Seattle Seahawks: 3 Bold predictions vs. Rams, Week 14
By Samuel Teets
The Seattle Seahawks hold the second seed in the NFC, but the Los Angeles Rams provide an unpredictable obstacle in Week 14.
With their win in Week 13 and San Francisco’s loss to Baltimore, the Seattle Seahawks took control of the NFC West and moved into the second seed in the conference. Now, the team will fight to retain its newfound prestige on Sunday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams are a troublesome team this season. While they were overwhelming in 2018, their inconsistent play this season is problematic for opposing teams. If Todd Gurley gets going and Jared Goff has time to set his feet, Los Angeles can be lethal. However, the Rams can also come out flat-footed and provide very little resistance some times.
A combined eight points decided Seattle’s last three games against Los Angeles. Regardless of how good the Seahawks are this season, they have a real rivalry with the struggling Rams.
That said, events this season point toward Seattle getting a win on Sunday night. Keep a lookout for these three factors in their matchup.
3. Seahawks rush for 150 yards
Against the Minnesota Vikings, who had the sixth-best run defense in the NFL entering Week 13, the Seahawks ran for 218 yards. That more than doubled the 94.2 rushing yards per game Minnesota was allowing up to that point. Now, the Rams have to deal with Seattle’s dynamic running back duo.
While he was quiet for the early part of the season, Rashaad Penny has 203 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in the last two games. Chris Carson has 128 rushing yards and a score during that time, as well. It seems that Penny has awoken at the perfect time to aid Seattle’s late regular season push.
The Rams have the 13th ranked run defense in the league, allowing 104.2 rushing yards per game. Aaron Donald is a menace. Dante Fowler and Clay Matthews have also been great for Los Angeles’ defensive front, and the team’s safety duo are excellent tacklers.
However, Carson still ran for 118 yards in Seattle’s game against Los Angeles earlier this season. The Seahawks amassed 167 rushing yards and won the game. Considering how well the team’s running game is performing, there’s no reason to believe Los Angeles will curtail Carson and Penny.