Which win was bigger? The Seattle Seahawks over the Kansas City Chiefs or the Los Angeles Rams beating the Las Vegas Raiders? It was big for both teams, of course; each win came with a different overall meaning for the Rams and the Seahawks, respectively.
Before the Seahawks-Chiefs Week 7 showdown, the Rams beat the Raiders 35-21 earlier that afternoon. A loss would have dropped the Rams to 2-5, and with the Seahawks winning later that day, the gap between the Rams and Seahawks would have grown significantly, with L.A. looking much further up.
The Seahawks needed the win also, but it wasn't a make-or-break situation for them like it might have been for their division rivals. At the end of the day, one perspective is that the Rams' win put pressure on the Seahawks to win, because if Seattle had lost, the distance between the two teams would have vanished.
Seattle Seahawk avoided a mirroring record with the Los Angeles Rams thanks to beating the Chiefs
Thankfully, Seattle won, and it was big, but not as necessary as the Rams' win. Beating Kansas City meant Seattle avoided drawing level with Los Angeles in the division standings, erasing whatever distance there was between the two teams.
With the Rams winning, the Seahawks were under pressure to maintain that distance. Instead of tying with the Rams, the Seahawks remain ahead in the standings while also closing the gap on the San Francisco 49ers, who lost their first game of the season and, for the first time this season, look extremely vulnerable.
Had Seattle lost this weekend, the Rams' win would give them the momentum heading into Week 8, when they play the lesser team (L.A. Chargers) and the Seahawks play a better team (Chicago Bears). The Rams should easily win their game, but Seattle could easily drop theirs. Those two factors make Seattle's and L.A.'s wins this week even more important.
Again, the Seahawks weren't in a "must-win" situation against the Chiefs. That said, their win became much more valuable after the Rams won. With a shaky offense this season, Seattle might not be able to afford falling behind the Rams. Not to mention, conference tiebreakers were also in effect on Sunday.
Sunday's wins aside, the exciting part is that the Rams and Seahawks still haven't faced each other this season. Each team has already played its other division rivals once, but they won't face each other until the final three weeks of the season.
Seahawks fans could be in for quite a whirlwind when that time comes, as the Seahawks and the Rams could jostle for position every week until the very end. Winning those two games could mean a playoff or wildcard spot.
It wasn't how it was projected to be before the season started. Still, given their similar records, struggles, and uphill battles, each week for the Seahawks and Rams could be one of the year's more exciting storylines, as they affect each other significantly.
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