Week 2 Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams

Seattle Seahawks (1–0) vs. Los Angeles Rams (0–1)

The Los Angeles Rams look to rebound as they host the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; both Jeff Fisher and Pete Carroll have strong ties with the stadium based on their tenures at USC.

Key Factors

Mob Squad — The Rams match up very well against the Seahawks because their defensive line has a huge advantage in trenches. With four new starters along the Seahawks’ offensive line, the Rams need inspired performances from their top DL, Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald, in order to make this team go. Keep an eye out for William Hayes, a key rotational player who notched four sacks in their last matchup.

Todd Gurley — Gurley ran 17 times for just 47 yards last week; there were several instances where I saw 10 defenders stack the box in anticipation for a Rams’ run play. Case Keenum completed only two passes for 15+ yards so there was little reason to respect the Rams’ passing game. Gurley missed the entire preseason so perhaps there was a lack of chemistry with the offensive line? Gurley can’t lay another egg if the Rams plan on competing.

Russell Wilson — Wilson injured his ankle last week versus the Dolphins and while he played hobbled the majority of the game, Wilson pieced together enough offense for the win. The Rams beat the Seahawks twice last season because of their ability to wreck havoc on Wilson. How healthy is Wilson for Week 2? The Seahawks game plan might be compromised and could rely on a heavier dose of Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael. The duo rushed for 98 yards last week but didn’t run particularly well.

Legion of Boom — The Seahawks’ secondary AKA the Legion of Boom played exceptionally well in the season opener but there were still several lapses from Earl Thomas and Jeremy Lane. They cut Tharold Simon earlier in the week which isn’t a complete surprise with strong play from Desean Shead. Seahawks’ DL Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett combined for 13 quarterback pressures last week; if the pass rush continues versus a weak Rams’ offense, look for the secondary to take advantage.

Overall Thoughts

Los Angeles waited 22 years for a football team and the Rams cannot afford another disastrous performance, especially in their home opener. It should be interesting with several players such as Richard Sherman, T.J. McDonald, Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett all having memories at the coliseum dating back to their Pac-12 college days. I think the Rams play for pride and find a way to pull the upset at home if they can find a way to disrupt a hobbled Russell Wilson.

Rams +6.5 Over 38.5

Rams 24 Seahawks 20

JTW ATS Record: 2–1–0

2015 JTW ATS Record: 29–23–2