PLAYER NOTES
–RB Mike Davis: Even with starting RB Chris Carson returning this week from a hip injury, Davis should see plenty of touches after eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the first time in his NFL career against the Cardinals. Head coach Pete Carroll indicated “he needs to play,” and with Rashaad Penny also seeing snaps, Seattle appears to be heading toward a running back-by-committee approach.
–WR Doug Baldwin returned from a two-week absence battling an MCL injury to catch five passes for 41 yards in Arizona. He “came out of the game great” according to head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks will be upping his workload in practice this week with intentions of him playing more snaps against the Rams.
–LG Ethan Pocic: An ankle injury shelved Pocic the past two games, but thanks to strong back-to-back performances by veteran J.R. Sweezy, it doesn’t sound like he will immediately get his starting job back on the left side of Seattle’s line. Head coach Pete Carroll stated that Pocic needed to make it through the practice week to play and he didn’t foresee “any changes at all there” heading into Sunday’s game.
–DT Jarran Reed: The Seahawks still need to find more consistency in the pass rushing department, but Reed’s emergence in his third NFL season couldn’t have happened at a better time. Known best for his ability to stuff the run coming out of Alabama, the defensive tackle surpassed his previous career-high in sacks during the last two games, recording 3.0 sacks in wins over the Cowboys and Cardinals.
–CB Tre Flowers: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Flowers earned an overall grade of 80.7, ranking sixth among corners in the league last weekend. Head coach Pete Carroll has always demanded his corners to hit and tackle well in addition to playing coverage, and with four run stops and a forced fumble against the Cardinals, the fifth-round pick is “fitting the bill.”
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: FS Tedric Thompson. The Seahawks officially placed Earl Thomas on injured reserve on Tuesday, putting the spotlight on Thompson as his replacement against the NFL’s best passing offense statistically. The 2017 fourth-round pick out of Colorado has yet to start a game defensively for Seattle, as teammate Bradley McDougald started for Thomas when he was sidelined by a hamstring injury for two games last season. But while head coach Pete Carroll said Thomas is irreplaceable, Thompson was projected to start at free safety while Thomas held out during training camp and the preseason, providing invaluable reps with the first-team defense for the second-year player. He’s also been seeing some snaps in Seattle’s nickel defense with the team using three safeties frequently in the first quarter of the season. As one of the breakout stars of the offseason, Carroll and the Seahawks are confident he will step into the lineup and play quality football.
GAME PLAN: After abandoning the run early in losses to Denver and Chicago, Seattle has found traction on the ground behind an offensive line that has improved week-by-week backed by guards D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy. It’s not a coincidence the Seahawks have found a rhythm running the football since Fluker returned from a hamstring injury two weeks ago and Sweezy’s revival has further helped the cause. Seattle won’t be able to survive against Los Angeles’s dominant defense by running the ball 40 times, but striking offensive balance again will be important to keep Goff and the Rams offense on the sideline while also attempting to create manageable third-down scenarios. If they can find some success on the ground as they’ve had in recent games, Wilson and the Seahawks should have opportunities to use the play-action passing game to their advantage, especially with the Rams missing Talib and Peters playing at less than 100 percent.
When Goff, Gurley and Co. do take the field, the Seahawks will need to be selective about bringing additional pressure to disrupt the pocket and it’ll be imperative for defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. to find ways for his front four to create pressure without aid of a blitz. Along with generating a consistent pass rush, limiting Gurley on the ground will help set up more favorable second and third downs defensively, which in turn will allow Seattle’s edge rushers to pin their ears back and go after Goff. It will be tough sledding trying to slow down an offense with so many lethal playmakers coached by one of the most innovative schemers in the entire NFL, but the biggest key will be avoiding the coverage breakdowns that plagued the Vikings last Thursday night. As middle linebacker Bobby Wagner put it, the Seahawks must be disciplined and all 11 players must do their job or else head coach Sean McVay will find weaknesses and exploit them immediately.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner vs. Rams RB Todd Gurley II. The Rams added the explosive Brandin Cooks during an offseason trade with the Patriots to bolster the aerial attack and he leads the team in receiving yardage so far, but the offense still runs through Gurley. The electric fourth-year running back out of Georgia ranks second in the league with 338 rushing yards and has added 20 receptions for 194 yards while scoring a combined seven touchdowns in four games. In the Rams 42-7 dismantling of the Seahawks in Week 15 last season, Wagner played but was clearly not healthy dealing with a hamstring injury suffered the previous week in Jacksonville. With the All-Pro linebacker hampered by the soft tissue injury and a step slow compared to his usual self, Gurley feasted, rushing for 152 yards and three touchdowns while also scoring a touchdown as a receiver out of the backfield. Having a healthy Wagner in the lineup will be a major difference-maker for Seattle trying to slow him down in this rematch.
–Seahawks OL vs. Rams DTs Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh. The rich became richer when the Rams signed Suh to team up with Donald, the NFL’s 2017 Defensive Player of the Year. Between the two players, they’ve combined to earn All-Pro distinction eight times, made nine Pro Bowl teams, and each garnered NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The Seahawks have already dealt with elite pass rushers seemingly every week, including Broncos linebacker Von Miller and Bears linebacker Khalil Mack in two losses to open the season. But the entire Seattle offensive line will deal with a different kind of animal on Sunday, as Donald, Suh, and a deep, talented defensive front have helped the Rams create pressure on a league-best 41.4 percent of opposing dropbacks. Though Los Angeles ranks 22nd in the NFL with just 10 sacks, a disruptive pass rush has remained an integral part of the team’s 4-0 start and Seattle offensive line coach Mike Solari’s squad will have its hands full.
