Rams vs. Seahawks: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 14

[Riverumbbq]

Why Rams could force Seahawks out of defensive comfort zone Sunday

Cameron DaSilva

47 minutes ago
With how frequently offenses are throwing the ball and putting three receivers on the field, few teams still play their base defense a majority of the time. Nickel packages have become the preferred defense of many teams, putting five defensive backs out there to match the opposing personnel.
The Seahawks are one of the exceptions to that rule, often staying in their base 4-3 defense this season. With three quality linebackers in Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks, why wouldn’t they play their best defenders most of the time?

Each of those three linebackers has played at least 71% of the snaps this season with Bobby Wagner never missing a single play. Wright has played 94.7%, too, hardly ever coming off the field.
The Seahawks could be forced out of their comfort zone by the Rams on Sunday night for two reasons. Not only do the Rams use 11 personnel (3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 RB) 77% of the time – the second-highest rate in the NFL – but the Seahawks will most likely be without one of their top three linebackers.
Kendricks is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game, which is certainly notable for the Seahawks. But even if Kendricks plays (and is healthy), Seattle will still have to get away from its base 4-3 scheme.
Matching the speed of Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks with only two cornerbacks and three linebackers would be tough. With Kendricks injured, the Seahawks essentially have no choice but to use nickel packages often.
Pete Carroll said as much Friday ahead of the game.

It remains to be seen who the Seahawks’ nickel defender will be on Sunday night. Cornerback Akeem King handled those duties last week against the Vikings, but he’s better against tight ends than he is wide receivers.
Instead, we could see rookie Ugo Amadi get some looks in the slot. Cooper Kupp is one of the best slot receivers in the league, so containing him could be a challenge – especially if it’s a fourth-round rookie with 21 defensive snaps played in his career lining up across from Kupp in coverage.
The Rams have the advantage in this aspect, because of how comfortable the Seahawks are in their base defense, but executing and capitalizing on opportunities is another story. We’ll see if they can do that in a near-must-win game this weekend.

Why Rams could force Seahawks out of defensive comfort zone Sunday

The Seahawks are unlikely to have Mychal Kendricks, which will force them to play more nickel defense.

theramswire.usatoday.com

 

[Riverumbbq]

Rookies to be in the special teams spotlight Sunday vs. Seahawks

Cameron DaSilva

2 hours ago
The Rams lost JoJo Natson for the season last week against the Cardinals after he suffered a hamstring injury that landed him on IR. Natson doesn’t contribute on offense, but he is a contributor on special teams.
He’s been the Rams’ primary punt and kick returner this season, so with him sidelined, the coaching staff will need to find a replacement (or two) on those units. It didn’t take them long to decide who will fill in, leaning on two rookies.

Sean McVay confirmed Friday that Darrell Henderson will be the kick returner and Nsimba Webster will return punts, simply saying “yes” when asked if that’s the plan.
Henderson was a third-round pick by the Rams and has carried the ball 37 times for 140 yards – at times looking like the explosive player he was at Memphis. With the Tigers, he was a dynamic runner, but he also returned 25 kicks for 487 yards with one touchdown. He hasn’t returned any in the NFL, but he’s more than capable of making a big play or two in that phase of the game.
On punts, it’ll be the undrafted rookie Webster, who was a preseason standout. He’s not as shifty as Natson, but his speed is evident and he gets downhill quickly. He should be able to help the Rams out immediately beyond just calling for fair catches.
“Nsimba was a guy that did a really nice job with that in the preseason,” McVay said this week. “Consistently caught the ball and he’s a guy that can do a really nice job creating after the catch, getting vertical immediately.”
It’s somewhat of a risk to go with two rookies as their returners, but the Rams have almost no other options. The roster is full and there aren’t any better candidates on the team right now. Neither player has done much of anything on offense, so maybe this is their time to have an impact on special teams.

Rookies to be in the special teams spotlight Sunday vs. Seahawks

Darrell Henderson and Nsimba Webster will be the Rams’ kick and punt returners this week.

theramswire.usatoday.com

 

[Riverumbbq]

Rams' 3 biggest causes for concern vs. Seahawks in Week 14
Cameron DaSilva

3 hours ago

(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
The Rams may not have a legitimate chance to win the NFC West for a third straight year, but they are still int he playoff hunt. On Sunday night, they’ll play their most important game of the season, hosting the Seahawks at the Coliseum.

A win will move the Rams that much closer to a wild-card berth. A loss will set them back, especially if Minnesota takes care of business against the Lions.
Sean McVay’s team is focused on Seattle right now, and the many threats the Seahawks pose. Here are the Rams’ three biggest causes for concern in this matchup.

Russell Wilson’s wizardry
The list of concerns when facing the Seahawks always begins with Wilson. He’s been one of the best quarterbacks in the league this season – and for several years, really – finding himself in the midst of the MVP race. He picked apart the Rams secondary last time around, throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns, only getting sacked once. His passer rating of 151.8 is his best of the year so far.
The Rams talked about his ability to make plays off-schedule all week, which is what makes Wilson so good. It’s also something you can’t exactly plan for. There’s really no game plan for defending Wilson outside the pocket, other than plastering receivers in the secondary.
The only way Los Angeles is going to win this game is if Wilson is held at least somewhat in check.

Stopping Seattle’s ground game

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks are third in the league in rushing attempts and yards, averaging an impressive 4.6 yards per carry. They’re led by the one-two punch of Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, who have really gotten it going of late. The Seahawks have rushed for at least 145 yards in each of the last four games and poured 167 yards rushing on the Rams in Week 5.

Seattle is one of the few teams that leans heavily on the ground game, despite having an elite quarterback. It sets up the play-action passing game and wears down the defense, while also controlling the time of possession. The Rams have been good against the run this year, but we said the same thing before the Ravens game and Baltimore ran all over L.A.

Avoiding costly turnovers

(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Seattle is No. 3 in the NFL in takeaways this season, forcing at least one turnover in all but one game. In the Seahawks’ last three games, they’ve taken it away 11 times. Their defense may not be as good as it once was, but it does create turnovers, which in turn gives the offense extra possessions.

The Rams have turned it over 20 times this season, and while Jared Goff has been better about that as of late, it’s still a problem. If Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah both play, combining with Jarran Reed and Quinton Jefferson on the interior, Goff is sure to face some pressure.

When under pressure, Goff has a tendency to force the issue. He tries to make plays that aren’t there and skips over priority No. 1: protecting the football. Goff and the Rams can’t give this Seahawks offense added opportunities to score because Wilson will make them pay.

Rams' 3 biggest causes for concern vs. Seahawks in Week 14

The Rams have to be worried about Russell Wilson’s wizardry.

theramswire.usatoday.com

 

[Riverumbbq]

Wonder how much Sunday's weather in LA will help the Seahawks?

Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 63F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

As of a few minutes ago, 70% chance of showers Sunday morning & afternoon, then drops to 20% chance at game-time.

 

[Jacobarch]

As of a few minutes ago, 70% chance of showers Sunday morning & afternoon, then drops to 20% chance at game-time.

That will help our D against wilson. Anything to slow him down getting outside the pocket.