Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › reporters set up the Seattle game (articles, tweets, vids)
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October 2, 2018 at 9:30 am #91787
znModeratorFirst Look: Rams vs. Seahawks in First Divisional Road Test
https://www.therams.com/news/first-look-rams-vs-seahawks-in-first-divisional-road-test
October 3, 2018 at 8:48 am #91824znModeratorSeahawks’ LB Mychal Kendricks suspended indefinitely today for insider trading, per source. Can’t play for Seattle until further notice.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 2, 2018
October 4, 2018 at 8:52 pm #91884znModeratorGregg Bell@gbellseattle
Bobby Wagner on Rams at #Seahawks now vs last time, 42-7 LA in December, says his thinking is: “That was 2017. This is 2018. You are not going to do it again. I’m not hurt this year. That’s different…I’ll be able to move a lot better.”October 4, 2018 at 8:55 pm #91885znModeratorMike Cahill@PFF_Cahill
Aaron Donald in eight career games against the Seahawks:
Overall Grade: 95.4
QB Pressures: 59 (7 Sacks, 18 Hits, 34 Hurries)
Win %: 25.9 on 270 pass-rush snapsOctober 5, 2018 at 1:30 am #91892znModeratorOpposing View: Seahawks HC Pete Carroll Keyed In On Rams Offense
https://www.therams.com/news/opposing-view-seahawks-hc-pete-carroll-keyed-in-on-rams-offense
Quotes & Notes 10/4/18: Wade Phillips’ Defense Prepares for Russell Wilson
https://www.therams.com/news/quotes-notes-10-4-18-wade-phillips-defense-prepares-for-russell-wilson
October 5, 2018 at 2:47 am #91895znModeratorOctober 5, 2018 at 4:54 am #91903znModerator“Stop crowning us!” 4-0 Rams shrug off hype, focus on Seahawks
The Los Angeles Rams realize they’re a popular Super Bowl pick after their spectacular first quarter of the season. Pundits, fans and other teams seem to be lining up to praise them.
While they appreciate the respect, this is a profoundly weird experience for any Rams who were around even two years ago for the franchise’s less-than-glorious return to LA after a decade of losing in St. Louis, the Associated Press reports.
This team doesn’t have much experience in being the favorites for anything, and the Rams are wary of the role.
“I hate it,” said Michael Brockers, who has been on the defensive line for seven years.
“I hate looking at ‘SportsCenter’ and they’ve got you at the top of the power rankings,” Brockers added with a smile. “It’s just like, you know, stop crowning us! For me, I’m a humble guy. I don’t want to be crowned. I always want the attitude of being the hungry dog, being the underdog, because you almost seem to be more hungrier when you play like that.”
Nobody with any experience in the Rams’ locker room has forgotten that this franchise is just one year removed from streaks of 13 consecutive losing seasons and 12 consecutive non-playoff seasons. Humility is relatively easy with that struggle still on their minds, according to the players and coaches who went through it.
Jared Goff doesn’t even turn 24 until next Sunday, but he remembers going 0-7 as a rookie starter for the hapless Rams of 2016.
“I don’t think we’re getting any bit caught up in anything,” said Goff, who’s second in the NFL with 1,406 yards passing after his outstanding effort against Minnesota. “I think a lot of people on this team, being part of that team two years ago, understand how easy it is to be on the other side of it, and you don’t ever want to go back there. You understand the work that needs to be put in to stay where you’re at.”
Receiver Robert Woods said it’s “easy” to ignore the attention the Rams (4-0) are getting.
“It’s just buzz,” he said. “It’s just noise. We’ve been on both sides. We’ve been not talked about, and now we’re being talked about, but it’s really just focus. We know how it goes. We had a great year last year and fell short, and I think this year the team is just focused. No outside distractions. Don’t blink. Just focus on one goal.”
Los Angeles was revived last season by coach Sean McVay, going 11-5 and winning the NFC West before losing its playoff opener. This season’s team appeared to be even stronger on paper — and through four games, that’s exactly what it has been.
The Rams lead the NFL with 468.5 yards per game of offense, increasing their total every week. Only five teams have allowed fewer points than the Rams, and their special teams have thrived despite losing two of their four Pro Bowl selections to injury.
The rest of the football world can get excited about the Rams, but McVay reflexively downplays any idea that they’re a Super Bowl favorite.
“I have no doubt that we have the right kind of guys in our locker room that know it’s about earning it every single day,” McVay said. “They are confident, but like we’ve said over and over, there’s a humility that exists.”
October 5, 2018 at 5:00 am #91904znModeratorFor old friends Mike Davis and Todd Gurley II, the smack talk has already started before Seahawks play Rams
New starters at free safety, weakside linebacker present challenge for Seahawks against high-flying Rams
Analysis: It hasn’t been pretty when Seahawks have had to play without Earl Thomas
Chris Carson doesn’t practice, but Carroll says Seahawks’ lead back will run vs Rams
https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/article219464810.html#storylink=rss
Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. knows “special” Todd Gurley, soaring Rams will test Seattle
https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/article219459785.html#storylink=rss
Seahawks All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner “definitely” has been looking forward to playing Rams, after what L.A. did to Seattle in December
https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/article219451690.html#storylink=rss
Week 5 Players To Watch: Seahawks vs. Rams (VID)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/article219443680.html#storylink=rss
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October 5, 2018 at 5:45 pm #91914znModeratorFive things to watch: Rams vs. Seahawks
The Athletic Staff
https://theathletic.com/569122/2018/10/05/five-things-to-watch-rams-vs-seahawks/
Most observers expect the Rams to leave Seattle the way they came: undefeated and atop the NFL. In fact, Los Angeles is Sunday’s best bet in the eyes of bookmakers, entering the NFC West matchup as a touchdown favorite.
That’s understandable. The last time these teams met (in Seattle in Week 15 last year), the Rams raced out to a double-digit first-quarter lead, then entered halftime up 34-0. By the time the Seahawks scored their first (and only) touchdown late in the third quarter, the outcome was a foregone conclusion, and the 42-7 beatdown delivered what would prove to be a fatal blow to Seattle’s playoff chances.
But Rams/Seahawks matchups haven’t made sense in recent years. Jeff Fisher’s aggressively mediocre L.A./St. Louis teams took four of six against Seattle from 2014-16, when Pete Carroll’s Seahawks squads were Super Bowl contenders. So perhaps now that the roles are reversed, Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Co. can make things difficult for Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters and OH MY GOD THAT’S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD PLAYERS.
Or maybe things will go as expected, and the star-studded Rams (4-0) will dispatch the diminished Seahawks (2-2) with relative ease. The Athletic’s Vincent Bonsignore (Rams) and Michael-Shawn Dugar (Seahawks) discuss five items of interest heading into Sunday’s divisional tilt (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX).
We’ll start with a hypothetical: If you could take one player from the opposing team’s roster and add him to the team you cover, who would make the biggest impact?
Vincent Bonsignore: Bobby Wagner would be a perfect addition to the Rams defense and would fit snugly in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 as a thumping ILB able to make plays sideline to sideline against the run and in pass coverage. With Mark Barron not physically fit to play the first four weeks of the season while dealing with a nagging Achilles injury (he’s likely to give it a go this week) a player like Wagner would provide an immediate upgrade and stability at an important position.
Michael-Shawn Dugar: Oh, this is fun. It’d be even more fun if we were able to select one player on each side of the ball. Because, I mean, what team couldn’t use Aaron Donald, right?
I’ll go with a different player, though: Brandin Cooks. Russell Wilson is a deep-ball maestro who currently has the pleasure of chucking it to a speedster like Tyler Lockett. Now imagine he was chucking those passes to Cooks, who is like Lockett but with the addition of Michael’s Secret Stuff from “Space Jam.” Wilson and Cooks would have the NFC West looking like a Big 12 offense.
What chance does Seattle’s Earl Thomas-less secondary have of slowing down LA’s receiving trio of Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp?
VB: None. Take away one, and the other two kill you. And eventually all three will get you. Add given the fact Jared Goff sees the field so well, it’s really just a matter of time before they break you.
MSD: The Cooks-Woods-Kupp trio feels a little bit like the three-headed dog from the movie “Hercules.” I think Hercules ends up taming the monster later in the film, but Earl Thomas is the Hercules of Seattle’s defense and he’s not conquering anything with a broken leg.
I guess that’s a long-winded way of saying the chances of Seattle slowing that group is slim. For what it’s worth, I think Seattle matches up well from a one-on-one standpoint. If anyone can run with Cooks, it’s Shaquill Griffin; if I had to pick a slot guy to guard Kupp, it’d be Justin Coleman; Woods definitely has the advantage over rookie Tre Flowers, though. Regardless, the Rams are so good about scheming their guys open that this game will be about more than simply beating the guy across from you.
Aaron Donald has more sacks against the Seahawks than any other team (seven in eight career games), but only has two on the season so far. Do you expect Seattle’s improved pass protection to hold up in front of Russell Wilson?
VB: Prior to the fourth quarter on Thursday I would have said probably. But the Rams found something against the Vikings and registered four sacks in the fourth quarter. I think there will be a carryover effect.
MSD: There’s really no “holding up” against Donald. You just need to block him as best you can for as long as you can, and hope that he doesn’t eat your quarterback alive. I think what the fourth quarter of that Vikings game showed us is that you can do a good job on Donald for a while, and still he’s capable of pummeling the passer. Seattle’s offensive line is steadily improving, but I haven’t seen enough from the interior linemen to convince me they can stop Donald.
Seattle rushed for a season-high 171 yards last week at Arizona, while LA held the Vikings to just 54 yards on the ground last (while giving up almost 400 passing yards). Can the Seahawks establish the run?
VB: The issue isn’t whether they can physically do it as much as, can their defense keep the Rams offense in check in order for it to be a prudent course of action? If they Rams get out in front early, the Seahawks’ run game becomes moot.
MSD: Yeah, Vincent makes a good point here. Seattle has only proven to be able to run the ball when it’s in a close game or while playing with a lead. We’ve seen that Pete Carroll will abandon the run if he feels the need to score in a hurry.
The Rams are the type of team that will you make you feel like you need to score in a hurry. Todd Gurley can legitimately score every time he touches the ball. Cooks can score every time it’s thrown to him. My guess is that if Seattle doesn’t have success in the run game in first quarter, then the team will go away from it and throw the whole game plan into whack.
Last year’s beatdown at CenturyLink Field felt like a changing of the guard in the NFC West. Is there reason to believe Sunday’s game will be any different?
VB: I don’t see it. The Rams are so good it will take a series of breakdowns on their part and the opposition being good enough to capitalize and make them pay. That may happen at some point this season against someone, but I don’t see it happening this week.
MSD: The reason would be that this is a divisional game in the NFL, and anything can happen in a divisional game. The Rams were the much better team last season and the two clubs still split, with each team winning on the road, no less.
But the Seahawks are heavy underdogs, and rightfully so. The Rams have a more talented roster and are playing better football. Even with the Seahawks playing at home, this is an uphill battle. Seattle will need to win an ugly game, not a shootout, and a victory in that scenario would require the home team delivering in the clutch. With so many new faces playing key roles, I’m not sure how capable Seattle is of doing that.October 5, 2018 at 5:47 pm #91915znModeratorDonald, Rams' D-line want to keep up the pressure on Wilson https://t.co/XZmLMV7A0k
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) October 5, 2018
October 5, 2018 at 5:48 pm #91916znModeratorPerfect Rams look to continue early run facing Seahawks https://t.co/GOJZauNuGE
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) October 5, 2018
October 5, 2018 at 6:06 pm #91917znModeratorfrom PFF PREVIEW: NFL Week 5 FOX Los Angeles Rams @Seattle Seahawks Preview
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-nfl-week-5-fox-los-angeles-rams-seattle-seahawks-preview
GOFF IS PLAYING AT AN ELITE LEVEL
Jared Goff has been brilliant through the first four weeks of the season. His passer rating in most situations far exceed that of the NFL average, and that ability was put on full display last week. If Goff continues this stretch of elite play, the Seahawks are going to have a hard time stopping this offense.
GURLEY CAN DO A LOT MORE THAN JUST RUN THE FOOTBALL
Todd Gurley is everything as advertised. After a dominant 2017 campaign, the running back picked up right where he left off. His playmaking ability for this offense has proven to be invaluable as he has honed in on his skills as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, allowing him to help open up this Rams offense.
AARON DONALD IS STILL AARON DONALD
Aaron Donald has continued his dominance in the NFL. With an overall rating of 93.6 this season, it is no wonder why this Rams’ defense has been one of the best in the league. This week against the Seahawks, expect Donald to impact the game in a big way as he squares off against the shaky Seattle offensive line.
LOSS OF TALIB HURTS RAMS’ DEFENSE
While the Rams possess an extremely talented defense, one area where they may have a sizeable drop-off in play is at the cornerback position. Losing a top corner in Aqib Talib would hurt any team, and it will be something that the Seahawks will be looking to expose this Sunday.
WILSON CAN PLAY UNDER PRESSURE WITH THE BEST OF THEM
Russell Wilson will be facing one of the best defenses in the NFL this week with two elite interior defensive linemen in Ndamukong Suh and Donald. Fortunately, Wilson has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league at extending the play, and with an offensive line that is well below average, the Seahawks will be depending on this ability to open up big plays down the field.
RETURN OF BALDWIN IS KEY FOR SEATTLE OFFENSE
Last week was Doug Baldwin‘s first week back from the injury he suffered in Week 1. It has been clear that Wilson has been missing his number one target. Baldwin’s versatility has proven to be a staple of this offense, as he has shown to not only be a threat on the outside but in the slot as well, as he accumulated 703 of his total receiving yards from the slot last season.
October 5, 2018 at 6:12 pm #91918znModeratorRussell Wilson will be facing one of the best defenses in the NFL this week with two elite interior defensive linemen in Ndamukong Suh and Donald. Fortunately, Wilson has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league at extending the play
Whoever wrote that has apparently never watched a Rams/Seattle game.
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October 5, 2018 at 6:41 pm #91921znModeratorfrom Geoff Schwartz’s best bets for Week 5 of the NFL season
Geoff Schwartz
Rams at Seahawks +7
The Rams are the most unstoppable team in the league right now. We know that; they know that. The Rams are going to win in Seattle, but I can’t pass up getting a home team with a touchdown to spare when it’s in one of the toughest places for teams to play. There will also be a revenge factor with the Rams winning in Seattle last season 42-0. Call me crazy, but I think the Seahawks keep this close.
October 5, 2018 at 6:42 pm #91922znModeratorSeahawks on tape: Third down failure is play-calling shame https://t.co/MkvR4GO6yp via @FieldGulls
— Field Gulls (@FieldGulls) October 5, 2018
October 5, 2018 at 6:55 pm #91923znModeratorSeahawks-Rams: The Friday Rundown, Week 5
Previewing Sunday’s game by identifying the matchups to watch, stats to consider and a primer on the Rams’ offense and defenseA week after climbing to .500 on a last-second field goal, the Seattle Seahawks will return home to take on the buzz saw known as the 2018 L.A. Rams.
The 4-0 Rams have lived up to the hype their offseason acquisitions brought with them. Jared Goff, in his second season under Sean McVay, is playing like an MVP, while the entire offense is doing enough to make up for the injuries in the secondary and deficiencies at linebacker.
On McVay’s first visit to CenturyLink Field, the Rams dominated a shell-shocked Seahawks team 42-7. Now, McVay’s second trip to Seattle will see an improved L.A. roster take on a worse Seahawks team.
Offensive and Defensive Primers
Simply put, Sean McVay has broken football. The Rams have run 11 personnel (1 RB-1 TE-1 WR) on 97% of offensive snaps this season. That is up from an already-ridiculous 81% last season. However, out of the same personnel grouping, L.A. can give a defense so many different looks they remain frighteningly unpredictable. Cooper Kupp is used as a pseudo H-back, and combined with their use of motion, sweeps and orbits, McVay finds mismatches whenever he wants. If that doesn’t work, their plethora of rub routes and flood concepts will. They are an impossible task for almost any defense.
McVay’s offense is so difficult to defend because they’re able to stretch defenses vertically just as easily as they can stretch them horizontally. Those two concepts are often used in the same play, using Brandin Cooks to force the deep safety downfield, before gashing a defense in the vacated space underneath. Pete Carroll loves to talk about defending every blade of grass, and that takes on another, very literal, meaning against McVay’s offense.
In the running game, the Rams run a zone blocking system, meshing McVay’s background in Mike and Kyle Shanahan’s offense with Todd Gurley’s skill set. Gurley possesses elite vision to make the right read, he runs with the physicality necessary to reach the second level and once he’s there, his sprinter speed makes him a threat to break any run.
McVay has rightfully received praise for the way he turned around an awful franchise and made the league’s worst offense into the league’s best. But the decision to hire the legendary Wade Phillips and simply get out of the way, allowing one of the best defensive coaches ever to coach, was terrific.
Phillips’ genius comes in his flexibility and happiness to mold his scheme to the players, a simple idea that far too many coaches are too stubborn to follow. In Phillips’ defense, he has his three down linemen buck convention by one-gapping, rather than two-gapping. This allows Aaron Donald and co. to knife through gaps and penetrate into the backfield as often as they do.
On the back end, Phillips depends on single-high coverage as often as any coordinator in the NFL. Lamarcus Joyner has gone from asking Jeff Fisher to send him home to being one of the most valuable free safeties in the league. Joyner’s play over the top frees up John Johnson to make plays all over the field, and generally be an absolute joy to watch.
Numbers that Matter
99: There are so many stats to define Donald’s dominance against Seattle, it’s tough to choose just one. So I won’t. But Los Angeles’ No. 99 has made a habit out of destroying the Seahawks’ offensive line, and in turn its game-plan.
In just eight games against Seattle, Donald has put together video game numbers: 59 pressures, seven sacks, 18 hits and 34 hurries. Additionally, per Pro Football Focus, Donald has won on over a quarter of his pass rush snaps against the Seahawks.
Regardless of the coaching staff, the stadium, or the city, Donald is going to produce against Seattle.
41: The Rams’ defensive front is more than just the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. The addition of Ndamukong Suh meant one of the best two-dimensional defensive tackles in the league was joining the league’s best player. Those two, as well as Michael Brockers, have made their shallow EDGE group an afterthought.
Despite L.A.’s two starting outside linebackers, Matt Longacre and Samson Ebukam, combining for a grand total of 8.5 career sacks, the Rams lead the league in pressure rate. Through four games, L.A. has created pressure on 41% of the dropbacks they’ve faced.
In preparation for this, the Seahawks are going back to a strategy they used successfully in the NFC Championship game in 2013, and really should have deployed against the Chicago Bears earlier this season.
After the 49ers ended Seattle’s seven game winning streak in Week 14 of 2013, on the back of a stout defensive effort, the Seahawks were proactive in the January rematch. They contained the fearsome duo of Aldon Smith and Justin Smith—and ran the ball wonderfully well—by using a sixth offensive linemen on over a quarter of the offensive snaps.
It sounds as though Seattle will take a similarly proactive approach on Sunday, not allowing the Rams’ defensive front to takeover the game as they have done all too often previously against the Seahawks. In Russell Wilson’s press conference on Thursday, he mentioned George Fant would be playing a big role on Sunday. Fant will give Seattle another blocker up front, as they try to slow down what L.A. does best on defense.
12: Something that’s been bubbling under the surface for the 2018 Seahawks finally rose into the mainstream this week: Russell Wilson’s excellence on play-action, and Brian Schottenheimer’s refusal to lean into it.
Wilson is the highest rated passer off play-action in the league, at either 149.2 or 154.2, depending where you look. In 2018, 83% of Wilson’s passes have come from 11 personnel. With play-action out of 11, Wilson throws for 9.6 yards per attempt; without play-action, that number drops to 5.5. Despite the obvious improvement in Wilson’s passing numbers with play-action, Seattle has used it on just 12% of their passes in 2018. Even worse, that number has actually gotten lower over the past two weeks.
Schottenheimer’s refusal to lean into play-action, and the way they’ve moved away from the vertical passing game—Wilson has attempted just 13 deep passes this season—has to change if the Seahawks offense is going to turn it around over the next 12 games.
Matchups to Watch
Justin Coleman versus Cooper Kupp: Coleman, a surprising contributor a year ago, entered 2018 as one of Seattle’s best players on defense. He then backed that notion up with two strong games out of the gate that saw him take on Emmanuel Sanders and Allen Robinson for extended periods.
In Week 4, Coleman came up with three massive, game-shifting plays. Week 5 will see Coleman get his toughest assignment of the season: A four quarter showdown against Cooper Kupp.
In Kupp’s rookie season, he was one of the best inside receivers in the NFL, finishing 3rd in DYAR and 9th in DVOA out of the slot. In 2018, Kupp’s rise has coincided with the Rams’ step toward becoming a juggernaut. Through four games, Kupp’s averaging 14.5 yards per catch on 24 receptions, with four touchdowns; 279 of Kupp’s 348 yards on the season have come out of the slot.
The challenge in covering Kupp doesn’t come in sticking with him in coverage, though he is an exceptional receiver. The challenge is in everything that happens before Kupp’s release. McVay is going to bring Coleman into traffic and force him to sort through the trash, with Kupp aligning as an H-back or coming across the formation before getting into his route.
Coleman, one of the league’s best slot corners, should be up to the challenge.
October 5, 2018 at 10:34 pm #91934znModeratorRams’ 3 biggest causes for concern vs. Seahawks
Cameron DaSilva
Rams' 3 biggest causes for concern vs. Seahawks
Game Preview: Rams Head to Seattle for First Divisional Road Test
https://www.therams.com/news/game-preview-rams-head-to-seattle-for-first-divisional-road-test
Peters Looking Forward to Challenge of Defending Wilson
https://www.therams.com/news/peters-looking-forward-to-challenge-of-defending-wilson
Injury Report 10/5: Barron Listed as Questionable for Sunday, Natson Expected to Play
Quotes & Notes 10/5/18: Mark Barron Expected to Return in Seattle
https://www.therams.com/news/quotes-notes-10-5-18-mark-barron-cleared-to-return-in-seattle%5B
October 5, 2018 at 11:34 pm #91935znModeratorLindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
The Rams targeted Week 5 for ILB Mark Barron’s return. It likely will be a game-time decision whether he feels well enough to play.October 6, 2018 at 1:35 pm #91960znModeratorRams Week 5 preview: 5 questions with Seahawks Wire
Cameron DaSilva
October 6, 2018 at 7:29 pm #91969znModeratorCatch up on Rams coverage this weekend!
Todd Gurley quietly is having another fantastic year: https://t.co/6tOwuR3Wib
My analysis/prediction for tomorrow: https://t.co/QlRrYU4GKq
Versatile defense hungry for more sacks: https://t.co/EmNiOzoFdJ
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) October 6, 2018
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Rams star DL Aaron Donald has more sacks against the Seahawks than any other team. Will Seattle’s improved pass protection hold up in front of Russell Wilson?@VinnyBonsignore and @MikeDugar on the #LARvsSEA keys:https://t.co/aXhsMfQukp
— The Athletic (@TheAthleticLA) October 6, 2018
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