Seahawks vs. Rams how to watch: TV channel, live stream, pick, what to know for ‘Thursday Night Football’

The NFL’s finest division is off to a implausible begin, with the NFC West’s 4 groups combining for an 11-5 report and each crew sporting a constructive level differential. Two of that division’s stalwarts sq. off on this week’s version of “Thursday Night time Soccer”, because the Seattle Seahawks play host to the Los Angeles Rams. 

Every crew is coming off one other sport in opposition to a division opponent. The Seahawks evened their report at 2-2 by defeating the 49ers final Sunday, whereas the Rams dropped to 3-1 after being handed their first lack of the season by the Cardinals. Can Seattle preserve the nice occasions rolling? Will L.A. get again on observe? 

Let’s break down the matchup. However first, here is how one can watch Thursday evening’s festivities.

How one can watch

Date: Thursday, Oct. 7 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Lumen Area (Seattle)
TV: Fox/NFLN | Stream: fuboTV (click here)
Comply with: CBS Sports App
Odds: Rams -2.5, O/U 54.5

When the Rams have the ball

The Rams are coming off an uncharacteristically poor offensive displaying in opposition to the Cardinals. They’d beforehand blitzed the Bears, Colts, and Buccaneers for a mixed 95 factors, however totaled solely 20 in opposition to Arizona. Matthew Stafford regarded rattled and inaccurate, and it appeared strain affected him a bit greater than common. He was pressured on solely round 1 / 4 of his dropbacks, per TruMedia, however was solely 5 of 11 for 71 yards on these gamers. (He was beforehand 11 of 21 for 211 yards and three touchdowns.) The Seahawks shall be trying to drive him right into a equally inefficient efficiency on Thursday evening. 

The Seahawks have truly generated strain ever-so-slightly extra typically than the Cardinals this season (33 p.c of opponent dropbacks vs. 32.5 p.c), however nonetheless verify in just under the league common (33.5 p.c). The difficulty is these pressures haven’t affected opposing passers in the identical means: Arizona has compelled Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, Kirk Cousins, and Ryan Tannehill into simply 19 of 43 passing (44.2 p.c) for 211 yards (4.9 per try) on pressured throws, with three touchdowns, three interceptions, and 9 sacks; Seattle has held Carson Wentz, Tannehill, Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Trey Lance to 24 of 43 (55.8 p.c) for for 250 yards (5.8 per try), yielding one landing, zero picks, and 9 sacks. Arizona has allowed only one yard per scramble, whereas Seattle has given up 8.3 per. 

Working in opposition to the Seahawks protection in third specific matchup is their heavy reliance on zone protection. Seattle has been in zone on 81.9 p.c of opponent passing performs, per TruMedia, the second-highest price of zone protection within the league. Stafford has largely ripped up zones thus far, finishing 68 of 99 passes (68.7 p.c) for 931 yards (9.4 per try), 5 touchdowns, and two picks, whereas rating third in EPA per play. He and Cooper Kupp, particularly, have routinely been in a position to make the most of opponents in zone, with Kupp discovering comfortable spots between, behind, and in any other case distant from defenders and Stafford concentrating on him with regularity. Robert Woods hasn’t been as concerned as he sometimes is, however he is one other glorious zone beater and the Rams have been speaking about desirous to get him extra concerned.

If the Seahawks transfer to extra man coverages, the Rams ought to have benefits throughout the board. Kupp could have a a lot simpler time with Ugo Amadi within the slot than he did with Byron Murphy final week, whereas Woods, Van Jefferson, and DeSean Jackson do not determine to be challenged a lot by Sidney Jones (or the just lately benched Tre Flowers) and D.J. Reed, who’ve left a lot to be desired in protection this season. The one space the place the Seahawks ought to be capable of deal with the Rams in protection is with Bobby Wagner in opposition to both Tyler Higbee or Darrell Henderson, however we have seen the Rams survive and even thrive with these gamers being minimally concerned within the proceedings (at the least via the air). 

Henderson returned to just about full-time lead-back duties after sitting out Week 3 on account of damage, and he is run extraordinarily properly behind what has been one of many NFL‘s higher offensive strains within the early going. Seattle has allowed a barely below-average 1.52 yards earlier than contact per rush this season, per TruMedia, however has been among the many league’s worst groups at containing gamers following damaged tackles. Guaranteeing that Henderson is dropped to the bottom on first contact shall be paramount, particularly given his long-range pace.

Excited for the most important NFL schedule in historical past? Follow along on the CBS Sports app and get the latest insights from our team of NFL insiders, plus news from our team of experts, as well as data insights on every player. If you have already got the CBS Sports activities app, be certain to favourite the your favourite crew so you do not miss a factor!

When the Seahawks have the ball

Predictably, the Seahawks’ preseason insistence that they’d run an uptempo, modernized offense beneath new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (previously of the Rams) has not been borne out on the sphere. Pete Carroll insists each offseason that he needs to do issues otherwise, after which he does not. The id or historical past of the offensive coordinator does not actually matter.

Seattle ranks 18th in situation-neutral seconds per snap, in keeping with Soccer Outsiders, and is definitely working round seven-tenths of a second slower than final yr. The Seahawks rank center of the pack in early-down go price, they usually’ve been among the many most static offenses within the NFL, using pre-snap movement on solely 28.3 p.c of performs (fourth-lowest within the league, per TruMedia). Even the crew’s play-action go price (which was anticipated to be a giant emphasis) has barely budged, coming in simply over 30 p.c in comparison with 27 p.c a yr in the past.

And but, regardless of ALL of that, the Seahawks rank among the many most effective offenses within the NFL, largely as a result of they’re quarterbacked by Russell Wilson. Seattle sits fourth in Soccer Outsiders’ offensive DVOA and is tied for eighth in total EPA per play. When the Seahawks have deigned to let him throw the ball on early downs, Wilson has been electrical. He sits in a tie for second in EPA per play on these dropbacks, finishing 71 of 86 passes for 866 yards, seven touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.

Whether or not or not they will enable him to take action in opposition to the Rams is an open query. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has saved lots of the ideas of final yr’s Brandon Staley-led protection in place, because the Rams lead the NFL (by far) in performs with six or fewer defenders within the field. They dare opponents to run the ball by their very alignment, and opponents have obliged them pretty typically. Seattle ranks eleventh in run price into mild bins this yr, however solely nineteenth in EPA per rush try on these performs. (They have not been significantly better with the go, sitting simply fifteenth in EPA per play, with their relative struggles in opposition to two-high security seems to be that cropped up final yr, carrying over a bit into this season.) 

Chris Carson has seen his workload minimize in latest weeks in favor of Alex Collins and Travis Homer, with the previous reducing into early-down snaps and Homer taking over extra of a third-down and passing-situation position. Collins ran extra successfully than Carson final week in opposition to San Francisco, however has largely been a replacement-level again throughout his profession, whereas Carson has been greater than that. It appears clever to anticipate that Carson will regain his position sooner or later, maybe as quickly as this week, and that he’ll get again to being the bodily, downhill runner he is been for almost all of his tenure. (Carson didn’t apply all week, although, so this may not be the week the place he reascends.) How clever it will be for Seattle to make him the main focus of the sport plan in opposition to L.A. is a distinct story. 

One fascinating factor to observe, matchup-wise, is the place Jalen Ramsey strains up for the Rams. Final yr, he shadowed DK Metcalf. This yr, he is aligned within the slot much more typically, which might pit him in opposition to Tyler Lockett. Metcalf is more healthy than Lockett for the time being, and would have an unlimited dimension mismatch in opposition to No. 2 nook Darious Williams on the surface, if the Rams had been to make use of Ramsey within the position he is performed for many of this season. It is notable that Lockett went off in Weeks 1 and a pair of however suffered a minor damage in Week 3, and Metcalf has been the crew’s prime goal the final two weeks. The place the Rams elect to deploy Ramsey might dictate how the Seattle has to assault on this matchup, and if Lockett remains to be banged up, that would make issues harder. 

The Rams have given up extra huge performs this yr than you’d anticipate given the design of their defensive scheme, and Wilson is all the time liable to interrupt comprise, freelance, and hit Metcalf or Lockett (or Freddie Swain, or whoever) for a shot down the sphere. The Rams should preserve their protection duties for longer than they’re used to, although having performed in opposition to Kyler Murray final week at the least makes them a bit extra ready to take action.

Newest Odds:

Seattle Seahawks
+2.5

Prediction: Rams 31, Seahawks 23