We've arrived, everyone! Sadly, it's the final chance to watch our beloved Seattle Seahawks play a live game until August. Even if the season did not go as some of the most optimistic of us would have hoped, let's all take a chance to savor this moment and find joy in the good guys playing for Seattle one last time. Rookie head coach Mike Macdonald was hired to win these types of games. Surely the legion of the 12's are hoping for a win against a division rival on their way to the playoffs.
Rams coach Sean McVay loves a timing-based passing offense and will be scheming to find weaknesses in Macdonald's defense. Well, guess what? Devon Witherspoon is good at disrupting the rhythm of offensive attacks and will be facing a backup signal caller in Jimmy Garroppolo. Voila!
Spoon, the corner, racked up six tackles, three TFLs, and one sack against the Bears in Week 17's defensive struggle. He had a tackle for a 7-yard loss on D’Andre Swift in Chicago this week. Seven. Loss. Chicago. At this time of year!! I expect Spoon to wreck shop and be a demon down in the City of Angels this weekend.
Three bold predictions for Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon in Week 18
Neither Cooper Kupp nor Puka Nacua will be playing wide receiver (or any other position) on Sunday, as they are being rested. Spoon's job in coverage should be that much easier. Running back Kyren Williams won't play, but Blake Corum should still pose a challenge on the ground. There will be at least three backup offensive linemen starting up front for Los Angeles, so everyone's job on defense might be a little easier.
While this may feel like an easy win for Seattle, don't believe that. It's a trap *Admiral Ackbar voice*. The defense will need to dominate once again, to bail out a thus far somewhat broken offense. The Rams' young defensive core is still playing and ready to roll against a Seahawks offensive line that will be starting a 6th round rookie at right guard and a sixth-round Division-II rookie at right tackle (I'm really hoping it's not Stone Forsythe, which is worse). Young 'Spoon will be needed and necessary.
Devon Witherspoon has been absolutely balling as of late, even if it does not always show up in the box score (it did against the Bears). He is the Seahawks' only representative on the initial Pro Bowl roster (his second straight) for the 2024 season and will be looked to as a standard bearer in the finale episode of his second season. He'd love nothing more than to be a big thorn in the backside of Sean McVay's backup offense on Sunday.
Prediction 1: Witherspoon will get a blitzing sack on Jimmy Garoppolo
Ole' Jimmy may not have seen many slot corners in his time that possess the speed and instincts of #21 in the Seattle secondary. The Seahawks' second-highest-drafted corner in franchise history (Shawn Springs was taken 3rd overall in 1997) has a 75.7 pass-rushing grade from PFF this year (paywall alert).
Macdonald and DC, Aden Durde, should send the kid down the street to talk to a man about a dog. Devon Witherspoon will double back after some simulated pressures, and bring down the Los Angeles quarterback for a sack within the flow of Sunday's game.
Prediction 2: Devon will be a dude and flatten Blake Corum at some point
Witherspoon is a unique player, fearlessly laying his body on the line against much bigger players on the regular. He comes up with big hits, running with a full head of steam almost reminiscent of Earl Thomas III at times.
He will lay out the Rams rookie running back who is often compared to a bowling ball. I'm not saying he will win every battle in this regard, but he will get his lick in at some point. It can be in a group tackle, a blindside hit, or straight up and down in the hole... The man I dub 21 Savage will want to put a physical exclamation mark on the end of his Pro Bowl year.
Prediction 3: Spoon will score a turnover, scooping either an interception or a loose fumble
We all know that Jimmy G. can get antsy and throw some ill-advised passes if he gets pressured. Oh, Seattle's starting QB, Geno Smith has a literal contract incentive ($2 million) to throw for at least 185+ yards in this contest. That should provide just a baseline, a safety net if you will. It's not difficult to envision a battered O-line necessitating a force-feeding situation for both JSN as a short-area safety blanket and for Tyler Lockett in his probable final game as a Seattle Seahawk.
Could that force the Rams to put the ball in the air more as well? It should and it will. Witherspoon will be there to capitalize on some mistake from a replacement crew.