Rams vs. Seahawks: 5 key matchups to watch on Thursday night
The Rams will be on the road for the second time this season, visiting the Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday night. It’s a huge game coming off their 37-20 loss to the Cardinals in Week 4, needing to bounce back and avoid a losing streak.
Seattle will be looking to avenge its playoff loss to the Rams in January, which was a memorable moment in this rivalry. And is always the case with these NFC West showdowns, there are some key matchups that will help decide the outcome.
Based on the way the Rams have used Ramsey in the first four games of the season, it’s unlikely we’ll get to see him cover Metcalf all that often on Thursday night. However, they would be wise to stick him on the talented wide receiver rather than taking a chance of David Long Jr. being tasked with covering Metcalf.
Ramsey and Metcalf are two of the most athletic players at their respective positions and every time they match up, it’s a battle. Whether it’s on 15 snaps or 50, it’ll be entertaining to see Ramsey covering Metcalf in this NFC West tilt.
Darrell Henderson Jr. vs. Seahawks run defense
No team in the NFL has allowed more rushing yards than the Seahawks. Henderson, who’s coming off his best performance of the season, should be in for another strong game against Seattle. It’s surprising that the Seahawks have been so bad against the run with Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams on defense, but the defensive line isn’t great and Jordyn Brooks, the starter next to Wagner, has struggled against the run and has already missed four tackles – as has Adams.
If he gets a healthy number of carries, he should top 100 yards rushing for the first time this season.
Leonard Floyd vs. Brandon Shell
Floyd is second on the team with 17 total pressures, and that’s with him recording zero in the season opener. He’s actually been solid as a pass rusher, but his tackling has been poor. Against the Seahawks, he’ll be facing Shell at right tackle, who has missed the last two weeks with an ankle injury.
That’s a favorable matchup for Floyd, who should continue to consistently generate pressure on Russell Wilson. It’ll be about more than just trying to sack Wilson, though. Floyd will have to be mindful of rush lanes and can’t let Wilson escape the pocket the way he loves to.
Cooper Kupp vs. Ugo Amadi
Amadi has covered the slot more than any other Seahawks defender thus far, so he can expect to see a lot of Kupp in coverage. That’s a one-on-one battle that favors the Rams. The Seahawks will probably bracket Kupp with Jamal Adams and Bobby Wagner underneath, especially on third down, but when Kupp gets single coverage with Amadi, expect Matthew Stafford to look his way often.
The Rams have a big edge when it comes to their receiving corps against Seattle’s secondary, whether it’s with Kupp, Robert Woods or Van Jefferson.
Brian Allen vs. Poona Ford
Allen will have chance to continue his promising start to the season against another quality nose tackle in Ford. He has seven pressures in four games, which is a decent number for an interior defender.
The Seahawks as a team don’t have much of a pass rush, especially if Carlos Dunlap is out. So as long as Allen can prevent Ford from collapsing the pocket from the middle, it will go a long way toward Stafford having yet another good outing.
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