Rams Hold Off Seahawks for First Division Win, 26-17

The Rams move to 4-1 on the season following a victory over the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.

Nicholas Cothrel | Oct 7, 2021

When Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson go head-to-head, you might expect a flurry of touchdowns throughout the night. The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks – both of which entered Week 5 with top 10 offenses – did not score in bunches as one would expect.

In fact, the first points came with nine minutes left in the second quarter when DK Metcalf beat Jalen Ramsey on an inside slant route for a 14-yard touchdown. While the big explosive plays were few and far between, the Rams did just enough to defeat the Seahawks 26-17 with a game-clinching interception by safety Nick Scott.

The Seahawks defense held Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense out of the end zone through the first two quarters, resulting in the worst half of football L.A. has played so far this season.

After an abysmal performance by the Rams last week against the Arizona Cardinals where they surrendered their first loss, they didn’t look much better to kick things off on their first handful of possessions in Week 5 either. Stafford's accuracy issues continued to be problematic early on, specifically on 3rd down where he converted just two of the 10 attempts.

However, the Rams' offense did show significant improvements to start the third quarter. After recording just three points to show for heading into the half, Stafford and company orchestrated three separate drives that included the unit going 70-plus yards and a touchdown. The Rams finished the night with 476 yards of total offense despite a sluggish first half.

“Nobody was fazed by the loss last week,” Robert Woods said after the game. “Being able to come back against a division opponent like this, in Seattle, get a win on a short week, the guys are just poised.”

A new wrinkle to the offense this week included the involvement of Woods in the receiving game. McVay said leading up to the game that he wanted to get Woods more opportunities and he did just that on Thursday night. Stafford looked in the direction of Woods early and often, finding him six times for 67 yards by halftime and finished the night with 12 receptions for 150 yards. Prior to this week, Woods had not totaled more than five receptions in a game.

“Just being a competitor, just trying to do everything, being a part of helping this team win,” Woods said. “(I got) an opportunity to get my number called and have some plays, and capitalize on those opportunities.”

Defensively, the Rams were hit and miss. Surely, they came up with crucial 3rd down stops, forcing Seattle to put their drives on pause and punt. However, one of the outside cornerback spots continued to be problematic for the Rams. Rookie Robert Rochell started in place of David Long Jr. but the results were a mixed bag.

“There were a couple of plays he’ll want back, but I love the way he responded,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of Rochell. “He’s mentally tough. He’s got great traits. Great athleticism. Great toughness. A lot of things we can build on.”

While the Rams scuffled on offense during the first two quarters, they weren't the only ones looking to kickstart the offensive showcase. Seattle didn't look like their typical downfield throwing attack either. Wilson finished the night going 11 of 16 for 152 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Wilson was removed from the game following a finger injury as Geno Smith took over the duties.

As for Smith, he provided a jolt to the Seattle offense in the first drive he took over, marching down the field for a touchdown while completing all five passing attempts for 72 yards. Despite Smith bringing a new dimension to the offense in relief of Wilson, ultimately the Rams were able to hang on by tacking on a 47-yard field goal by Matt Gay with under a minute remaining in regulation.

The Rams (4-1) will undergo another road trip in Week 6 when they take on the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

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Nick Cothrel is the Publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel.

Published Oct 7, 2021

NICHOLAS COTHREL

Nick Cothrel covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.