Key Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Face Rams in Season Finale

While the rematch doesn't have any significance in the standings, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and company will try to wrap up the Seahawks season with a road win in L.A.

Nov 19, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) runs against Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) in the first quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After being eliminated from playoff contention last week, the Seattle Seahawks have their sights set on snagging a 10th win for the first time since 2020 as they duel with the Los Angeles Rams for a Week 18 rematch to close out the season.

Seattle did its part to stay alive last week, albeit in not the prettiest of fashions by edging Chicago in a 6-3 defensive slugfest at Soldier Field. Unfortunately, Arizona couldn't find a way to finish off a road upset in Los Angeles and with several other teams that the Seahawks beat not able to provide help by winning last weekend, the Rams ultimately clinched the division on Sunday night.

Entering Sunday's rematch, which matchups will hold the key to winning the season finale? Here are six key positional battles to watch at SoFi Stadium:

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett versus Rams cornerbacks Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, Quentin Lake: Even with the playoffs not on the line anymore, all three of the Seahawks top receivers have individual milestones and/or franchise/NFL records in play going into Sunday's finale. Smith-Njigba needs just five receptions to surpass Lockett for the single-season team record, while he has a long shot chance at Metcalf's single-season receiving record, needing 184 yards to pass him. Metcalf can join Randy Moss as only the second receiver in league history to produce 50 catches, 900 receiving yards, and five touchdowns in each of his first six seasons by scoring against the Rams, while Lockett could move into third place all-time for Seattle with two touchdowns.

If there's good news for the trifecta, Geno Smith should be slinging it often as he pursues his own yardage incentive escalator against a defense he threw for over 360 yards against back in Week 9. Metcalf has a substantial size advantage against the 5-10 Williams on the outside, while he has far more athletic juice than Witherspoon, one of the few corners in the league with enough length to match up with him in coverage. Smith-Njigba, who posted a career-high 180 receiving yards in the previous matchup, caught a 46-yard reception against Lake and also had four receptions for 88 yards against Cobie Durant, who could rotate in on nickel and dime packages. Both of those defenders lack the ideal size to match up with Smith-Njigba, setting him up for another potential big game.

--Seahawks outside linebackers Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, and Derick Hall versus Rams tackles Joe Noteboom and Warren McClendon: If Sunday's game mattered in the standings, Seattle would likely be facing a line with at least one of its starting tackles in Alaric Jackson, while injured Rob Havenstein may have gutted it out for an NFC West title game. But neither will suit up this weekend, thrusting Noteboom and McClendon into the lineup along with guard Kevin Dotson also sitting in favor of Jonah Jackson. Noteboom has only played in three games this season due to injuries, but he has struggled mightily in those contests, allowing 11 pressures and two sacks along with drawing three penalties. McClendon started four games earlier in the year, yielding 12 pressures and five sacks on just 160 pass blocking snaps.

Los Angeles will try to counter by getting the ball out of backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's hands quickly, but the trifecta of Nwosu, Mafe, and Hall should be licking their chops with the chance to feast on a pair of backup tackles who haven't done well in pass protection. In particular, those matchups should be a major benefit to Hall, who only needs two sacks to become the first Seahawk with 10 sacks since 2018 and has much to play for on that front. Nwosu will want to end on a strong note after injuries cost him most of the season and coming off a vintage performance in Chicago, his speed and power combo will cause problems for Noteboom and McClendon. Mafe's explosiveness also should play well against two tackles lacking ideal mobility for the position.

--Seahawks running backs Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh versus Rams linebackers Omar Speights and Christian Rozeboom: In their previous matchup at Lumen Field, the Seahawks worked diligently to get their ground game rolling, including giving Ken Walker III the rock 25 times, turning those carries into just 83 yards and a 3.3 yards per carry average. But the Rams have been vulnerable defending the run at times this year, including getting boat raced by the Eagles to the tune of 314 yards earlier this season. Interestingly, linebackers haven't been a huge part of that problem, as Speights hasn't missed any tackles as a run defender this year since entering the starting lineup in the middle of the season and Rozeboom has 27 run stops overall this year.

While Walker won't suit up on Sunday, Charbonnet has been on a roll starting in his place, rushing for 245 yards and three touchdowns in his past three starts. Seattle has leaned more heavily on gap concepts such as power, duo, and counter, taking advantage of his downhill running style with more success than they had with a zone-centric scheme earlier in the season. Running decisively between the tackles, McIntosh has also played well in recent weeks, rushing for 107 yards and north of five yards per carry in the last four games. Sticking to that formula gives the visitors a chance to find more success running the ball than the last time, while both backs also could factor in as pass catchers matched up against Speights and Rozeboom in coverage.

--Seahawks linebackers Ernest Jones and Tyrice Knight versus Rams running backs Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers: With Kyren Williams resting this week, Corum and Rivers will take over as the primary backs for the Rams, offering vastly different skill sets to complement one another. Formerly starring at Michigan, the 5-9, 215-pound Corum plays like a battering ram with a powerful low center of gravity, running through tackles on a regular basis and cutting his teeth as a downhill, between the tackles runner seeking contact. As for Rivers, the ex-Fresno State standout has a bit more wiggle as a ball carrier and caught a bunch of passes in college, making him an ideal change of pace third down option in this game.

Corum possesses a lot of similarities to Williams, so the Rams shouldn't have to alter their approach schematically and will be able to feed him early and often with hopes of wearing down the Seahawks defense. Jones and Knight will need to bring their hard hats, as arm tackles won't be enough to bring down the former Wolverines star. As for Rivers, though he only has a single catch this year, his prior background as a pass catching back at the college level could make for a tricky matchup for both of Seattle's linebackers and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him targeted several times by Garoppolo in the check down game.

--Seahawks guards Sataoa Laumea and Laken Tomlinson, center Olu Oluwatimi versus Rams defensive tackles Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, and Neville Gallimore: It remains to be seen how long the Rams will play their starters along the defensive line on Sunday, but at least to start, Fiske and Turner should both be in the lineup, giving the home team significant pass rushing firepower against a maligned Seahawks interior line. Per Pro Football Focus, both players rank in top 11 among defensive tackles in quarterback pressures and are each tied for sixth with eight sacks apiece. In the first matchup in November, they combined to produce 12 pressures and three sacks, harassing Smith in the pocket all afternoon long and helping generate three interceptions with that disruption.

Since that first contest, the Seahawks have undergone significant personnel changes, including Connor Williams retiring and Oluwatimi replacing him at the pivot position and Laumea taking over for an injured Anthony Bradford at right guard. Those lineup changes have helped bolster Seattle's run game with the team averaging 104 rushing yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry. However, pass protection has remained suspect with Laumea allowing 20 pressures and two sacks in five starts and the offensive line as a whole allowing three sacks per game during that span. The pressure will be on Oluwatimi, Laumea, and Tomlinson to turn in one of their best games to help keep Smith upright or moving the football could be tough sledding once again.

--Seahawks safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant versus Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo: Unlike most teams, the Rams have a proven former starter to turn to with Matthew Stafford sitting out on Sunday, thrusting Garoppolo into action for the first time since he started for the Raiders last season. When he last played in 2023, he struggled with interceptions in Vegas, throwing nine of them in just six starts before being benched. Four of those interceptions - or nearly half of them - were made by safeties with the veteran quarterback trying to thread the ball into tight coverage downfield.

Pressure has long been Garoppolo's kryptonite, including completing just 39 percent of his passes with no touchdowns and five interceptions when under pressure last season. He also threw three interceptions on just 59 pass attempts against the blitz, further illustrating his issues when not presented with a clean pocket. If the Seahawks can find a way to take advantage of a short-handed offensive line and turn up the heat on him, he has a track record of putting the football in harms way, setting the stage for Love and Bryant to add to their interception and/or pass defensed totals in the season finale.

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