First Look: Rams travel to Seahawks for first divisional matchup of season

[CGI_Ram]

First Look: Rams travel to Seahawks for first divisional matchup of season

An early preview of Thursday's NFC West showdown between the Rams and the Seahawks.

www.therams.com

First Look: Rams travel to Seahawks for first divisional matchup of season

A 55-40 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week moved the Rams to 3-1. Now, they shift their focus on a short turnaround to their first NFC West contest of the season: a Thursday night clash with the 3-1 Seahawks.
Los Angeles and Seattle last squared off on November 11, 2018, a 36-31 L.A. win. Similar to this season, the matchup followed the Rams' first loss of the season.

In advance of the game, here’s an early look at the Seahawks, including notable additions, their top statistical performers so far, where they rank in certain statistical categories and key storylines.

Notable additions

• Traded for former Texans DE Jadeveon Clowney in August. Now in his sixth NFL season, Clowney tied an NFL record set in 1984 with eight sacks through the first three games. Those eight sacks also lead the league. The former undrafted free agent spent his first five years with the Denver Broncos before signing a one-year deal with the Buccaneers this offseason.
• Signed kicker Jason Myers as an unrestricted free agent in March. Myers was with the Seahawks in 2018 before getting cut after losing the battle for the starting job to veteran Sebastian Janikowski. The New York Jets claimed him off waivers and he went on to hit 33 of 36 field goal attempts, getting named to his first Pro Bowl as a result. When Myers' contract with the Jets expired this offseason, the Seahawks stepped in and signed him to a four-year deal. He's made 2 of 3 field goal attempts and converted all 13 extra point attempts through the first four weeks of the season.

Top performers in Week 4

QB Russell Wilson completed 22 of 28 pass attempts for 240 yards with one touchdowns in the Seahawks' 27-10 win over the Cardinals in Arizona. He also added two rushing attempts for seven yards.

After being inactive Week 3 due to a hamstring injury, RB Chris Carson looked to be 100 percent in Week 4 with a game-high 22 carries for 104 yards.

TE Will Dissly was on the receiving end of Wilson's lone score, adding a team-high seven catches for 57 yards in the victory.

Defensively, LB Bobby Wagner led the way with 11 total tackles, while Clowney contributed an interception which was returned 27 yards for a touchdown.

On special teams, Myers converted both of his field goal attempts and all three of his extra point tries.

Rankings

Offense

• Points Per Game: 9th (25.8)
• Yards Per Game: 13th (377.8)
• Passing Yards Per Game: 12th (266.2)
• Rushing Yards Per Game: 16th (111.5)

Defense

• Points Allowed Per Game: 13th (22.2)
• Yards Allowed Per Game: 8th (319.0)
• Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 17th (239.5)
• Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 6th (79.5)

Early storylines to watch, and what they mean for the Rams

Another week, another talented pass rusher Los Angeles' offensive line must prepare for.

Seattle traded statistically their best pass rusher from 2018 in Frank Clark, who posted a career-best 13 sacks last season then got dealt to the Kansas City in April. The move created a need which the Seahawks filled by acquiring Clowney from the Texans four months later.

He will pose a strong test for the right side of the Rams' offensive line, especially, which means RG Austin Blythe and RT Rob Havenstein will have to step up Thursday night.

This will also be the second straight week the Rams will face a top-10 run defense, which means the flow could potentially dictate more work for RB Todd Gurley II in the passing game.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Bryce Hager and Taylor Rapp likely game-time decisions vs. Seahawks; Marcus Peters "in good shape"

Rams going with day-to-day approach for safety Taylor Rapp and LB Bryce Hager as they prepare for the Seahawks.

www.therams.com

Bryce Hager and Taylor Rapp likely game-time decisions vs. Seahawks; Marcus Peters "in good shape"

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. –– The Rams will take things day-by-day when it comes to the status of rookie safety Taylor Rapp (ankle) and veteran ILB Bryce Hager (shoulder) for Thursday night's game against the Seahawks in Seattle.

"Those guys will be day-to-day," Rams head coach Sean McVay said. "It will probably be a game-time decision."

Los Angeles did not practice on Monday, which meant the first injury report of week was an estimation of a player's participation had there been one. Rapp and Hager were both estimated as non-participants.

Should Hager miss Thursday's game, McVay confirmed rookie LB Troy Reeder would likely start in his place. One of three undrafted free agents to make the Rams' 53-man roster, Reeder is listed as Hager's backup on the team's unofficial depth chart.

Though Rapp is listed as strong safety John Johnson III's backup, he has still seen heavy action, playing 56.4 percent of L.A.'s defensive snaps prior to his injury.

It is not immediately clear who will fill Rapp's role if he cannot play Thursday as the unofficial depth chart does not list a third-string strong safety, but the former Washington standout sounded optimistic about his outlook after receiving the results of his MRI on Monday.

"Everything turned out pretty good," Rapp said during his Rams Revealed interview with play-by-play voice J.B. Long. "I’m looking forward to rehabbing, recovering and trying to get back to the team."

Elsewhere in the secondary, McVay said CB Marcus Peters wasn't actually in concussion protocol but cleared the necessary assessments.

The helmet-to-helmet hit from Bucs offensive lineman Donovan Smith at the end of his pick six in Sunday's game did leave him with what McVay described as a "face laceration" and made him a late add to Monday's injury report, but he was estimated as a full participant if the Rams had practiced Monday.

"He didn’t have any symptoms, so he’ll be in good shape," McVay said.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Five things to know about the Seahawks’ Week 5 opponent, the Los Angeles Rams

Jared Goff has fumbled 14 times in his last 13 games.

www.seattletimes.com

Five things to know about the Seahawks’ Week 5 opponent, the Los Angeles Rams

The reigning NFC champions are coming to town … for Thursday night football … with thunderstorms in the forecast.

This ought to be a fun week.

The Seahawks and Rams both carry a 3-1 record into a premier NFC West matchup at CenturyLink Field on Thursday (5:20 p.m., FOX/NFL Network).

The Rams, who have won the division each of the last two years, have won three of four against Seattle since Sean McVay took over as head coach in 2017.

Five things to know about the Rams this week:

The Rams defense was shredded on Sunday.

Jameis Winston threw four touchdown passes to lead Tampa Bay to a wild 55-40 victory in Los Angeles. Those 55 points were the most the Rams have allowed at home in franchise history.

“Burn the film, quite honestly,” veteran safety Eric Weddle told The Los Angeles Times. “Burn it and move on.”

Said star defensive tackle Aaron Donald: “You throw your pity party and you’re right back to work. You got to get over it — it’s a short week.”

Goff-ing it up.

Rams QB Jared Goff attempted a career-high 68 passes on Sunday, completing 45 of them for 517 yards, also a career high. He threw two touchdowns and three interceptions, and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

That was Goff’s 14th fumble in his last 13 games, prompting The Ringer to theorize about “Goff’s tiny-hands problem.”

The Rams offensive line hasn’t helped.

Through Week 3, the Rams had allowed 50 quarterback pressures, the most in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. Tampa Bay then sacked Goff twice and hit him nine times on Sunday.

What’s up with Todd Gurley?

The NFL’s 2017 offensive player of the year had just five carries Sunday for 16 yards, including two touchdown runs.

“Something is clearly wrong with Gurley,” Los Angeles Times columnist Dylan Hernandez wrote, “and that something is almost certainly the surgically repaired left knee that slowed him down last year.”

The Rams ran the ball just 11 times for 28 yards in the loss to Tampa Bay. Gurley did have seven catches for 54 yards, but now has a short week to prepare for a road game.

“You know how I feel about Thursday night games,” Gurley told reporters Sunday. “I feel like they are the dumbest thing ever.”

The Seahawks rank No. 6 in the league in run defense, allowing 79.5 yards per.

Those receivers though.

The Rams have one of the best wide receiver trios in the NFL.

Former Eastern Washington star Cooper Kupp ranks second in the league with 388 yards receiving on his 32 catches, including three touchdowns.

What makes Kupp’s start all the more impressive is he is just 10 months removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered on a non-contact play against the Seahawks in Week 10 last year.

Robert Woods has 26 catches for 307 yards, and Brandin Cooks has 19 catches for 296 yards.

They’ll be the toughest challenge yet for the Seahawks’ secondary.

The Rams secondary took some hits Sunday.

Marcus Peters and Taylor Rapp are dinged up.

Peters, the former first-round pick out of UW, was evaluated for a concussion after he took a vicious hit at the end of his pick six against Tampa Bay.

Rapp, a second-round pick out of UW in April, left the game Sunday with an ankle injury. He left the locker room on crutches, the L.A. Times reported.

Their availability for Thursday is uncertain.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Through Week 3, the Rams had allowed 50 quarterback pressures, the most in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. Tampa Bay then sacked Goff twice and hit him nine times on Sunday.

so goff is the most pressured qb in the league and some people here wonder why he's not perfect in his reads and throws.

constant pressure leads to errant and hurried throws. i wish goff could stand there like a statue for 5 seconds and wait for a receiver to get open, like brady has for most of his career, but unfortunately that's not gonna happen with this line at this stage of the year.

.

 

[BonifayRam]

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2019-09-30/russell-wilson-seahawks-rams

Depleted Rams defense to face Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on a short week

A Rams defense that got exploited by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston now faces the prospect of going up against Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks with depleted manpower.

Cornerback Marcus Peters was evaluated for a concussion, rookie safety Taylor Rapp suffered an ankle injury and linebacker Bryce Hager left the game because of a neck/shoulder injury during the Rams’ 55-40 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday at the Coliseum. The Rams play the Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday night.

In the fourth quarter, Peters got beat by receiver Mike Evans for a 67-yard touchdown, one of four touchdown passes delivered by Winston. A few minutes later, however, Peters intercepted a pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown, pulling the Rams to within five points. Peters was hit hard as he crossed the goal line, causing him to be evaluated for a concussion.

Peters was not made available to reporters after the game, but in the locker room he rode a stationary bicycle with teammates as trainers began immediate recovery efforts to prepare the Rams for Thursday night’s game.

Rapp, a second-round draft pick, has become a key rotational player in a position group that includes starters Eric Weddle and John Johnson and back-up Marqui Christian. Rapp was injured in the third quarter against the Buccaneers. He left the locker room on crutches and was carted up the ramp outside the locker room.

Hager had made two tackles before he was injured.

 

[Tron]

Notable additions

• Traded for former Texans DE Jadeveon Clowney in August. Now in his sixth NFL season, Clowney tied an NFL record set in 1984 with eight sacks through the first three games. Those eight sacks also lead the league. The former undrafted free agent spent his first five years with the Denver Broncos before signing a one-year deal with the Buccaneers this offseason.

lol I like how they decided to give Clowney the stats and career of Shaquill Barret .