Seahawks face the Rams next. Here’s what you need to know about the reigning NFC champs

“Thursday Night Football” has its first pivotal divisional clash this Thursday as the Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams at CenturyLink Field.

The teams enter the game from opposite directions.

There was no Seattle surprise in the desert Sunday as the Seahawks rebounded from their first loss of the season with a 27-10 victory over Arizona.

The Rams, on the other hand, hit a somewhat major bump as they gave up 55 points Sunday to the struggling Tampa Bay Bucs, losing 55-40.

Both teams sit at 3-1, trailing the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers (3-0).

What you need to know about the Rams:

Super Bowl hangover?

Reaching the Super Bowl is hard, unless you’re the New England Patriots.

Just how hard is it to reach the Super Bowl for a second-straight season? Of the 18 teams that played in the Super Bowl since 2010, a team returning to the Super Bowl has only happened four times. Three of those belong to the Patriots. The other team on this list? The Seattle Seahawks, who went to back-to-back Super Bowls in 2014 and 2015.

Is Jared Goff on the downswing?

Finding a consistent quarterback in the NFL is hard. There is a lengthy learning curve for a guy to become the man and effectively run an offense.

Rams QB Jared Goff appears to be still finding his way.

In Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay, he threw the ball 68 times. Yes, you read that correctly. Sixty. Eight. Times. The former No. 1 pick gained 517 yards but averaged on gained 7.6 yards per attempt. He picked up two touchdowns and three interceptions along the way.

Goff’s performance was historic for many reasons, but having a struggling day against the 22nd ranked pass defense in the league is not good.

Terrible Day vs. Tampa

While Goff’s day stands out, Tampa Bay’s victory over the Rams was weird for a bunch of reasons.

Entering Sunday’s contest, the Bucs were middle of the pack through the first four weeks of the season, averaging 22 points a game and just over 360 yards of total offense.

The Rams’ defense ranked fourth in total defense allowing 287 yards per game. When it was all said and done Sunday, the Rams gave up 464 yards and allowed QB Jameis Winston to connect on four touchdowns and 385 yards passing.

A rare score

Tampa Bay’s win on Sunday was unique. It was the first time that the score of 55-40 had ever been registered as a final in NFL history.

There’s no way we see that score again on Thursday, right?

This story was originally published September 30, 2019 at 8:22 AM.