The highly anticipated game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks lived up to the hype. While it may not have been the prettiest of wins, the Rams came out on top, winning 21-19. With the win, the Rams move into sole possession of first place in the NFC West and are tied for first in the NFC with the Philadelphia Eagles. This is the type of win that, even when the Rams aren’t at their best, they still found a way. Let’s get into our 10 takeaways from the game.
1. Matthew Stafford seemed hesitant
For much of the season, Rams
quarterback Matthew Stafford has been excellent. However, in arguably the Rams’ biggest game of the season up to this point, their starting quarterback just seemed off. Stafford missed throws that he usually makes and seemed hesitant to let the ball rip like he normally does. On the opening drive, Stafford missed Davis Allen low on fourth down. Throughout the game, Stafford was just slightly off on his throws and it impacted the overall rhythm of the offense.
Some credit needs to be given to the Seahawks defense. The offensive line, especially both tackles, struggled in pass protection. With that said, Stafford was 15-for-28 for 130 yards in this game. It’s the first time in Stafford’s career that he has won a game while completing less than 60 percent of his passes and throwing for less than 150 yards in the same game. Stafford did throw a touchdown, bringing his season total to 27. He has 27 touchdowns to two interceptions. While it’s great that Stafford isn’t turning the ball over, if the Rams are going to lose a game, it’s better to do it with Stafford swinging.
2. McVay adjusts off 13 personnel
It became pretty evident early in the game that the Rams were not going to have as much success in 13 personnel against the Seahawks as they had in previous games. One of the big points coming into the game was how the Seahawks would match the Rams in 13 personnel. The Seahawks matched in nickel and, outside of the first big run to Kyren Williams, had success doing that. This was a defense that made it very difficult for the Rams’ tight ends to win their blocking matchups, especially in the run game.
Against the Seahawks, the Rams went to 13 personnel just 36 percent of the time and averaged 2.7 yards per play. In 11 personnel, the Rams averaged 6.3 yards per play. The 13 personnel twist that the Rams have made their identity simply didn’t work against this defense. McVay did the right thing and adjusted off of it. While the offense didn’t have a great performance, it did just enough.
3. Kam Kinchens and secondary come up big
Coming into the game, there were a lot of questions about how the Rams’ secondary would hold up against the Seahawks and their passing offense. The Seahawks had the most explosive offense in the NFL and Jaxon Smith-Njigba was having a record-setting season. What tended to get lost was just how good this Rams secondary has been. While they don’t have the name recognition at cornerback, the way Chris Shula schemes the secondary makes it very difficult for most teams. The Rams live in a world in which they are going to take away the explosive play and make opposing offenses stress and methodically work their way down the field.
This Rams secondary won the game against the Seahawks. Kam Kinchens intercepted Sam Darnold twice while Cobie Durant and Darious Williams had a turnover as well. Durant’s interception was a near carbon-copy of the one against Darnold in the playoffs. For an offense that lived off of big plays, Darnold was just 3-of-12 on passes of 10 or more air yards. Emmanuel Forbes had an incredible pass breakup to save a touchdown. The secondary also held up at the end of the game to force a long field goal. This may not be a flashy group, but they produce.
4. Rams rattle Sam Darnold
For the majority of the past two seasons, Sam Darnold has played well. Even in the Week 8 game last year against the Rams, Darnold was fine in that game. However, in the playoffs, Darnold was sacked nine times by the Rams defense in a loss. After throwing six interceptions all season, Darnold threw four against the Rams on Sunday.
While the statement itself might not be completely true, there will be a narrative that the Seahawks were the better team, but the Rams have the better quarterback. The point that is worth taking away from that statement is when the game is on the line, the Rams can trust Matthew Stafford not to lose the game. While each game is its own entity, it’s going to be difficult for Darnold to play the Rams and not have the playoff game or this performance on his mind.
5. Need a better feel for RB rotation
Over the past month, the Rams have done a very good job with the running back rotations. Both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum have gotten involved and the running game has looked good. However, in a game as big as the one on Sunday, the Rams need to have a better feel for it. From the jump, it seemed as if Williams was simply seeing the holes better and in a zone. He had three explosive runs and at one point was averaging 12.7 yards per carry. These are two running backs who also have unique skill sets. They need to be used in their strengths.
The Rams nearly started this game 0-for-2 in the red zone because of using Corum instead of Williams inside the five. On fourth down, Williams was inserted in the game and scored. This is a game in which Corum averaged 1.2 yards per carry with a 25 percent success rate. Williams had just a 33.3 percent success rate, but found room to run when it was there. This was the type of game that the Rams just need to ride the hot hand rather than stay true to a rotation.
6. Stafford-Adams connection not perfect
Just when it seemed like the connection between Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams seemed to turn a corner, they took a step back. This is the type of game that the Rams have to find a second option in the passing game and that player needs to be Adams. Puka Nacua had seven receptions. No other Rams wide player had more than two. Adams was targeted eight times and had just one catch. He had a big drop on a third down that would have extended a drive. Outside of the red zone, the connection to Adams has just been inconsistent and the Rams need more from their second wide receiver.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Rams probably miss a player like Tutu Atwell in this game. He’s at least a reliable option in that spot. A reason that the Rams have gone to more 12 and 13 personnel is that they don’t have a trusted third wide receiver. This offense lacks a third option in the passing game right now and that was evident against this Seahawks secondary.
7. Rams pass rush near-nonexistent
This isn’t to say that the Rams pass rush didn’t make plays. Pressure got to Darnold multiple times in the red zone, forcing throw aways which resulted in field goals instead of touchdowns. Three of Darnold’s four interceptions were also created by pressure. On Darnold’s first interception, Tyler Davis pushes the center into his lap. Durant’s interception is a result of Byron Young coming around in space on a twist. The fourth interception was created by pressure from Kobie Turner and Kinchens coming on a blitz.
At the same time, the Rams were up multiple scores early in this game and forced the Seahawks to become a dropback team. They only created a pressure rate of 28.9 percent. On the final drive, that’s a situation that should favor a pass rush like the Rams. There is no threat to run the ball. The defense needs to be able to put the game away against a team playing a backup center and left guard. This is a group that’s been in a slump as of late and need to find a way out of it.
8. Defense deserves its flowers
Not enough can be said about this Rams defense. They were on the field for essentially the entirety of the second quarter. The Rams had 22:11 in total time of possession and 10:30 came in the first quarter. For the rest of the game, the Seahawks nearly tripled the Rams in total time of possession. Time and time again, the Rams defense was asked to get a stop and they delivered. When the offense got stopped in the red zone, the defense created a turnover. When the Seahawks had a chance to go down the field and take the lead, it was the defense that created a turnover and put the offense in position to score.
This is a group that created four turnovers that resulted in 14 of the Rams’ 21 points. They held the Seahawks to 1-for-4 in the red zone and under 20 points. As if that wasn’t enough, the Rams offense didn’t just not put the game away at the end, but an incomplete pass left a timeout for the Seahawks. The defense went on the field with 1:41 to play and the Seahawks having one timeout. It didn’t seem to matter. The Seahawks may have gotten into field goal range, but it was a long field goal. For a team that has made offense its identity, it was the defense that won the game on Sunday.
9. Seahawks defense provides good challenge
There are a few ways to look at this game and it’s fair to expect more from the offense. Stafford didn’t have his best performance and McVay mismanaged the game in more ways than one. However, the Seahawks have a strong defense. There was a group on the other side of the field actively stopping what the Rams were trying to do offensively and succeeding. Mike Macdonald has that Seahawks defense playing great football and they are healthy in the secondary.
This wasn’t a bad game from McVay in terms of play-calling. It may not have been perfect, but there were plays out there to be made. There is going to be a chess-match between McVay and Macdonald as long as the two are on opposite sidelines. These are two very smart head coaches and play callers. It’s easy to look at the offensive performance and criticize it. While they need to be better, the unit on the other side of the field also had something to say about it.
10. Rams can win in multiple ways
It’s easy to look at this game and see that the Rams had four turnovers and only won by two points. At the same time, Matthew Stafford had a forgettable performance as well. It was the first time in his career that he’s completed less than 55 percent of his passes and thrown for fewer than 150 yards and 5.0 yards per attempt in his career. Puka Nacua has one other fumble in three seasons. These are two very evenly matched teams and the Rams were better on Sunday. The Rams led the entire game and their win percentage never dropped under 58.1 percent.
The Rams showed that they can win in multiple ways. If the offense needs to score 30 points, they are capable. However, if the defense needs to carry the load, they are capable. The Rams won this game because the defense created opportunities for the offense and got stops when needed. Ironically, a special teams play had a big impact as well. An incredible punt from Ethan Evans pinned the Seahawks at the one-yard line also played a critical role. That may have been one of the better punts of all-time. This may have been an ugly win, but there are no style points in the NFL. The fact that the Rams were able to win this game in this fashion shows how complete of a team they are.
