Rams' Week 8 performance made things very complicated for the Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks started 3-0 and had a two-game lead in the NFC West. Few would have thought that Seattle was going to run away with the division, though. That is not normally how the NFL works unless a team happens to be in the Kansas City Chiefs division and watches KC seemingly go to the Super Bowl every year.

Still, few would have thought that Seattle would lose that two-game lead just three games later when Seattle lost to the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks had a quick start and then a quick fall. But then a seeming miracle occurred in Week 7 when Seattle went on the road and dominated a good Atlanta Falcons team. Maybe Seattle was good after all. We still don't know.

Before the season, many national pundits had the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams battling for the NFC West crown. Then, both teams suffered multiple injuries, which caused both to start rather poorly. San Francisco and LA both had losing records entering Week 8. One or both might already have lost much hope of making the playoffs, and the more likely team to lose hope should have been LA.

The Rams suddenly look like a much tougher matchup for the Seahawks in Week 9

That might have changed after their Week 8 performance on Thursday Night Football against a one-loss Minnesota Vikings team. The Rams got back receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles offense looked like the one most assumed would be one of the better units in the league this season in LA's 30-20 victory. The Rams played like a team capable of going on a winning streak and getting back to the top of the division.

This might not bode well for the Seahawks, a team that, under Pete Carroll, always struggled to defeat the Rams. Maybe new head coach Mike Macdonald will have different luck with LA, but last year, when Macdonald had the top-ranked defense in the league with the Baltimore Ravens, the Ravens struggled to stop the Rams, too.

Baltimore won the Week 14 game 37-31, but the Rams had 410 total yards, including almost 140 on the ground. Simply hiring Macdonald might not fix the Seahawks issue with the Rams, and Los Angeles suddenly looks a lot better now that they are healthy. The good part is that Seattle won't have to wait long to see how they fare against Los Angeles.

The two teams meet in Week 9 with the Seahawks having a bye week the following week. Seattle only had the one division game so far when they lost to the 49ers. The Seahawks likely cannot afford to start 0-2 in the NFC West with a loss to the Rams next week if Seattle is going to have any chance at the division crown.

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