Are we getting a preview of the NFL playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams again? Did the NFC get better ideas (Check the leaderboard and play-off rounds)? Yep, the NFC had better ideas. So Russell Wilson gets another hit on a Rams defense that did him well from his task during his regular season meetings. Especially the first, in which Wilson throws a few interceptions and loses a trick in a 23-16 loss.
Meanwhile, Rams head coach Sean McVay will decide whether to chase Jared Goff back from thumb surgery or hope for a lightning-in-a-bottle performance by scramblin ‘rando John Wolford. The Rams quarterback plot makes NFL Recap tend to Seattle in this NFL playoff preview. However, the Seahawks will not last long in the playoffs if they expect Wilson to act as a one-man squad.
So, how does it all go down? Our preview is below and you can catch this Wild Card game on Saturday 9th January at 16:40 ET on FOX.
Rams / Seahawks playoff preview: Russell Wilson needs help
Seattle Seahawks’ season in a nutshell
Russell Wilson cooked early in the year, but mid-season ran out of mesquite wood pellets for his smoker. The Seahawks defense started off terribly, but climbed to sufficiency when safety Jamal Adams returned from an early injury, and Carlos Dunlap, a fringe runner, came on trade.
Related | NFL Playoff Picture: Which teams made it to the playoffs this year?
The 2020 Seahawks look a lot like the 2017-19 Seahawks. They are too dependent on Wilson to offend the John Wick and hold on a bit too much to faded Legion of Boom fumes in defense. Seattle are good enough to pick up the playoffs, but are not complete enough to do much once they arrive.
Los Angeles Rams’ season in a nutshell
Win, win, lose, win, win, lose, win, lose, win, win, lose, win, win, lose, lose, win.
This is Morse Code for ‘We are also an incredible top-heavy payroll that reached the playoffs by sweeping the NFC East.’
Playoff Preview: Los Angeles Rams’ Greatest Power
All-Pro Jalen Ramsey and rising star Darious Williams give the Rams the best corner in the NFL. As a result, the Rams defense entered week 17, taking first place in the NFL to stop deep passes, according to Football Outsiders. The Rams allowed only 723 yards and an efficiency rating of 66.2 entering week 17, with a passage of more than 15 yards per Sport Info solution.
Playoff Preview: Seattle Seahawks’ Greatest Power
Wilson remains one of the best backs of the NFL under pressure. The Seahawks’ efficiency rating under pressure after Week 17 was 89.7, the third best in the NFL (‘Under Pressure’ stats are always much weaker than stats when the fullback has time to throw). As you may have noticed over the past decade, there is no predicament for which Wilson can not bat away.
Seattle Seahawks’ biggest weakness
The Seahawks pass defense has picked the 31st spot in the NFL to stop passes over the middle and the 27th time to stop short passes, entering the final week of the season, according to Football Outsiders. The Seahawks are one of the most reluctant teams in the NFL to use a nickel / cent defense, and Adams blitz much more frequently than most security areas.
As a result, Seahawks linebackers – the most notable newcomer Jordyn Brooks – were regularly saddled with difficult coverage allocations. This could be a major problem against McVay’s offense, which is aimed at keeping opponents in their basic defense and allowing unfavorable coverage to pass.
Los Angeles Rams’ biggest weakness
With the exception of Goff’s status, the Rams special teams have been terrible all season. They went through three kickers (current kicker Matt Gay is adequate at best), gave a points tour, surrendered a blocked point and played little out of their return.
Bottom Line
By Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic, McVay sounded like he was leaning to give Wolford another start after the former AAF standout caught the Arizona Cardinals off guard in Week 17. Maybe McVay just wants the Seahawks to waste time preparing for a scramble . Maybe Goff had a slight setback. Or maybe McVay had a galactic megamind about us and thinks he found his own Taysom Hill.
In any case, it is difficult to choose against Wilson if the opponent is not even sure who will play in the quarter. Look for a game more like Seattle’s 20-9 win over the Rams in Week 16 than the Wilson Week 10 mini slump. And remember, the nicer the game gets, the better Wilson gets.
Early selection: Seattle Seahawks
(All statistics via Sports Info Solutions, unless otherwise stated)