RAMS (5-3) vs. SEAHAWKS (6-2)
When: 1:25 p.m. Sunday
Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
TV/radio: Ch. 11, 710 AM, 1330 AM (Spanish)
Line: Rams by 1½
Notable injuries: Rams: OLBs Leonard Floyd (knee) and Terrell Lewis (shoulder) are questionable. Seahawks: CB Shaquille Griffin (concussion, hamstring) and CB Quinton Dunbar (knee) are out; OLB K.J. Wright (ankle), RB Chris Carson (foot) and RB Carlos Hyde (hamstring) are questionable.
What’s at stake? The Rams open their second-half playoff drive with a potentially pivotal game. A victory would put them in a first-place tie, based on wins and losses, with Seattle (and maybe Arizona). And it would mean they’re over the Miami disaster going into games against Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Arizona.
Who’s better? The Seahawks are, but their all-offense, no-defense style makes them beatable. Facing high-scoring Seattle will be the acid test of how much the Rams’ defense really has improved under new management. Last season, the Rams faced the league’s four highest-yardage offenses and allowed them 41.6 points a game.
Rams win if: If Aaron Donald and the pass rush contain Russell Wilson, always tricky given the Seattle QB’s creativity on the move. If Jalen Ramsey and the secondary sustain coverage on DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett while Wilson creates. If the Rams run game puts Jared Goff in good situations to take advantage of a porous pass defense.
Matchup to watch: Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey vs. Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf. The Rams will mix up assignments, but defensive coordinator Brandon Staley contributed to the hype for this matchup, saying watching the $100 million corner cover the 6-foot-4, 229-pound receiver “is what gets you excited about pro sports.”
Fantasy sleeper: Robert Woods. The Rams wide receiver averages six catches and 85 yards against the Seahawks, with two touchdowns in seven games. Seattle is allowing 279 yards a game to wideouts, 64 more than any other defense.
Prediction: Rams 30, Seahawks 27. Las Vegas sees it as 28-26 for the Rams. L.A. has no excuses as it gets Pete Carroll’s team at SoFi Stadium for the first time, having had the bye week to heal, get over Miami and decide how to handle the Seattle offense.
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