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Russell Wilson Leads Seahawks Past Jared Goff, Rams in NFC West Showdown
Dec 27, 2020
Seattle Seahawks strong safety Jamal Adams (33) reacts to a play with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) in the background, during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Scott Eklund)
The Seattle Seahawks clinched the NFC West title with a 20-9 home victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Lumen Field.
The Seattle defense stymied the Rams, holding them to just three field goals. On offense, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson rushed for a four-yard touchdown and found tight end Jacob Hollister for a 13-yard score.
The two teams were tied at six entering halftime. Wilson then guided the Seahawks on a seven-play, 70-yard drive capped by his touchdown run.
The Rams then drove down the field and got all the way to the Seahawks' 1-yard line, but Seattle executed a successful goal-line stand to preserve its lead.
Los Angeles cut Seattle's lead to 13-9 in the fourth quarter with a field goal, but Seattle put the game away on a nine-play, 80-yard drive when Wilson found Hollister with 2:51 remaining.
Seattle (11-4) has an outside chance at the NFC's No. 1 seed and a bye in the Wild Card Round. Even if the Seahawks don't achieve that feat, they're still guaranteed a home playoff game.
Los Angeles (9-6) still has numerous scenarios to get to the postseason. The simplest is a win over the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday.
Notable Performances
Rams QB Jared Goff: 24-of-43, 234 passing yards, 1 INT
Rams WR Cooper Kupp: 8 catches, 66 receiving yards
The Seahawks went to Western New York to play the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 8 and left as losers of a 44-34 game following a 429-yard, four-touchdown performance from Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
They followed that performance up with a 23-16 loss to the Rams, who were led by quarterback Jared Goff and his 302 passing yards.
Despite some incredible individual talents (e.g., Jamal Adams, Bobby Wagner), Seattle's defense was an Achilles' heel for a team with an explosive offense and Super Bowl aspirations.
However, the Seahawks defense has largely been phenomenal ever since that Rams game. It's allowed just 13.7 points per game in its last six contests, and none of the team's last four opponents has scored a first-half touchdown. The Seahawks are first in scoring defense during that span.
It's been night and day for the Seattle defense, as Gregg Bell of the News Tribune noted:
It's like two different lifetimes for this #Seahawks defense since October.
Not even recognizable. That's why they are going to win the NFC West for the first time since 2016, and have a home playoff game.
Adams has been excellent in particular, amassing 42 tackles and four sacks in his past five games.
The safety shone again Sunday, making two touchdown-saving tackles to keep Seattle up 13-6 late in the third quarter.
The first prevented Darrell Henderson from scoring from seven yards out.
The Rams still ended up with a first down anyway at the Seahawks' 2-yard line, but Adams and the 'Hawks stepped up from there, with the ex-New York Jets safety making a key second-down stop:
Jamal Adams saved a touchdown with his speed 🔥 @Prez@Seahawks
The Rams never seriously threatened to score a touchdown from that point forward. They did have a 1st-and-10 on the Seahawks' 16-yard line on their next drive, but a seven-yard sack of Goff immediately stunted that scoring effort.
Wilson and the Seahawks sealed the deal from there, and thanks to their defense, Seattle is back in the playoffs with a division title in tow.
Rams' Season in Jeopardy After Latest Tough Loss
The Rams were flying high leading into their Week 15 matchup with the winless New York Jets. They held the division lead over the Seahawks by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker at 9-4 and controlled their own destiny for the NFC West crown (and a home playoff game).
Nothing has gone right ever since. The Rams fell to the 0-13 Jets, losing by 13 points at two separate junctures before finally falling 23-20. New York controlled the ball for 34-plus minutes, and Goff amassed just 209 passing yards during a game where he was sacked three times.
The offense's struggles carried over to Seattle. Goff threw for just 5.4 yards per attempt. He tossed one pick and was sacked three times. Seattle also amassed nine quarterback hits and seven passes defended.
The Rams offense was once one of the league's best in 2017 and 2018 as head coach Sean McVay ran an explosive unit capable of dominating in the air and on the ground. Those days appear long gone even if some members of those offenses (e.g., Goff and wideouts Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods) are still in town.
L.A. has had some stellar offensive performances this year, but the inconsistency has plagued this team. ESPN's Lindsey Thiry ultimately put it best:
This is hard to watch. Rams have the potential, but can't put it together week after week on offense.
The offense faltered Sunday, but the defense simply hasn't been good enough to overcome the struggles either. The team's inability to play complementary football on a consistent basis may be its downfall, but L.A. can still right the ship with a win Sunday against Arizona.
What's Next?
Both teams are currently scheduled to play on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET. Los Angeles will host Arizona at SoFi Stadium, and Seattle will play the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Russell Wilson, Seahawks Clinch 2020 NFC West Title with Win vs. Rams
Dec 27, 2020
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) runs onto the field before the start of the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
With Sunday's 20-9 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks won their 11th divisional title in franchise history and the first since 2016. Now quarterback Russell Wilson will look to capture the team's first conference title since 2014 and first Super Bowl title since 2013.
The 11-4 Seahawks took down the then-Dak Prescott-led Dallas Cowboys, 38-31, in Week 3, split the season series with the Arizona Cardinals and notched four victories as the road team playing on the East Coast. A rough stretch of three losses in four games during the middle portion of Seattle's schedule looked like it could derail the season. Instead, the Seahawks rallied to win five of their last six games.
A victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17 would give the franchise 12 wins for the first time since 2014.
While the team's pass defense has struggled this year, ranking last in the league through 14 games (293 yards allowed per game), Wilson has kept the offense in peak form and averaging 29.5 points per game, the sixth-most in the NFL.
Wideout DK Metcalf emerged as a superstar and has 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Tyler Lockett and David Moore have added another 14 scores combined. The tandem backfield of Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde has kept the offense balanced, and Wilson has rushed for 484 yards himself.
As the Seahawks prepare for the postseason, opponents will struggle to find a way to slow down any of Wilson's wideouts—let alone all three of them. That could make Seattle a strong contender to march back to the Super Bowl and deliver another ring to the Pacific Northwest.
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