Charbonnet (knee) remains on the active/PUP list as the Seahawks' second preseason contest (Aug. 23 versus the Titans) approaches.
Charbonnet (knee) remains on the active/PUP list as the Seahawks' second preseason contest (Aug. 23 versus the Titans) approaches.
Adams did not play in the Rams' 20-12 preseason win over the Chiefs on Saturday.
Myers missed his only field-goal attempt from 45 yards out and made his only extra-point try in the Seahawks' 17-7 preseason loss to the Cowboys on Saturday.
Holani rushed 12 times for 42 yards in the Seahawks' 17-7 preseason loss to the Cowboys on Saturday.
Daniels caught two passes on five targets for 18 yards during the Rams' 20-12 preseason win over the Chiefs on Saturday.
Klare caught seven passes on eight targets for 37 yards during the Rams' 20-12 preseason win over the Chiefs on Saturday.
Mevis made both of his field-goal attempts and each of his two extra-point tries during the Rams' 20-12 win over the Chiefs in Saturday's preseason game.
Simpson completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns and turned his lone carry into minus-1 yard during the Rams' 20-12 preseason win over the Chiefs.
Bennett completed four of six pass attempts for 38 yards during the Rams' 20-12 win over the Chiefs in Saturday's preseason game.
Terrance Ferguson has gotten three or more targets in three straight games. He leads the Rams in average depth of target. The Seahawks are tough to run against, but they have been vulnerable to tight ends. Look for Ferguson to make at least one catch for 15-plus yards.
These may be the best teams in the NFC – ranked 1-2 in the NFL for total team DVOA -- which creates a tasty offense vs. defense battle. Davante Adams being cleared to play eliminates my hesitancy with the Rams, as they should have a full complement of weapons to go against this stingy Seahawks defense. Matthew Stafford has been tremendous (25 TD, 2 INT), and Los Angeles’ primary rushers are averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Sam Darnold has played quite well, too, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba has carried Seattle’s offense, and L.A. has the ability to slow him down. This is a prove-it game for the Seahawks, and I’m happy to back the Rams given their history in these spots.
The Seahawks and the Rams are tied atop the NFC West at 7-2 each, and both teams lead the NFL with seven covers on the season. The Seahawks are 4-0 in away games, and the Rams are 3-1 at home. Both teams have won their last four games, and the Rams have scored 34 or more in each of their last three games, which is why I like the Rams. Matthew Stafford is on a roll with 13 touchdown passes in his last three starts. He has 25 touchdown passes and only two interceptions on the year. Rams to win.
As both of the offenses for these respective NFC West contenders have displayed so much potency lately, keeping this scoreline beneath 50 points looks like a big chore for the defenses on the field. On the Seattle side, things have been humming with San Darnold at QB, with the big-play defense chipping in with two scores last week. The Seahawks are scoring at a brisk 36 ppg clip the past three weeks, with Darnold just two weeks removed from tossing 4 TDP vs. the Commanders on November 2 in D.C. As for the Rams, they're scoring at a 37 pg pace the past three as QB Matthew Stafford (25 TD passes and only 2 picks thus far!) builds a nice MVP case. Play Seahawks-Rams Over
The Seahawks haven't needed to throw much in several games. Last week, for instance, Darnold threw 12 passes. But Sunday's showdown with the Rams figures to be different, with Seattle a field-goal underdog. LA can pressure the QB but it doesn't possess an elite secondary. Daniel Jones threw for 262 yards against the Rams and Mac Jones went over 300 yards twice. LA has also taken advantage of bad QBs like Tyler Shough, Cam Ward and Cooper Rush. Darnold will need to throw, and he's got great weapons.
Seahawks rookie safety Nick Emmanwori hurt his ankle in Week 1 and didn't return until Week 5. He's played four full games, clearing this prop total in three of them and registering 26 tackles over that span. The Seahawks love using him close to the line of scrimmage, which increases his opportunities. This is a great matchup against a strong Rams' offense. Emmanwori is a special player, the reigning NFL Rookie of the Week. Look for him to be extremely active in Sunday's NFC West showdown.
B365 at -120. Kamren Curl has cleared this line in seven of nine games this season. The two misses were both against highly inefficient/ineffective offenses - the Ravens without Lamar Jackson and the Saints in Tyler Shough’s first start. The Seahawks are one of the NFL’s most efficient offenses, and are tenth in opponent safety tackle efficiency (per PFF data). Splitting his time as a deep safety and in the box, Curl is the Rams leading tackler on pass plays and second against the run. I expect him to be involved all around, in what should be a fast paced game.
Where this game gets a bit tricky for the Rams is along the offensive line. They'll have to keep QB Matthew Stafford clean in the pocket vs this relentless Seahawks pass rush. Yes, the same can be said on the other side, but I trust the mobility of a younger Sam Darnold than I do of the older Matthew Stafford, which could be the difference in this score here.
The Seahawks rank among the worst in EPA per play against tight ends by a wide margin, allowing the most catches (7.11) and third most targets (9.33). Tight ends have had 3 or more catches in 9 of 10 weeks against Seattle and now the team faced a Rams offense that has the third most tight end usage over the last four weeks. They have the highest tight end target share over the last three games with 40 targets. Plus, Higbee has been consistent -- catching over 75% of his targets the last four games. He has cashed this line in four straight and should cash again here in a back-and-forth game script.
Matthew Stafford has had an excellent season and displayed impressive efficiency on a very balanced and potent Rams offense, however he hass benefitted from a soft schedule against some subpar pass rushes. That will not be the case this week when he faces a Seattle defense that has been the NFLs best defense (along with the Texans). Stafford has faced two difficult matchups this season against Houston and Philadelphia and struggled from an efficiency standpoint as I believe the Rams offensive line is overrated. Now he faces a Seattle defense that is elite in all phases.
Sam Darnold's been over this line just three times this year, all in high-scoring games (46+ points). This one has a total of 48.5 points, a good sign. Seattle's run game has been a mess and should continue to be given the matchup, which means Darnold will have to throw to keep up in a competitive game. The Rams pass rush has taken a step back over its past two games: one combined vs. the Saints and 49ers with a combined 29.7% pass rush pressure rate. I could see L.A. turning that up a little more this week, but I can also see Darnold work on getting the ball out quickly and often. Seven of the Rams past nine opponents threw 32-plus times.
Don't look now but here comes Blake Corum and an increased snap share for the Rams in recent weeks. However there's real noise in the numbers as his workload is inflated given the positive game state and lopsided contests we've seen. I expect him to spell Kyren Williams this week for stretches but when push comes to shove it's Williams' backfield. That's even before we factor in one of the league's best run defenses and it's the perfect opportunity to sell high on the Rams RB2
No one has more red-zone targets than Adams (21) this year and we've seen some positive touchdown regression the last few weeks, with Adams scoring six touchdowns in his last three games. Our number is a little suppressed here because of Nakua's return and a matchup against a dangerous Seattle defense. But I would argue Seattle's defense might actually help Adams case: because the Seahawks can stuff the run, the Rams should be forced to throw down near the goal line. Matthew Stafford loves feeding Adams at the goal line (clearly!) and I think he finds him at least once here, especially with a monster total (48.5) for two top tier defensive teams.
A massive matchup with NFC playoff implications as the upstart Seahawks battle the Rams' offensive machine, but I like getting three points with Seattle. The Rams defense can shut down bad offenses but has looked mediocre in both 49ers games, and I wonder how effective they'll be at slowing down Seattle. Of course, the Seahawks defense faces a similar challenge, but since I have these teams with the same rating and the Rams certainly don't get three points for home field, I feel like I have to grab the full field goal while it's available, especially knowing any negative Davante Adams injury news will have Seahawks backers moving quickly.
