The Rams first matchup with Seahawks this season is one that fans would surely like to forget. It was a game in which LA appeared to get off to a dominant start in. However, a Todd Gurley touchdown quickly turned into a touchback that gave Seattle the ball, as Gurley fumbled out of the endzone. In a game where the Rams struggled offensively that play certainly would have been crucial in finding momentum early.
The defense was excellent in the last matchup between the two teams. An excellent day from the Rams front seven, they absolutely lived in the Seahawks backfield. Aaron Donald posted an absolutely monster day against the subpar Seattle offensive line, often ripping through seemingly unblocked. Wade Phillips also elected to bring a lot of pressure from his middle linebackers Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron. Ogletree and Barron were able to put plenty of pressure on Russell Wilson. Possibly even more important, they did a good job of keeping the quarterback in the pocket.
However, the Rams simply could not get out of their own way with the football in their hands. The young team turned the ball over five times in week five, a season-high. Tavon Austin muffed a punt and has since been relieved of his duties by Pharoh Cooper. Gurley has also done a much better job securing the football, protecting it much better as of late. Quarterback Jared Goff threw two interceptions in week five, his only game this season with multiple picks. Goff has done a very good job protecting the football all season long, this should not be a reoccurring issue Sunday.
Despite all of the sloppiness and poor play, the Rams found themselves in position to win the game. Goff lead possibly the best drive of his career in the final minutes, setting the Rams up in the redzone. From there, he delivered a strike to Cooper Kupp that the rookie wideout could not haul in.
Five turnovers and a lot of poor play later, the Rams were just one drop away from victory. That fact says a lot about this Rams team and their resilience, as well as how well the defense played against Seattle.
Rams outlook
Round one with the Seahawks was a heartbreaking loss for the young Rams team. However, they now stand on the cusp of the most important game of their season. Win this game, and they are almost sure to make the playoffs. Lose this game, and they will be asking other teams to do them favors to get in. The defense will look to do a lot of the same things on Sunday, while the offense will change a lot. With ball security surely a key point all week, hopefully it translates to the field. Looking for a win in the rainy city on Sunday the young team from LA does not need to look much further than round one to find out exactly what needs to be done.
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