The meeting will be presented on RDS info at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Sam Darnold was far from his best the last time he and the Seattle Seahawks faced his hometown team, and he’s fully aware he’ll have to do better than when he threw four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 16.
The rematch between Darnold and the Seahawks against the Rams on Thursday night will have important implications for the NL West title.
The Seahawks (11-3) and Rams (11-3) are tied for the section lead, one game ahead of the San Francisco 49ers, and a win for either team would put them in command of the title race and potentially seize the title of playoff favorite.
“We look forward to this challenge,” Darnold said. It’s obviously a match against a sectional opponent, and I didn’t give my best in our last meeting (against them). I think on offense we just have to continue to do what we’ve been honing in practice, paying attention to the details. But once again, this team has a very good defense. »
The Rams defense, which ranks 13th in the NFL in yards allowed, caused all kinds of problems for Darnold in November. The Seahawks offense has struggled at times since that time, and they haven’t scored a first-quarter touchdown since a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 9.
The Seahawks, however, have a top-five defense and have given up just 25 total points in their last three games. According to Rams head coach Sean McVay, his charges will be tested just as much as the Seahawks.
“There’s no weakness,” McVay said. This is as complete a football team as it is possible to be. »
Such an assessment also wouldn’t be too much for the Rams, a team that has won eight of its last nine games and scored at least 40 points in three of its last seven contests. The Seahawks may have the best wide receiver in the NFL in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but the Rams’ Puka Nacua isn’t far behind, with the second-most yards after the catch in the NFL.
“They won games and played at a very high level,” McVay said. Like I said, it’s going to be quite a challenge for us.”
No third wheel
If Davante Adams’ hamstring injury prevents him from playing Thursday, then the Rams will be without the league leader in touchdown passes caught, and star quarterback Matthew Stafford will have to deal without his favorite target for short aerial gains.
Worse, the Rams don’t really have a true third pass catcher, with Stafford having thrown just 58 times this season to wide ends other than Adams or Nacua. Part of that is because McVay has surprisingly adopted three three-tight end formations, although wide receivers Tutu Atwell and Konata Mumpfield should get more playing time if Adams is out.
For their part, the Seahawks are the only team to have 10 wins while throwing even fewer passes to their supporting wideouts than the Rams this season. Rashid Shaheed’s role has grown in importance since his midseason arrival, however, and Darnold frequently targets his tight ends as well.
