Week 11 in the NFL offers one of the season's premier matchups between NFC West division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. Including the San Francisco 49ers, the NFC West may be the toughest, most competitive, and best-coached division in football.
This upcoming weekend, however, showcases the Seahawks and Rams in what could be one massive shootout or a 28-24 type of game with solid defensive performances mixed in with Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford slinging the ball downfield.
About Stafford, he's a top-two MVP candidate right now, if not the No. 1. The 17-year veteran is playing near-perfect football with a 25-2 touchdown to interception ratio, and racking up the yards along the way. Stafford will be Seattle's greatest obstacle this weekend, and the way to slow him down may come down to one or two key defensive players.
DeMarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu could be the Seahawks' best chance and quiet Matthew Stafford
I say only "slow down," rather than stopping or halting, Stafford and the Rams' offense, because even though Seattle's defense is playing lights out, completely stopping the Rams' offense might not be realistic. So, Seattle's next best plan is to slow them down, and they can do this by getting to Stafford quickly and often.
That's where DeMarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu — Seattle's top pass rushers — come in to play. Defensive end pressure from Lawrence and outside linebacker heat from Nwosu could make for a frustrating day for Stafford, even if he manages a touchdown pass or two.
Lawrence and Nwosu lead the Seahawks with 4 and 5.5 sacks, respectively. Their ability to push through the offensive line this season has been quite productive, and their impact has played a significant role in Seattle's impressive defense.
Seattle is tied for second in the league with 32 sacks, so clearly it's been a full defensive group attack, and others besides Lawrence and Nwosu can get to the quarterback. That said, Lawrence and Nwosu are key here due to their ability to get to quarterbacks so effectively. The Seahawks have a routine of mixing up their blitzes from in between tackles and off the edge, which bodes well for Lawrence, especially.
If Lawrence or Nwosu can get to Stafford — they don't necessarily have to sack him — by putting pressure on him to throw away the ball, scramble, landing hits, or even force a turnover, this will be how Seattle can take Stafford's arm out of the game, and slow the Rams' offense down.
Even if they can force Stafford to run for the hills — he's not the most mobile quarterback — then the job is being executed.
Lawrence is coming off his best game of the season, which included two of his own touchdowns created off defensive turnovers. It might be too much to ask for a replicated performance a second week in a row, but Lawrence has always been effective at getting to the quarterback. Seattle will need him to turn up the heat against the Rams.
To completely shut Stafford and the Rams down will likely be impossible. However, the best way to give Sam Darnold and Seattle's offense more to work with is by putting as much pressure on Stafford as possible.
The Seahawks rank fifth in the league in scoring defense (19.0 points per game allowed). It will be tough, but if Seattle can keep the Rams under 30 points, there could finally be an upper hand stolen in the division.