Seahawks vs. Rams: Gameday Predictions
Drama has unfolded the last few days regarding the Seattle Seahawks, but they still have a game to play on Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.
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While Percy Harvin‘s departure will leave a few holes in the gameplan, the Seahawks should still leave the Midwest with a victory over their division rival, especially after being humiliated by the Dallas Cowboys last week.
The Cowboys were just the second team to beat the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field since the start of the 2012 season.
No matter, the Seahawks are looking to go 1-0 this week against a team who nearly upset them on Monday Night Football last year.
Here are some predictions regarding Sunday’s matchup, the first of two this year between the Seahawks and Rams:
1. Marshawn Lynch rushes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
With Harvin no longer in the picture, Lynch has a chance to become the focal point of the offense once again.
He hasn’t had a 100+ yard rushing game since the first week of the season and I’m not convinced he will get one against St. Louis, but he will be close.
The Rams allow nearly 140 yards per game on the ground, but lingering back problems might keep Lynch in the 15-20 carry range which might not be enough to get him to the century mark.
2. Doug Baldwin catches six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.
Someone is going to need to step up in the receiving corps with Harvin gone and that someone is probably going to be Baldwin.
He might have just become the team’s No. 1 receiver, and he has proven that he has what it takes to succeed in the offense.
Don’t expect Baldwin to have the game of his career, but he should best his season highs in catches (4) and receiving yards (56).
He should also catch his first touchdown of the year against the Rams.
3. Russell Wilson throws for 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Rams don’t rush the quarterback very well, so Wilson should have more time to throw the ball, even with a depleted offensive line.
Wilson had an off game last week so expect him to bounce back in a big way.
He should throw for more than 200 yards against the Rams, which would fourth time he has done that this season, and I expect a multiple TD performance, something he has done every game this year minus the Cowboys contest.
4. Seahawks win the possession game.
It’s no coincidence — the Seahawks lose when their defense is fatigued on the field because the opponent is hogging the time of possession.
When Seattle lost to the Chargers in Week 2, San Diego held the ball for 42:15 to Seattle’s 17:45. Last week against the Cowboys, Dallas had the ball for 37:39 to Seattle’s 22:21.
The Seahawks won the time of possession game in each of their three wins this year, and they need to do it again to beat the Rams.
Seattle needs to slow down their own offense by utilizing the run game so their defense can have a breather. Winning the time battle should effectively help the Seahawks win the game.
5. Seahawks win 27-20.
Some experts are predicting a blowout win for the Seahawks, but I just don’t see it in the cards.
The Rams have always played tough against Seattle and a 10 a.m. PT road game is hard to win for a West Coast team like the Seahawks.
St. Louis nearly beat the Seahawks the last time Seattle visited and now Seattle has to improvise the offense a bit after focusing so much of it on Harvin this year.
The Rams should keep it close by targeting Seattle’s weaknesses and exploiting them, but the Seahawks should still travel back to the Pacific Northwest happy with a 4-2 record.