NFL action in Week 16 starts off with the most anticipated game of the week.
For those who have grown accustomed to Thursday Night Football in December bringing meaningless matchups between the likes of
the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars or the like, this week the game features the only two teams in the NFC with 11 wins in the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams.
Joining Field Gulls to preview the game is Evan Craig of Turf Show Times, and since readers didn’t click on this post to read the pre-question fluff, here are the five questions posed and the answers provided.
1. The Rams offense has been very potent for much of 2025, but struggled mightily in the first matchup against the Seattle defense. Should we expect the Rams to do anything different offensively in Week 16 as they look for better offensive production in the rematch?
The first meeting was strange because it happened during a stretch when the Rams had gotten off to multiple double-digit leads against their opponents. L.A. had a 14-3 lead versus Seattle in the first quarter and proceeded to score a single touchdown the rest of the way. It was the opposite of the problem they had at the beginning of the season, when they would start slowly and then pick up as the game progressed. The Rams started hot against the Seahawks and cooled off considerably after.
What the team might do to have better production this time around would be to run the ball more. Kyren Williams nearly had a 100-yard performance, and that was around the time when the offense was still figuring out how to get second-year back Blake Corum involved. My thinking is the offense will run more early and often. Williams and Corum have each amassed 70+ rushing yards in the last three games, with the Michigan product having scored 4 touchdowns in that span. The running game has evolved into more of a two-headed monster, so expect to see a lot of that dynamic duo on Thursday to help L.A. move the chains.
2. Most of the talk about the Rams has been the performance of the offense so far this season, but L.A. is third in the league in points allowed. What has been the driving force behind that?
The run defense has been a significant contributor to the unit’s overall success this season. It was a focal point during the offseason, hence why they brought in defensive tackle Poona Ford from the Chargers this offseason. L.A. has only allowed one 100-yard rusher this season, and that was the Ravens’ Derrick Henry. It’s been really impressive to see the Rams hold star rushers like Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey (2x), Jonathan Taylor and Jahmyr Gibbs in check and then some. The turnaround in that department was very much needed, considering how badly Barkley gashed them in two meetings last year. Outside of the Panthers game from a few weeks ago, the Rams have been generally elite against the run.
3. It seems there’s a very good chance Davante Adams won’t be able to play Thursday. He was not very effective in the first game as he played through an oblique injury. If he can’t go, who will take his snaps?
That is a very good question, and one that I don’t think even the Rams have an answer to yet. L.A.’s depth at wideout will certainly be tested with Davante Adams out. There isn’t a set WR3 who could quickly step into that role. Young receivers Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith have combined for just 31 catches on the year. For comparison, running back Kyren Williams is close to that mark with 27 catches. Tutu Atwell, a speed demon and presumed deep threat when the coaching staff decides to use him, has been injured and out of the lineup for most of the season. It’s anyone’s guess as to how McVay decides to divvy up the missing snaps. I’d fully expect a WR2 by committee with Adams likely out this week.
4. Former Seahawks tight end Colby Parkinson has more touchdowns this season than in the prior five years of his career combined. What’s changed for him, or has it simply been that defenses are more focused on the likes of Adams and Puka Nacua and Parkinson is benefiting from not having a lot of attention focused on him in the red zone?
I think all the focus on Puka Nacua and Davante Adams is the main reason for Parkinson’s success. The Rams’ offense runs through those two playmakers, so eventually, someone else is going to slip through the cracks and take advantage of what the defense is giving them. Parkinson is that player, and it’s honestly been really surprising to see. For much of the early part of the season, the Rams couldn’t get any production from their tight ends. It was genuinely flat-out embarrassing how little they were contributing to the offense. So, needless to say, the recent scoring outburst from Parkinson has been a welcome surprise.
Another reason Parkinson has stood out lately is that he’s been the primary TE receiving threat with Tyler Higbee on IR for the past month. However, Higbee has a chance to return for the first time since the last matchup against the Seahawks. I don’t expect him to be much of a factor, though, since he did next to nothing when healthy. It might be somewhat premature to believe Parkinson has finally arrived in Hollywood, but I fully expect Sean McVay to continue riding the hot hand by giving the veteran more opportunities.
5. What’s your prediction for the outcome of the game and why?
The Rams have been Sam Darnold’s kryptonite in his last three games against them, between time with the Vikings and Seahawks. I don’t expect Darold to have as rough a game this time around, but the pass rush might force him into multiple mistakes. Seattle has an excellent roster across the board, yet they still seem quite inconsistent at times and have a tendency to play down to their competition, as evidenced by their nail-biting win over the Colts this past weekend. Give me the Rams in a close one, 24-20.
