Frustrating is the right word to describe the Seattle Seahawks’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks squandered both a 13-0 lead, and a 16-7 lead. Despite this, they still had an opportunity to win, but alas, Jason Myers’ 55-yard field goal attempt missed wide right to seal the defeat.
Simply put, Sunday was not a great outing for Seattle. They had a prime opportunity to finally defeat the division rival they struggle with the most, but were unable to secure a much-needed win before the Thanksgiving game with San Francisco.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the frustrating road loss:
Rams domination over Seattle continues
For the second time in three seasons, the Seattle Seahawks have been swept by the Los Angeles Rams. Head coach Sean McVay continues his dominance over Pete Carroll’s Seahawks, improving to 10-5 against them all time. As for Matthew Stafford, he is now 4-0 against Seattle as Los Angeles’ quarterback.
Whether it’s St. Louis or Los Angeles, the Rams remain a considerable thorn in Carroll’s Seahawks’ side. Seattle is below .500 with a 13-16 record since 2010. As I wrote in the prediction piece earlier this morning, no matter how good or bad the Rams are, this team simply has the Seahawks’ number.
What will the health situation look like?
The Seahawks suffered a pair of potentially devastating injuries. Quarterback Geno Smith missed most of the fourth quarter with an elbow injury, thanks to a hit from Aaron Donald. Smith was mostly on the sideline with a large wrap on his right elbow. It was encouraging to see him enter the game with a chance to win it, driving Seattle 38 yards to set up a potential game winning field goal. But still, his health will be kept under a close eye.
As for running back Kenneth Walker III, he left fairly early with an oblique injury. Unlike Smith, Walker did not return to the game. His presense was sorely missed, as the team only ran for 68 yards as a team.
Pass rush vanished vs LA once more
In Week 1, the Seattle Seahawks only managed two measly quarterback hits on Matthew Stafford, as he carved up their secondary. On Sunday, the Seahawks did improve to three quarterback hits, and a lone sack courtesy of cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
Boye Mafe’s seven game streak of sacks came to an unfortunate conclusion. He was close a few times, but Stafford was able to escape pressure in each situation. This will have to be corrected before Thursday night.
Drew Lock is not the answer
Before anyone groans and says “duh,” I will remind you there has been increasing calls for Drew Lock during Geno Smith’s recent struggles. As the Seahawks offense looked inconsistent during the games against Cincinnati, Arizona, Cleveland and Baltimore, there were plenty of fans online expressing interest in seeing what backup Drew Lock could accomplish.
Well, Sunday’s performance may temper those expectations. Lock finished the game 2-of-6 passing for three yards and an interception on third down. If anyone is curious, that’s a passer rating of 2.8.
