Inside the matchup Seahawks vs Rams

This week, the Seahawks return home to host the Rams on Thursday, October 7, at 5:20 pm. This is the first week of the season where the Thursday night game is not exclusively on the NFL network. The game will also be shown on FOX as well as Amazon Prime this week. The Rams are coming off their first loss of the season to Arizona, who is the last undefeated team at 4-0. Seattle defeated the 49ers 28-21 despite playing a very poor first half. Even though Seattle is at home, they are a slight underdog in this game. Last season, the Seahawks went 1-2 against the Rams but lost their game against the team during the postseason Wild Card game.

The most significant change for the Rams this season is at quarterback. After twelve seasons with the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford was traded to the Rams for quarterback Jared Goff and draft picks. So far, it has worked out well for the Rams. Stafford ranks third in total yards with 1,222. He ranks second in touchdowns with eleven and ranks fifth in yards per game with 305.5. Contrast that with Russell Wilson, who ranks fifteenth in total yards with 1,044 and fifth in touchdowns with nine and sixteenth in yards per game with 261.

Part of the reason for Stafford’s success in passing is the number of options he has in receiving. Four wide receivers and a tight end are averaging more than thirty-six yards per game for the Rams. Leading this group is former Eastern Washington standout Cooper Kupp. He is first in touchdowns with five for the season and is third among all receivers with four hundred and thirty-one yards receiving. One hundred ninety-one yards were gained after catching a pass, so he is dangerous in the open field. In his second season in the NFL, Van Jefferson has already surpassed his first season totals in touchdowns and receiving yards from his rookie year. Tyler Higbee, Desean Jackson, and Robert Woods round out the receiving options for Stafford.

In what seems to be a theme in the early season, the Rams’ primary running back, Darrell Henderson Jr., may not be available for this Thursday’s game. He is currently listed as questionable with a rib injury. Henderson has been averaging seventy yards per game so far this season with the Rams. If Henderson is unable to play, then most of the rushing attempts will fall to Sony Michel. In his fourth year in the NFL, Michel has played his first three seasons with the New England Patriots. Michel is currently averaging 3.7 yards per carry and averages about thirty-one yards per game.

Matt Gay is the Rams kicker. He’s been very accurate over the past several seasons, having not missed an extra point the last three years. His field goal percentage over that time is also very high at over 87.5%. Expect a high-scoring game this week as both teams’ defense rank toward the bottom of the league. It could be one of those weeks where the team that gets the ball last wins.