NFC Game Of The Week
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Rams: I get I can sound like a broken record player at certain times about things. The one thing I try to stress the most when analyzing this game is to never get complacent. After you win a big game, turn the page because you still have business to handle the following week. This needs to be said to them of all teams. After defeating Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one week, they had another undefeated battle in week four against the Arizona Cardinals. They didn’t show up. plain and simple. I was extremely disappointed with their efforts on Sunday because they were still celebrating the win over Tampa from the week before. In this league, you can’t just show up because you feel as if you’re better than them. Anybody can be beat. The Rams were punched in the mouth and that high-flying offense we’ve seen in the three wins was nowhere to be found. That’s where you give the Cardinals credit because they came in and said if you’re going to beat us, you’re earning your yards underneath and not over the top. That’s one thing that stood out. The other thing was the defense that is so overpowering and how soft they looked. Kyler Murray did what he wanted, and his jersey was spotless. The red zone defense was also horrible. Nothing clicked for them. The good thing about this league is you can turn the page and move forward. Tonight, they kickoff week five.
Seahawks: If this were some years back, I’d be singing their praises. Now, I feel they are just a middle of the pact team. You know how there are football teams you play, and they put fear into their opposition? They used to be that one team where you had to bring your lunch box because it was going to be a battle with them for a full 60 minutes. Now, they don’t scare anyone. The only reason why the Seattle Seahawks are considered a threat, or anything is because of the quarterback. His name is Russell, Last Name Wilson. Without him, the Seahawks don’t have a win. He does all he can to keep this team in football games. Just imagine if he had that Legion of Boom defense with how he’s been playing the last few seasons! He’s in the prime of his career and that would be special to watch. Russ would probably have more than the one ring he has right now. Against the 49ers on Sunday, that was actually one of their better performances. From an offensive perspective, they displayed balance. If you think back to those years when they were getting to Super Bowls, what was a staple of their offense? Running the football. As of late, that’s been hit or miss. Russ threw the ball 23 times on Sunday and as a team, Seattle ran the football 28 times. This is what I need to see more of. They return home tonight looking for revenge against a divisional rival to begin week five.
Rams X-Factor: Robert Woods– I absolutely liked the chemistry Stafford has developed with Cooper Kupp. That’s his top target indeed. Sometimes I feel he tries too hard to force the ball to him. This is where Woods comes into the picture. He’s a solid second option. Whether it’s in the passing game or on those reverses in the running game, he understands the different ways to keep a defense guessing. Robert is that shifty receiver that’s difficult to bring down in space.
Seahawks X-Factor: Alex Collins– As I said up top, the Seahawks are a better team when they are balanced on offense. Alex can help take some pressure off Russell. The one weakness the Rams have had this year has been stopping the run. As good as they are elsewhere, they struggle to defend any ground game coming their way. I’m exploiting this more if I’m Seattle tonight. Keep that offense of LA’s on the sideline and control the clock.
Final Thoughts: This is a great way to kick off another week of football! I was happy to see this rivalry ignite itself last year. In the regular season, both teams split their matchups. Once the playoffs came, the Rams took care of business and eliminated the Seahawks. For the first time since then, we will see these two battle. I see LA coming into this game with a chip on their shoulder, especially with how they played last week. When you play Seattle, the first thing you zoom in on is containing Russell Wilson. If the Rams don’t keep him in the pocket, he will run around and extend plays all game long. I see the Rams also trying to control the clock more to help out their defense. Seattle isn’t as effective on offense as the Cardinals are, but they can put points up. At the end of the day, this comes down to which defense I trust more and that’s hands down the Rams.
Prediction: Rams 31, Seahawks 28
