So just how can these changed, depleted Seahawks pull this off against the rampaging Rams?
So how do they pull this off?
How do the transitioning, depleted Seahawks beat the mighty, unbeaten Los Angeles Rams. How do they keep the NFC West from being a horror show for everyone outside L.A. still three weeks before Halloween?
How the Seahawks who got trashed 42-7 on their home field by the Rams in December—when Seattle had Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett and K.J. Wright—hold down Todd Gurley, Jared Goff and the soaring Rams now with those stars gone from the Seahawks’ defense?
“I don’t think you think about the margin of victory. You understand when anybody comes in and wins on your home field, it doesn’t really feel good. Especially for me,” Wagner said, remembering playing the Rams 10 months ago with a pulled hamstring that rendered him next to useless and Thomas saying Wagner should not have played.
“It’s one of those games where I wasn’t completely healthy,” Wagner said.
“I was definitely looking forward to playing them again.”
Careful what you wish for.
The Rams (4-0) are clearly the class of not just the conference but the entire NFC. They scorched the previously heralded Minnesota Vikings with 38 points in their previous game. Their dynamic offense of fly sweeps, horizontal misdirection from sideline to sideline, crossing routes and speed all over ranks number one in the NFL. It is averaging 35 points per game. Los Angeles has scored 30 points in 13 of the 20 regular-season games offensive savant/head coach Sean McVay has led it since the beginning of last season.
Plus, the Rams are coming off a 10-day break since that win over Minnesota on a Thursday night.
“They just have been the most efficient they’ve been. They’re just hitting on everything,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “The running game’s been solid for them, pass protection’s been good. (Goff) has had a tremendous start. His accuracy has been really obvious. And they’ve been big play-ing everybody.”
So how can Seattle keep L.A. from big play-ing them out of CenturyLink Field this time?
First, the Seahawks’ two remaining stars in the wake of Thomas breaking his leg last week and Wright missing his fifth straight game after knee surgery, that’s Wagner and quarterback Russell Wilson, must play their best games yet this season.
Wagner must take full advantage of his fuller health in this Rams game and effective use his unique speed and strength to stay with Gurley from one side of the field to the other, in the run game and the pass, and between the tackles, too. Wagner is so good and so decisive in Seattle’s 4-3 defense he is uniquely equipped to combat Gurley. He had 144 yards and three touchdowns in the previous when Wagner was playing hurt. And that was just in the first half, when the Rams raced to a 34-0 lead.
“I think Bobby Wagner is a phenomenal football player that has a great understanding about what they’re trying to get done, what the intent of the calls are,” McVay said this past week. “(He) is somebody that’s displayed a mastery of that system for a while, playing at an All-Pro level.”
What’s Wagner’s key to slowing down the do-it-all Gurley, who is second in the NFL in rushing with 338 yards in four games?
“Hitting him,” Wagner said, flatly.
“I think they want to start off passing first really and then it kind of makes you play a little back. Then, that’s when they try to attack you with the run. They have different styles of runs. They got people crossing your face. They got receivers moving, tight ends moving. This is a game that really test your discipline. It really tests your eyes. You have to be very, very disciplined because they have so many different things. When it comes down to it, if you’re disciplined, you’ll make the plays you need to.
“We know they’re going to give him the ball. They’re going to get him with screens. They’re going to get him with runs: outside runs, inside runs. Our goal is to meet him everywhere.
“My goal is to meet him everywhere he goes.”
Wagner has a another, large task Sunday. He must advice, direct and probably at times cover for Austin Calitro.
Calitro expected to be starting next to Wagner, filling in for Wright at weakside linebacker. Calitro is Wagner’s backup at middle linebacker. When rookie Shaquem Griffin was flying around trying to make too many plays and leaving his run-gap responsibilities early in his first start in Seattle’s opening loss at Denver Sept. 9, Calitro entered for Griffin in the second quarter and played early downs of each series the rest of that game. Then Calitro started in week two at Chicago. Mychal Kendricks filled in for Wright the last two games and much of the Chicago one. But the NFL suspended Kendricks indefinitely this past week for his guilty plea for insider trading. So now it’s back to Calitro.
How much experience did the second-year free agent have at outside linebacker before this past month, while with the Cleveland Browns as a rookie last year, or while he was playing at Villanova?
“Not a lot, at all,” he said, chuckling. “More middle (linebacker). And I actually played D-end some in college, too.”
Calitro knows the Rams are coming after him with Gurley, with screen passes, with tight ends and backs and crossing receivers.
“Yeah,” he deadpanned, as if to add “tell me something I don’t know.”
“I’m excited. This is a big game. I’m excited to play, and to show them what I’ve got. I think I’ve down pretty well. I’ve gotten ready. It’s just a new opponent for me.”
And for Tedric Thompson.
Thomas going on injured reserve this past week and likely playing his last game as a Seahawk means Thompson is now Seattle’s starting free safety, usually the last man of defense in the back middle of the field. The fourth-round draft choice in 2017 from Colorado is making his first career start, and is replacing a icon and possible Hall of Famer.
If there was any more of a invitation to the Rams to attack him, too, Thompson would wear a red siren on top of his blue Seahawks helmet on Sunday.
“Yeah, I expect that,” Thompson said. “I expect everything.
“But I feel confident.”
Wilson needs a third consecutive week of a supportive running game to stand a chance against the Rams’ dominant defensive front. Chris Carson is back after missing last week’s Seahawks win at Arizona because of the hip injury he got two weeks ago on his career day (32 carries, 102 yards) against Dallas. Mike Davis earned more time against the Rams after his career highs of 21 rushes and 101 yards last week against the Cardinals.
(Giant) problem is, the Rams have 900 pounds of trouble for Seattle’s offensive line to block, to run or pass. All-World tackle Aaron Donald now has Ndamukong Suh next to him inside Los Angeles’ front. Michael Brockers and Suh often flip-flop between end and tackle. And all three spend most Sunday in opponents’ backfields like they own them.
New offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s game plan for the Seahawks begins with trying to block Donald, Suh and Brockers at the line of scrimamge.
“With this team for sure, you start with those guys,” said Schottenheimer, the Rams’ former play caller. “I was in St. Louis when we drafted Brockers and Aaron and those guys, so I know them pretty well and what type of players they are. Trying to practice against them was hard. You look at it each week and you’re like, ‘OK, you got to start with these guys inside,’ because they are so dominant, so physical inside.”
If—and it’s a gigantic if—the Seahawks can continue their recent running ways, if not in so many yards but consistent attempts to keep the Rams;’ defensive front honoring the run—Wilson should have more time to throw than he did while getting sacked seven times in December. That was when the Rams knew Wilson had to throw, because Seattle fell behind so quickly.
If the Seahawks can keep it within a one-score game into the fourth quarter, they will need more of Wilson’s career final-quarter magic to steal this unlikely win and pull within one game of the seemingly runaway Rams.
“This may be the boring answer, but for me, every game is critical. Every game I love playing for. Every game I look forward to,” Wilson said. “There’s no emotions higher or lower just because it’s a certain game so I think that if you have that mentality, it gives you the best chance to be calm, to be clear on what you’re trying to do and go execute it.
“That (December blowout by the Rams) was 2017. I think it’s a new year and we’re looking forward to the opportunity of playing a great football team.
“We know that we’re going to have to have our A-plus game. And we’re looking forward to it.”