REPORT: Rams Win Over NFC West Foe Even More Admirable

The Los Angeles Rams split their season series with the Seattle Seahawks, but could have swept them, had they played all of their players in the regular season finale. Still, their early season win against a formidable Seahawks defense spoke volumes.

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) rushes against Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins (97) during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams are coming off a successful season that ended with a playoff loss to the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles. While the road loss to the Eagles was painful, this season was still a success for Los Angeles.

The Rams bounced back from a difficult start to the season to eventually win the NFC West and secure a home playoff game. Their playoff push was impressive for more than one reason.

The Rams had to overcome plenty of adversity this season, including an early-season road matchup against a Seattle Seahawks team that technically has one of the best defenses in the league.

Ben Rolfe of the Pro Football Network recently ranked every team's defense after the end of the regular season. Rolfe's ranking of the Seattle Seahawks defense may be surprising to some, but the numbers speak for themselves, as Rolfe ranked the Seahawks' defense as the sixth-best in the league.

"The Seattle Seahawks may not have the household names that define many elite units," Rolfe said. "However, Mike Macdonald’s team made a huge leap after ranking 29th in Pete Carroll’s final season. Seattle’s best trait this season was its ability to generate pressure. The Seahawks generated pressure without blitzing at the third-highest rate of any defense (36.5%). Leonard Williams was one of the more egregious Pro Bowl snubs, as his 11 sacks ranked first among primary defensive tackles this year.

"Seahawks fans will be disappointed that they missed the playoffs after a pair of late-season home losses to the [Minnesota] Vikings and Green Bay Packers. Still, this unit improved more than anyone could have expected in Macdonald’s first season."

The Rams have made it clear that they plan to improve over the offseason, but they will first have to make critical decisions about players such as veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Still, the Rams must consider adding to a young but talented defense to help keep pace with the expanding offenses around the league. While the statistics throughout the season may not have been the most impressive, the results speak for themselves.

Los Angeles must continue improving their team this offseason, as their opponents in the NFC West will undoubtedly do so.

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