Rams vs. Seahawks Week 15 Preview

Previewing the storylines ahead of the Rams' Week 15 matchup against the Seahawks.

Nicholas Cothrel | Dec 17, 2021

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The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are getting set for their second meeting of the season in which each team finds themselves having to place players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. With so much uncertainty surrounding this game, the NFL has shown they are reluctant to postpone games.

Here are the top storylines leading into this NFC West Week 15 contest:

1. Will the Rams remain committed to the run?

The Los Angeles Rams moved into a pass-reliant offense early on this season, putting the bulk of the load on the right arm of Matthew Stafford. While his downfield throwing ability can carry a team, implementing the run and throwing off of play-action has proven to be more a more efficient game plan as documented in the Rams' last two contests. The Rams have turned to running back Sony Michel to handle the load on the ground, giving him 44 carries, gathering 200 yards and one touchdown across the last two weeks. In doing so, the offense has taken off to greater heights, as opposing defenses have to respect the ground and pound running attack, opening things up for the wide receiver group. Matthew Stafford was seven of eight on play-action passes for 129 yards and one touchdown in Week 14, per Next Gen Stats.

2. Do the shorthanded Rams have a chance to win in Week 15?

The Rams currently sit with 25 players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. While that's quite daunting and hard to imagine at this rate the Rams will be able to field a competitive team, the NFL has shown no signs of postponing the contest. The Rams overcame adversity last week when five players missed the game as a result of being put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. But can they do it again with a list that grows day by day?

Here's a look at what the offense and defense would look like following 25 players being put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list:

Projected Offense

QB Matthew Stafford
RB Sony Michel
WR Cooper Kupp
WR Van Jefferson
WR Ben Skowronek
TE Tyler Higbee
LT Andrew Whitworth
LG David Edwards
C Coleman Shelton
RG Austin Corbett
RT Joe Noteboom

Projected Defense

DL Aaron Donald
NT Greg Gaines
DL A’Shawn Robinson
OLB Leonard Floyd
ILB Ernest Jones
OLB Terrell Lewis
CB Darious Williams
CB David Long
DB Grant Haley
S Taylor Rapp
S Nick Scott

The Rams are without roughly 10 starters or key role players. While that certainly swings the playing field in favor of the Seahawks, there still remains a solid foundation of players the Rams still have available for Sunday's slate.

3. How will Matthew Stafford follow up his best game since joining the Rams?

Stafford played arguably his best game since joining the Rams last week on Monday Night Football. He finished the outing by completing 23 of 30 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Stafford earned a 90.1 grade by Pro Football Focus last week, the highest of his 2021 season. After a rocky month of November where Stafford threw five touchdowns to five interceptions, he's gotten back to playing fundamentally sound football. While Stafford very much will be shorthanded this week due to the team's COVID-19 outbreak, the expectations for his performance remain at a high level even if L.A. is without an abundance of key contributors. Unfortunately for the Rams, this is a game against a divisional opponent which L.A. must win in order to improve their NFC West record for tie-breaking purposes when it comes down to playoff seeding.

Season Records: Rams (9-4), Seahawks (5-8)

Previous Meeting: Rams defeated the Seahawks 26-17 in Week 5.

Odds: Rams -4.5

Stat: Rams are 23-25 against the Seahawks all-time.

Keep An Eye On: How the Rams' pass rush fares against Russell Wilson in their effort to apply pressure while keeping him in the pocket.

Rams' Key To Victory: Remain committed to the same approach the Rams have used in the last two weeks, using a balance of passes to runs.

Date/Time: Sunday, Dec. 19 at 1:25 p.m. PT

Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)

TV: FOX

Streaming: FuboTV

Radio: 93.1 JACK FM

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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.

Published Dec 17, 2021

NICHOLAS COTHREL

Nick Cothrel covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.