Seahawks injuries will affect the outcome versus Rams week 14

The Seahawks defense will be without two key players on Sunday versus the Rams. This could easily change who wins in week 14.

The Seahawks can live without Ziggy Ansah. They have proven that over the majority of the season. Ansah has either been unproductive or hurt for a lot of 2019. Until the last could of weeks, that is. But Seattle will definitely be without Ansah in week 14 versus the Rams with a neck injury.

The biggest question for Seattle is how well they can play with Mychal Kendricks. Seattle has basically gone with a base defense of 4-3 which means three linebackers on the field most of the time. The reason Seattle plays this way is the talent of Kendricks and fellow linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. Kendricks, however, will miss week 14 with a hamstring injury. Kendricks missing the game will, um, hamstring the Seattle defense.

Seattle doesn’t have to win against the Rams to make the playoffs. They could win any of their next four games and be in the postseason. Possibly the Seahawks are holding Kendricks and Ansah out more as a precaution instead of a long-term injury. And that would be OK.

Not surprising is that Seattle will also be without Luke Willson, Neiko Thorpe (done for the season), John Ursua (made the team, it appears, so he could take up a spot on the inactive list each game), Phil Haynes and Nick Bellore.

The Rams aren’t really without any key players. In fact, they are sitting cornerback David Long, Jr., who has been active since week 7. He isn’t injured. This means Los Angeles is getting as many big bodies on the field as possible to stop the Seahawks from running the ball.

If Seattle is going to beat the Rams and move to 11-2 and take control of the number one seed in the NFC (the 49ers defeated the Saints on Sunday) then Russell Wilson is going to have to have a great game. If not, Seattle will be 10-3 and the fifth seed in the NFC.