The Seahawks ’passing defense has been much better since the Week 10 loss to the Rams. (Getty)
The Seahawks defense was fighting powerfully when Seattle last faced the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 15.
3 Takes: What is the plan for the Seahawks to overcome Rams?
Statistically, the Seahawks were on the verge of being the worst in NFL history, as at one point they gave more than 362 yards per game.
In the Rams game, winger Shaquill Griffin was eliminated with a hamstring injury and defender Benson Mayowa was also out. Quarterback Jared Goff started strong, throwing 221 yards in a dominant first half for the Rams, who won a 17-7 lead.
Something changed at the break, though. The Seahawks defense started to play better. The Rams gained just 114 yards in the second half. Goff threw just 81 yards.
This Sunday, the confrontation of Goff’s defense against the Seahawks is the key for which team will win the NFC West.
In early November, the Seahawks began to pass for the first time in two years. After just 10 sacks in the first seven games of 2020, the Seahawks have scored 30 in the last seven. They have had more sacks during this stretch than any football team.
The passing defense also improved once Griffin, Jamal Adams and DJ Reed started entering the field along with Quandre Diggs, who joined Adams this week making the Pro Bowl safely. Opponent quarterbacks have averaged just 201 yards passing in the Seahawks ’last six games, with opponents at just 16 points per game.
For the Seahawks to win the NFC West and be a major factor in the playoffs, the defense has to play at a quality level. That’s why Sunday will be the best test to see where the Seahawks are as a team. If they play well, they can be aspirants to the Super Bowl. If they don’t, it could be a short trip to the playoffs.
On the other hand, Goff is the great story of the Rams. He’s been up and down since the last game against the Seahawks, with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in his last seven games after throwing 12 in the first four.
The Rams scored at least 30 points in each of their first five games, but the final offense has been scoring in the 1920s.
Celebrity star Kurt Warner was on the NFL Network this week discussing Goff. He expressed his concern about the crime of the Rams. He pointed to the scan report stating that they are at their best when they throw the ball, which gives Goff a chance to make game passes. That’s when Goff is at his best. Warner noted that when Goff has not been able to leave behind, read the defenses and get the game passes, he has had difficulty. That was especially the case last Sunday in an embarrassing loss to the New York Jets.
For the Seahawks, the key is to stop the race, put pressure on Goff and keep him from going to play.
It doesn’t help the Rams who don’t have talented rookie running Cam Akers, halving their three-man rotation in the background field. Nor will they have let go of the Andrew Whitworth attack, who suffered a knee injury in the second half of the last meeting with the Seahawks that could have sidelined him until the playoffs.
Which team will tend or go down? We’ll find out on Sunday.
Follow John Clayton on Twitter.
More from John: Don’t expect the same Seahawks offense against LA that beat WFT