There is no question that the Seattle Seahawks were the surprise team of the 2022-2023 season.
Specifically, the individual who shocked the football world more than anyone last year was Geno Smith. Geno Smith passed career highs in completions (399), passing yards (4272), completion percentage (69.8%) and passing touchdowns (30). All of these totals are new franchise records. Geno Smith was the catalyst for the Seattle Seahawks’ unexpected playoff appearance last season. There was no doubt that Geno Smith would become the runaway winner of the “NFL Comeback Player of the Year” award.
Geno Smith will lead the Seahawks in a divisional battle against the St Louis Rams in Week 1.
Just two years after winning the Lombardi Trophy, the St Louis Rams are going through a transitionary stage.
They are taking multiple salary cap hits and have gutted their roster. Jalen Ramsay, Bobby Wagner, and Sony Michel all exited stage left.
The St Louis Rams are not without strengths. Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford represent a solid QB/Coach combination that rivals any combination in the NFC West. I would not put any wide receiver in the NFC West above Cooper Kupp. However, the Rams may be without Kupp in Week 1. This leaves Van Jefferson as the top option.
I don’t think he will be able to fill Cooper Kupp’s shoes in this divisional matchup. The Rams have many holes. They will have a hard time winning battles at the line of scrimmage as there are glaring deficiencies in the offensive and defensive lines.
It would be an understatement to say that the Rams’s OL had a dismal season last year. Stafford only started nine games. Yet, the Rams OL allowed him to get sacked 29 times. Due to the number of injuries on the offensive line, the Rams set an NFL record for offensive line combinations in a single season. Besides adding 2023 second-round pick Steve Avila, no major upgrade has occurred with the Rams OL. According to the 33rd Team, the Rams are ranked as the third-worst offensive line in the league heading into the season.
On the defensive line, Aaron Donald stands heads and shoulders over a very overwhelming unit. Their inexperienced secondary will struggle against above-average passing offenses.
Ultimately, this means that Geno Smith will have a great performance in Week 1.
The Seahawks receiving corps will have an advantage over the weak Rams secondary. Thanks to rookies Jake Bobo and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, their receiving corps significantly upgraded.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba looks like a no-go for Week 1. However, Jake Bobo is poised to have a big impact immediately after his stellar performance during the preseason. Along with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the Rams’ corners and safeties will have their hands full. The overwhelm for the Rams’ secondary will only worsen when you factor in the above-average TE corps of Will Dissly and Noah Fant.
The Rams defense allowed 36.0 PPG and over 400+ yards during the preseason. They are not ready for primetime. Neither is their offense.
On the defensive end, I believe the Rams will have a hard time with a strong linebacking corps that has been boosted by the return of the aforementioned Bobby Wagner. The trio of Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and Devin Bush shows that the Seahawks have great inside linebackers. Wagner’s presence will relieve Jordyn Brooks of pass-rushing and having to operate in coverage. These are two areas in which Brooks struggled with last year.
The Seattle Seahawks have an above-average outside linebacking corps led by Uchenna Nwosu. Nwosu had 42.5 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles last season. I believe he’ll be a headache for Matthew Stafford and the underwhelming offensive line of the St Louis Rams.
I do not think Van Jefferson and the Rams’ receivers will be able to overcome a motivated and competitive Seahawks secondary. Even though S Jamal Adams and rookie CB Devon Witherspoon will miss Week 1, the combination of Quandre Diggs and Julian Love at safety will be a formidable duo. Rookie Jerrick Reed III will add depth to this already strong group of Seahawks safeties. The Seahawks’ cornerback group features starter Riq Wooden. Also, Tre Brown and Michael Jackson will be motivated to make an impact as they will both be competing for playing time.
The Seattle Seahawks have improved their roster from last year’s successful playoff stint, while the Rams are a team that’s very much in flux. This scenario will become visibly apparent on Sunday when the Seahawks win decisively.
