After the Seattle Seahawks were drubbed 28-12 by the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle cornerback Shaquill Griffin told reporters “I feel like we were on a high horse at the time.”
He was right — or he better be if the Seahawks have any asperations of holding the Lombardi Trophy in February.
If that game was a sign of things to come, then the Seahawks can forget about winning the NFC West, much less the Super Bowl. The offense was plagued by poor offensive line play, a lack of rhythm and some untimely drops, while the defense (other than Quandre Diggs) did not seem to have much energy and let Rams receivers run wide open.
It got to the point where Sean McVay just kept calling the same wide receiver sweep play over and over again because, of course, the play worked over and over again. That is embarrassing!
The Seahawks had the opportunity to sit atop the conference with three games to play and did not even come *close* to beating Los Angeles. Even worse, the Rams clearly played with more energy and purpose.
And sure, it was a divisional road game against a desperate 7-5 Rams team that was playing for their playoff lives, but the Seahawks were out of this one by halftime. It is okay to lose divisional road games to a good team, but if you come in 10-2 and want people to lump you in with the Ravens, 49ers, and Saints as the main Super Bowl contenders, then you better not get blown off the field.
Seattle has been a very frustrating and inconsistent squad despite its 10-3 record. During some of these games, it feels like the Seahawks are a good, solid 10-6-ish team that got some extra wins because of a missed field goal here and there and some Russell Wilson magic. The Seahawks began the season as a shaky 7-2 team but then played three solid defensive games prior to the Rams game. So that begs the question, what should fans expect from Seattle going down the stretch?
Wilson and the passing game should be able to get back on track. The Seahawks’ signal-caller won’t take home the MVP this season, but he is still having a remarkable season overall and with Rashaad Penny now out for the year the Seahawks may decide to air it out more.
If the Seahawks go back to the quick passing game, similar to the Pittsburgh game, then Wilson would not have to stand behind an average offensive line and get the ball out to his offensive playmakers. At this point, that approach could be the best strategy.
The defense, on the other hand, showed some concerning signs. The pass rush disappeared after three active games, which left Jared Goff plenty of time to pick apart a defense that had trouble covering the Rams’ receivers on crossing routes. We have a 13-game sample size now and it is clear that the defense needs the pass rush to show up if they want to stop anyone.
Luckily, the Seahawks have a soft landing. Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers should be an opportunity for Seattle to earn a comfortable win over a team that has called it quits on the 2019 season. After that, it’s a home game against the Arizona Cardinals and their abominable defense.
Those are two great games for the Seahawks to get back on track before the all-important matchup against the 49ers to close the regular season. The Seahawks can prove the ugly performance against Los Angeles was a one-off and give fans hope heading into the San Francisco game and the playoffs.
If Seattle lets these teams keep it close or even pull off the win, then it would be hard to imagine a win over San Francisco and a deep playoff run.
The Seahawks have responded well to losses this season. They will need to once again if they do not want to play on wild card weekend.
