It was more than two months ago that the Los Angeles Rams started the season with a bang, beating the Seattle Seahawks on the road, 30-13. They quickly went from looking like a team in rebuild mode to one that might actually contend for a playoff spot.
Since then, they’ve gone 2-6 and sit three games behind those same Seahawks in the NFC West. The Rams will get a chance to sweep Seattle on Sunday when they host their division rivals, but the Seahawks are better now than they were in Week 1.
Here are the Rams’ four biggest causes for concern entering this game.
Stafford is going to play against the Seahawks, but that doesn’t mean his right thumb will be completely healed. He indicated during his press conference this week that he’s still working through gripping the ball normally and is confident he can play through the injury, which suggests he’s not 100%.
Will that affect his deep ball? Will it impact his overall accuracy? Those questions will only be answered on Sunday afternoon, but there’s at least some reason for concern when it comes to No. 9’s thumb.
The Rams have not run the ball very well since Kyren Williams got hurt. Darrell Henderson Jr. showed some explosiveness in his debut against the Steelers but he’s been inefficient and ineffective since then. Royce Freeman has some agility but he’s not a workhorse.
Running the ball and remaining balanced could be a challenge again this week, which will hopefully be the last one Williams isn’t available for. Fortunately, Seattle hasn’t been great against the run this season and ranks 20th in yards per carry allowed, but Bobby Wagner is still in the middle of that defense and he knows how to bring down ball carriers.
Ahkello Witherspoon and Derion Kendrick both played well in the opener against the Seahawks. They helped slow down DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett as the Rams held Seattle to only 95 total passing yards. Neither player is performing as well now as they were in Week 1, and Kendrick is likely to be in a reserve role this week.
Not to mention, Cobie Durant is dealing with a lingering shoulder injury that may or may not keep him out of Sunday’s contest. It’ll be a tall order for the Rams to shut down Seattle’s receiving corps the way they did in the opener, especially with Jaxon Smith-Njigba playing a bigger role now, too.
The Rams didn’t have Cooper Kupp in Week 1, but the Seahawks were also missing Devon Witherspoon, a rookie who’s become their top cornerback. He’s a game-changing defender similar to the way Jalen Ramsey is, showing he can play in the slot or outside, while coming up to tackle like a safety no matter where he’s lined up.
Pairing him with Tariq Woolen gives the Seahawks an excellent young tandem in the secondary, one that could give the Rams’ receivers trouble. If Witherspoon covers Kupp and Woolen is on Puka Nacua, it could force Stafford to look for Tutu Atwell more.