NFL
By George Lopez
The Los Angeles Rams head to Seattle to take on their division rivals in the NFC Championship with a birth in the Super Bowl on the line. The Rams got the NFC Championship following a thrilling, hard-fought 20-17 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional round. The Seahawks, the #1 seed in the NFC, advanced following a 41-6 dismantling of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional round. This will be the third meeting between the two teams, with each team winning on its home field in the regular season.
Following their victory over the Bears, Rams head coach Sean McVay stated he did not do a good job of play-calling but was happy the team was able to overcome his shortcomings. Quarterback Matthew Stafford did not have the type of overall game Rams fans have become accustomed to seeing. Against the Bears, Stafford completed 20-42 passes for 258 yards. Stafford was held without a touchdown pass.
Throughout the game, Stafford missed passes that he usually completed. The weather may have played a factor, yet Stafford did not use that as an excuse. When it counted, Stafford made the passes necessary in the game-winning drive in overtime. Stafford completed passes to 8 different receivers; however, no receiver had more than 5 receptions, and no receiver topped 60 yards.
In their last matchup against Seattle, Stafford passed for 457 yards and 3 touchdowns. In that game, the Los Angeles Rams attempted 49 passes. All season, the Rams’ offense has been difficult to contain when they run a balanced offense. Going into this game, the Rams will look to keep Stafford under 40 pass attempts. In the two games against Seattle, Puka Nacua has totaled 19 receptions for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. Stafford will look for Nacua as his primary target as he attacks the Seahawks’ secondary. WR Davante Adams, playing in his 5th Conference championship game, will be looked upon to play a significant role in the Rams’ offensive attack.
Look for the Rams to line up Nacua and Adams on opposite sides of the field to force the Seahawks to decide how they will roll their safeties to double-team either player. The Rams’ TEs will play a big part in the Rams’ passing game this week. Seattle will look to contain Nacua and Adams, which should leave underneath routes available for Stafford to find his TE’s. Colby Parkinson has emerged as a trusted target for Stafford in recent weeks. Look for all four Rams TEs to play against Seattle.
While the focus will be on Stafford and the Rams’ passing game, their running game will be a key factor this week. The Seahawks bring a formidable defense into this game. The Rams need to keep Seattle’s defense honest. To do that, RB’s Kyren Williams and Blake Corum will need to be a focal point of the Rams’ offensive game plan. In their last matchup, the Rams rushed for 124 yards, yet the Seahawks’ defense disrupted the Rams’ running success with their 3-TE formations.
Getting starting guard Kevin Dotson back last week was a huge boost for the Rams. With Dotson back at right guard and Warren McClendon Jr doing a tremendous job playing for the injured Rob Havenstein at right tackle, the Rams come into this game with the belief they will be able to run the ball against the Seahawks defense. Look for the Rams to run the ball 25-30 times this week.
In their last game in Seattle, the Los Angeles Rams lost a heartbreaking 38-37 overtime game. What makes that game truly disappointing for the Rams is that they blew a 30-14 4th-quarter lead. Through the first 3 quarters, the Rams were in complete control of the game. The defense harassed Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, sacking him 4 times and forcing 2 interceptions. The game got away from the Rams when they stopped pressuring Darnold. With time in the pocket, Darnold was able to attack the Rams’ secondary.
Going into this game, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula knows putting pressure on Darnold will be a key. Darnold has shown throughout his career that when pressured, he will make rushed throws. When the Rams look to bring pressure, the defense will also look to take away Darnold’s first read. The Rams’ defense wants to force Darnold to hold onto the ball. If they take away his first read and force him to hold onto the ball, the Rams believe their pass rush will be able to force him off his spot and force him into bad throws.
In their Divisional round win over the 49ers, the Seahawks did not ask Darnold to do too much. Darnold passed for 124 yards while attempting only 17 passes. The question coming into this game is how much Seattle will put on Darnold’s right arm? By not calling many pass attempts, WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba was not a huge factor as he has been all season. Against the 49ers, Smith-Njigba was limited to 3 receptions for 19 yards. Look for Smith-Njigba to play a bigger role in the Seahawks game plan this week. The Rams defense cannot sleep on WR Cooper Kupp.
Throughout his career, Kupp has proven to be a big-game player and will be expected to be a trusted target for Darnold. In their win over the Bears, the Rams’ secondary had one of their best games of the season, forcing Bears quarterback Caleb Williams to throw a career-worst 3 interceptions, including one in overtime that led to the Rams’ game-winning drive. The secondary will look to limit the Seahawks’ receiving corps’ productivity. Tackling will be a key. The Rams cannot be sloppy with their tackling, or a short pass could turn into a big gain.
The Seahawks got bad news following their win over San Francisco. RB Zach Charbonnet was lost for the rest of the postseason as he suffered a torn ACL. With Charbonnet out, RB Kenneth Walker III will get the bulk of the carries. Walker rushed for 100 yards in the last game against the Rams. The Seahawks will look to their running game as a key part of their offensive game plan this week.
Rams safety Quinten Lake did not play against Seattle the last time the teams played and will be a key player in the Los Angeles Rams’ run defense. Lake’s presence on the field allows defensive coordinator Chris Shula to use different schemes to counter the Seahawks running game. Look for Lake to play close to the line of scrimmage to help contain in run support.
The NFC Championship game between the Rams and Seahawks has the makings of being one of the best matchups in recent memory. Both teams know each other well, so there should not be too many surprises. The Seattle fans will be loud and raucous from the opening kickoff. The Rams need to go into this game and play with poise and not let the moment rattle them. The veteran leadership of Matthew Stafford will be a benefit for the Rams. Look for the Rams to advance to the Super Bowl following a thrilling, hard-fought victory over the Seahawks.
Rams 31
Seahawks 27
