Seahawks/Rams Game Preview: Winner Take All

This weekend, the Seattle Seahawks sit sixty minutes from etching another brick in this rivalry. With a victory, the Hawks claim a decisive season victory over the LA Rams. With a spot in the next round awaiting the winner, Seattle can start gaining momentum for a deep playoff run. However, few know Seattle better. So, what will it take for the Seahawks to pull off another victory?

Ground and Pound

Seattle must slow down the Rams’ pass rush. Granted, Russell Wilson enjoyed one of his better years. Yet, facing a defense that tallied 53 sacks, the porous offensive line needs immediate help. In the middle of the Rams’ defense, Aaron Donald destroys the interior of the pocket. Forcing Russell Wilson to run for his life and deny him the ability to climb the pocket pays dividends. If Seattle sticks to the running game, whether hitting the boundaries or using the screen game to stem the rush, Seattle only possessed the ball for 53:34 of a possible 120 minutes. Los Angeles punished Russell Wilson, dropping him to the turf twenty times. No one can keep withstanding that. As a result, feed the running backs. No Seahawks carried the ball more than 141 times during the season, so fatigue should not be an issue. If the Seahawks turn the game into a quagmire of a run game, they will drain the Rams of any defensive spark.

Moore and TE

Heading into the contest, everyone knows the Rams’ corners look to lock down Lockett and Metcalf. yet, deeper than that, the Seahawks can gain coveted hidden yards in the passing game. David Moore will see a subpackage corner, which immediately tilts the advantage to the wideout. Either underneath route from the slot, or deeper shots when Lockett mans the slot will net Moore open greenspace vertically. Meanwhile, the triumvirate of Dissly, Olsen, and Hollister, in two-tight could change the game. First, having two tight allows chipping before routes. Or, the Hawks could borrow from the Patriots and use one of the tight ends as a sixth lineman. The other tight end will leak out into the soft spots.

Bottom Line

The Seattle Seahawks should survive and advance. Yet, they face a daunting challenge. The Rams will not relent in the pass rush. They will smack Russell Wilson. In order to avoid that, they must adopt the rope-a-dope. By allowing the Rams rush to stay on the field, that unit will eventually tire.