Defense
Dante Fowler Jr. and Clay Matthews remain the starting outside linebackers, playing the majority of the snaps. Fowler had 1.5 sacks and made a few nice stops against the run, while Matthews made two tackles and hit Russell Wilson once. Samson Ebukam was the third outside linebacker, recording two sacks on only 27 snaps played. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo played 12 snaps.
At linebacker, Cory Littleton obviously played every snap again, as he always does. But Travin Howard got more playing time than Troy Reeder, which is certainly notable. It was only 17 snaps, but the fact that he’s surpassed Reeder on the depth chart is worth mentioning. He’s much better in coverage and even broke up a pass in the end zone.
Morgan Fox got more playing time than usual, often lining up on the Rams’ four-man fronts. He played 29 snaps, which was only 12 fewer than Michael Brockers. Greg Gaines got 15 snaps at nose tackle, while Tanzel Smart played 12 snaps, primarily coming in for Aaron Donald at defensive tackle.
Marqui Christian only played 16 snaps, his fewest since Week 6. That’s because of the Rams’ desire to play their base defense more often with Howard and Reeder, aiming to stop Seattle’s ground game. They also utilized Nickell Robey-Coleman more than usual, opting for him over a third safety.
Robey-Coleman played 51 snaps, which was the eighth-most on the defense. Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill never came off the field, while Darious Williams played three snaps in his return from injury.
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