What could have been considered just a bad day at the office a week ago, now looks more systemic for the Los Angeles Rams crime. They failed to fire again and missed the chance to beat NFC West with a 20-9 loss to Seattle Seahawks in Week 16.
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Game History
The Rams’ defense largely fulfilled their part of the deal, frustrating Russell Wilson for the second time this season and keeping the Seahawks with just 20 points. But it turned out that it was more than double what they would need to guarantee victory, due to Los Angeles’ attacking problems.
Jared Goff had another ugly performance, making several decent moves – including an interception – and producing an inefficient passing game for the second week in a row. The Rams’ passing game, in fact, had the average expected negative points added per move, effectively digging a hole deeper and deeper the more they played the ball.
A week ago, the story was that the Rams’ internal offensive line was destroyed by the Jets, and when the platform for the attack was eroded, they simply cannot fire. Although Austin Blythe didn’t play a big guard game, that doesn’t explain the disaster this time.
You don’t exactly come out of this game with a great degree of confidence that either team has what it takes to manage the NFC table and take it to the best teams in the league, but the Seahawks will at least host a playoff game having secured the division with this victory.
The Rams still need to secure a spot on the wild card, but will also spend a lot of time trying to identify what went wrong with this attack in recent weeks and whether it can be replenished when the playoffs begin.
If things go as expected, it will also likely prove to be a repeat showdown in the first week of the postseason, giving the Rams a quick chance for redemption.
Rookie Watch
Wideout Van Jefferson threw 14 snaps in the attack for the Rams, dropping the only target launched in his way to somehow typify the entire day of the attack. In defense, Jordan Fuller continues as a security starter, seeing 61 moves and making six tackles. None of these six tackles were defensive stops, and he was defeated by a touchdown on the cover.
Terrell Lewis played 15 snaps at the limit, but was completely absent of any impact.
For Seattle, Jordyn Brooks had one of his best NFL games as a linebacker, playing 28 snaps and making several important contributions, including a critical stop in the fourth and a goal at the end of the third quarter which was a great chance in the game. If the Rams had managed to punch there, the game could have been very different, but Brooks agreed with KJ Wright to keep Seattle in the lead.
Alton Robinson played 18 snaps on the defensive line and had a couple of defensive stops.
In the attack, Damien Lewis is on guard and fought to protect passes against Aaron Donald in particular. Lewis allowed for some quick pressures.
Freddie Swain popped 23 wide receiver, but he didn’t see a single target come his way.
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