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W2W4: 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.
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.
