Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams (7-2) will host the Seattle Seahawks (7-2) on Sunday afternoon with first place in the NFC West on the line. This is arguably the biggest game of the week with both teams showcasing top 5 offenses and top 5 defenses in the NFL. This year under Mike MacDonald, the Seahawks decided to rework their roster with Sam Darnold replacing Geno Smith, Cooper Kupp replacing DK Metcalf, and bolstering the defensive unit. Sean McVay, meanwhile, has transitioned from a heavy 11 personnel team to utilizing 13 personnel at a league-high rate. Who will prevail in a must-watch divisional matchup? Below are my grades and breakdowns of each team’s positional unit.
QB Breakdown: Last week I said if Matthew Stafford balled out that I would move him to the elite tier. Well, he sure did…once again. I am hoping that I don’t “eat more prediction” but Matthew Stafford has been unworldly this season. He is the best quarterback in the NFL right now. This will be another great test for him against a top 5 defense but I expect him to continue his strong performances. It may not be 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions every week. But continue to expect greatness.
Sam Darnold is actually PFF’s highest graded quarterback (93.1). The remarkable piece about Darnold has been that he has only thrown the ball 228 times this year (25 attempts per game). Meanwhile Stafford averages 34 attempts per game. The Seahawks operates at its best when they are able to stay efficient in early downs; preventing Darnold from having to drop back over and over.
RB Breakdown: The Rams have actually been splitting Kyren Williams and Blake Corum more as of late. In Week 10, Williams carried the ball 14 times and Corum stole 13 attempts. I personally have liked their shift to two backs so that they can keep them both fresh in the run game and in pass protection.
The Seahawks have the second most rushing attempts per game in the NFL (30.2 per game). However, they are ranked 17th in rushing yards per game (114.3). Seattle is determined to run the ball and Los Angeles can use that to their advantage to force long third down situations; allowing their pass rush more time to get home.
WR Breakdown: The Rams wide receivers have actually seen less volume over the last two weeks because of McVay’s decision to use 13 personnel more. But Stafford’s connection with his two primary targets continues to strengthen. Davante Adams caught 6 of 8 targets for 77 yards and one touchdown. Puka grabbed 5 receptions on 6 targets for 64 yards and one touchdown. For anyone that was worried about Davante being a bad signing, think again. His 9 touchdowns lead the NFL.
The Seahawks are operating the way the 2021-2024 Rams operated. Jaxson Smith-Njigba has paced the Seattle wide receivers with 1041 yards. The next closest receiver is Cooper Kupp with 367 yards. Seattle is clearly trying to get the...
