Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks Week 5 Preview: 3 Storylines to Follow

After a bitter loss to rival NFC West, the Los Angeles Rams will try to recover from a 37:20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. With the Seahawks in a short week, the Rams will have to travel to Seattle to claim their second place in NFC West.

With all four NFC West teams clearly talented enough to make a playoff run, every single game is important, especially a division match. Stopping Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf is no easy task, so Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald will have a lot of work to do for them in a short week.

Here are three storylines to watch before the Rams’ Week 5 matchup in Seattle:

1. Can the Rams recover in a short week?

It’s going to be a physical game. The Rams’ defense line looked gassed on Sunday. Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Leonard Floyd did not have the speed and fluidity that they normally show. Donald only won 7.7% of his pass rush snaps and no Rams pass rusher won more than 21.7% of his snaps.

In the second round, cornerback David Long Jr. was taken apart by Kyler Murray and the reception core of the formidable Cardinals. Jalen Ramsey won the majority of his snaps against DeAndre Hopkins and AJ Green, but the rest of the second struggled. The “star” position in which Ramsey thrives only works if the other two outside corners of the Rams can hold their own so Ramsey can roam the field. With two extremely talented wide receivers competing against LA on Thursday, the secondary has to step up and get in shape.

2. Run, run, run the soccer ball

Running back Darrell Henderson is one of the most effective rushers in the NFL when he’s healthy. Meanwhile, Sony Michel is a nice compliment. The Rams average 93 yards per game, and Henderson has made it easy in his three games this year. If coach Sean McVay prioritizes the game in progress, the Rams win. While things get tough when Los Angeles is lagging behind, all of McVay’s defense is based on RPOs, game action, and the game in progress. For some reason McVay gave up the running game at key moments against Arizona, and that limited their offensive to one-dimensional. Keeping the ball out of the hands of Russell Wilson, keeping the Seahawks defense on the field and running the ball will be key for the Rams in this case.

3. How do you predict NFC West?

NFC West is just as good as any other league, if not the very best in football. AFC West is the only other league where every single team is over .500 over four weeks. Even with quarterback problems in San Francisco, offensive line problems in Seattle, and unexpected successes in Arizona, NFC West is burdened from top to bottom. The three NFC wildcard teams could all come from the NFC West, but the margin of error will be so razor-thin within the division. Every single game counts and every NFC West match is twice as important. In Seattle, LA desperately needs to win with big ramifications. Falling to 3-2 and creating a tie-break nightmare in this jam-packed division is something the Rams can’t afford from a big perspective.

Season records: Aries (3-1), Seahawks (2-2)

Previous meeting: Rams defeated Seahawks in a 30-20 game on January 6, 2021.

Opportunities: Rams -2

Statistics: DeSean Jackson averages 24.5 meters per reception

Keep an eye on: How the Rams’ line of defense appears to contain Wilson.

Rams’ key to victory: Put pressure on Wilson defensively, put the ball on the offensive and take advantage of the discrepancies.

Appointment time: Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 5:20 p.m. PT

Location: Lumenfeld (Seattle, Washington)

TV: FOX / NFL network

Stream: FuboTV

Radio: 93.1 FM jack

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