Every Seattle Seahawks fan was hoping Week 18's game in Los Angeles against the Rams would be for the NFC West crown. But by the end of Week 17, after nothing bounced the Seahawks' way, the game was rendered essentially meaningless. Thanks to a slew of unfortunate events, the Rams clinched the NFC West division title and Seattle was mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
Rams' head coach Sean McVay has already announced Los Angeles will be resting its starters in Week 18 against Seattle, as they have no reason to risk injury with their third-seed spot locked in. That opens the door for Seattle to possibly rest their starters, as the Seahawks have relatively nothing to play for.
Several veteran players on the Seattle roster become free agents after Week 18, so Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks may choose to utilize Sunday to get a look at their younger core.
Three reasons why the Seattle Seahawks need to beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18
However, the Seahawks should not do that. And Mike Macdonald does not seem like the type of coach to give his guys a week off after missing the playoffs. There are three big reasons why the Seahawks should not rest their starters nor intentionally lose the game for a better draft pick.
Avoid a sweep for the second straight season
Last season, Seattle missed out on the playoffs after being swept by the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks missed out on a Wildcard berth by one game. In Week 1 of last season, Seattle was in control the entire first half before being mauled in the second half, outscored 23-0, en route to a 30-13 loss at home. In Week 16, they lost a heartbreaker 17-16 at SoFi Stadium.
If the Seahawks want to be taken seriously in the NFC West for the foreseeable future, then they must avoid a second straight sweep to the Rams. The Seahawks were able to sweep the Arizona Cardinals this year and nab a win over a declining San Francisco 49ers team, but once again blew a game they should have won to the Rams in overtime back in Week 9.
Missing the playoffs this year under a rookie head coach and a retooled roster is not the worst thing that could've happened, but being swept by the Rams again would be close.
Seattle needs to show they can beat this team. They've been able to compete with them in recent years, but Sean McVay and the Rams have been a thorn in the side of the Seahawks for the past decade. Whether it's the Rams' starters or not, Seattle has to build a game plan that can throw off McVay and snap the losing streak.
Mike Macdonald deserves 10 wins for the job he's done on defense
Coach Macdonald has a chance to do something only six people in NFL history have ever done. With a win in Week 18, Macdonald could become only the seventh coach in history to win 10 games in his first season as a head coach. He would also become the first-ever coach in Seahawks history to win 10 games in his first year.
The team's current nine wins are in large part due to its improved defense, which is currently top-10 in the league in points allowed, sacks, pressures, and yards allowed. This is in stark contrast to this same defense last season under Pete Carroll, which finished in the bottom half of the league in most major categories. This Seattle defense seems to be firing on all cylinders in Macdonald's system and should have one more crack at McVay's offense.
With another stout defensive performance in Week 18, Macdonald could join the likes of Mike Tomlin, George Seifert, and Paul Brown as one of the only few rookie head coaches to win 10 games in their inaugural season. All three of those coaches went on to have long careers and win multiple Super Bowls.
Ryan Grubb's one last audition
Seattle's rookie offensive coordinator has not had as positive of a debut as Mike Macdonald. Ryan Grubb, who led the Washington Huskies to a National Championship berth behind a merciless offensive attack, has not seen the same success in the NFL. The big question mark surrounding Grubb's hire was whether he could adapt to the professional league with a balanced offense. In 2024, that red flag reared its ugly head.
At the University of Washington, all Grubb did was pass the ball. And it worked. But that would never fly in the NFL, as we've seen. The Seahawks rank second-to-last in rush attempts per game, only ahead of the New York Jets. All year, fans have been frustrated with Grubb's lack of balance and an apparent lack of recognizing when to run and when to pass the ball.
At times, it seems Grubb is abandoning the run when it's working, and force-feeding the run when it's not working. On one hand, a rookie offensive coordinator deserves some grace in his first year. On the other hand, what we've seen from the offense is pretty inexcusable.
We don't know how short the leash is on Ryan Grubb. Seahawks general manager John Schneider has been pretty keen on firing offensive coordinators after lousy seasons, but with a brand-new coaching staff coming off a winning season, we just can't tell what will happen. What we do know is that Grubb absolutely must scheme a more balanced attack on Sunday and show Seattle that he is in fact capable of adapting to the NFL,