrians” last season, making light of critics. But even after losing Golden Tate to Detroit, these guys are getting it done. Speedy Doug Baldwin, who had a 49-yard catch against the Rams in October, is having a career year (63 catches for 782 yards). Out of the backfield, Lynch has career highs for reception yards (331) and touchdown catches (four). Jermaine Kearse, who also was having a career year, is out with a hamstring injury.
SECONDARY CONCERNS
The Rams can’t afford to take any wide receiver lightly, not after last week’s performance against the Giants — a major meltdown of coverage breakdowns and silly penalties. The most consistent Rams cornerback this season, rookie E.J. Gaines, is doubtful because of a concussion. As a result, rookie Lamarcus Joyner is expected to have a lot of work, and possibly rookie Marcus Roberson as well. Can Trumaine Johnson return to form after a brutal day against the Giants?
LEGION OF BOOM
It’s not as dominating by the numbers. For example, the Seattle defense has a modest 11 interceptions this season, compared to 28 in 2013. But the “Legion of Boom,” also known as the Seattle secondary, is still getting it done. Cornerback Richard Sherman, as well as safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, all were picked again for the Pro Bowl. Sherman has a league-leading 24 interceptions since the start of 2011, including four this season. Rams quarterback Shaun Hill needs to take care of the football.
CAREER REVIVAL
Less than a year ago, Kenny Britt’s future job prospects looked tenuous at best. But re-joining his former Tennessee coach — Jeff Fisher — has put Britt’s career back on track. The Rams relied on him more after Brian Quick’s season-ending shoulder injury in Game 7, against Kansas City. He has responded with 44 catches for 710 yards. With 66 receiving yards and just two catches against Seattle, Britt would establish career highs in both catches and yards.
FOOL ME ONCE…
In 2012, the Rams fooled Seattle and coach Pete Carroll with a fake field goal that turned into a TD pass from holder Johnny Hekker to wideout Danny Amendola. This October, the Rams converted a key fourth down on a fake punt and got a 90-yard punt return for a score by Stedman Bailey on a play in which Tavon Austin snookered the Seahawks as a decoy. The Seahawks vow to be ready for anything this time. “Obviously, we’re going to be tuned into it,” Carroll said.
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