It's a testament to the Seahawks' consistency that, since joining the NFC, they've battled all three division rivals for NFC West supremacy.
During the Mike Holmgren era, the Seahawks and Rams traded blows, with the Seahawks winning four straight division titles from 2004 to 2007 before the Cardinals won two straight. Then as Pete Carroll's Seahawks hit their stride, they had to contend with Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers, who were the class of the division before Seattle dethroned them in 20Bra13. In recent years, the Seahawks have remained competitive, going back and forth with the Arizona at the top of the standings.
And while it's still very early this season, it appears things may have come full circle, with the Rams off to a 3-1 start under first-year coach Sean McVay. The Seahawks have won eight of 15 NFC West titles since moving from the AFC West in 2002, including three of the last four, but currently they find themselves a game behind the upstart Rams, who are looking for their first playoff berth since 2004.
"We've seen the Rams play really good football in the start of the season," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "They have been explosive on offense and really control the ball. They lead the league in scoring, which is a tremendous turnaround for their program, but also just a great job by Sean and what they had done with the offense in short order. Defense has changed too, with Wade Phillips going in. We are looking at that to try and understand how it all fits together, but he has been a great coordinator and put together nothing but good defenses forever. We know we got problems there. This also happens to be one of the better special teams groups we have played. (Punter Johnny) Hekker is a great punter, the kicker (Greg Zuerlein), they got returners, and they got the whole thing in there. (Special teams coach John) Fassel does a great job with the scheme too so we know we have challenges across the board. They are a good match up and we got to be right and have a heck of a week to get ready for it."
As Carroll notes, the Rams currently lead the NFL in scoring, a dramatic turnaround for a team that was dead last in that category a year ago, and 29th the year before that. The Rams added talent to their roster, quarterback Jared Goff has taken a big leap in year two, and McVay's offense clearly has made a difference, but it still rather remarkable how quickly the Rams have seemed to hit their stride on offense.
"They're much better this year on offense," said linebacker K.J Wright. "They've got better personnel, they've got good receivers, their tight ends are good as well. They got that big tackle from the Bengals, (Andrew) Whitworth, so these guys really improved in the offseason. They got better, and they're a team to reckon with in this league now."
And yes, the Rams were 3-1 last year as well before finishing the season with a 4-12 record, but this start, which includes last week's win at Dallas, has looked much more sustainable that last year's when they squeaked out three close wins after a blowout loss in their opener.
Perhaps most impressive about the Rams' turnaround is that it is being led by a first-year head coach who, at 31, is the youngest coach in the NFL, and less than half the age of Carroll, the league's oldest head coach.
"The biggest challenge (for first-time head coach) is always figuring out what you believe, because you are going to get challenged so many times and asked so many questions and come up with so many statements and principles in your approach that you really can't predict," Carroll said. "You are challenged at the core of your philosophy, so you just have to go through it and figure it out. I think it is rare when a young guy really can just smoothly go through it and we don't see it very often and it shows how prepared Sean is and what a great job he is doing right now."
While Carroll's energy, enthusiasm and ability to connect with players would never give away his age, his connection to the McVay family might. Back when Carroll was the defensive coordinator in San Francisco in the mid 90s, Sean McVay's grandfather, John, was a 49ers executive.
"We were at San Francisco together," Carroll said. "He was really one of the heart and soul guys at the 'Niners and through all the administrative part of it and the personnel stuff and working out of Coach (Bill) Walsh and Coach (George) Seifert regimes. He was an awesome guy, so I just knew him. Sean might not have been alive then, I don't know. He was probably in third grade or something like that."
And McVay, despite being too young back then to have known Carroll well, has tremendous respect for Seattle's coach.
"My grandfather has a whole lot of respect for Coach Carroll and the way he handled himself and the contributions he made to the 49ers organization," McVay said on conference call with Seattle-area media. "Since I got into coaching, Coach Carroll's been nothing but great to me and always been willing to help and share some advice and give a perspective, but I've gotten to know him just through that. I know the relationship and the mutual respect that Coach had for my grandfather and my grandfather for him. It has definitely kind of helped ease into when I started to get to know Coach Carroll, just getting into the NFL."
Take a look at the Los Angeles Rams players you can expect to see when the Seattle Seahawks take the field in Week 5 at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) watches from the sideline during an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons on December 11, 2016. The Falcons defeated the Rams 42-14. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) rides a stationary exercise machine on the sidelines during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) watches from the sideline during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers, September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, Calif. The Rams defeated the 49ers 41-39. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Los Angeles Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth (77) watches from the sideline during an NFL preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers, August 26, 2017 in Los Angeles. The Chargers defeated the Rams 21-19. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Connor Barwin (98) stands on the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) watches from the sideline during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers, September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, Calif. The Rams defeated the 49ers 41-39. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers (90) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, October 2, 2016 in Glendale, Ariz.. The Rams won the game 17-13. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Ethan Westbrooks face tattoo is shown as he watches against the Detroit Lions during an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016. Detroit won 31-28. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Los Angeles Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein (4) looks on prior to NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017 in Los Angeles. Rams won 46-9. (Peter Read Miller via AP)
St. Louis Rams offensive guard Rodger Saffold (76) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers, Sunday, November 23, 2014 in San Diego. The Chargers won the game 27-24. (AP Photo/Paul Jasienski)
St. Louis Rams long snapper Jake McQuaide looks on from the sidelines against the Indianapolis Colts during a NFL preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015, in St. Louis. The Colts won the game, 24-14. (G. Newman Lowrance via AP Images)
Los Angeles Rams offensive guard Jamon Brown (68) looks on from the sideline bench during the 2016 NFL week 16 regular season football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016 in Los Angeles. The 49ers won the game 22-21. (Paul Spinelli via AP)
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson sits on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Center John Sullivan #65 during Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams joint NFL football training camp scrimmage on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017 in Irvine, Calif. (Ric Tapia via AP)
Los Angeles Rams punter Johnny Hekker smiles on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Scott Eklund)
Los Angeles Rams defensive back Kayvon Webster (21) looks on during the Los Angeles Rams NFL football training camp practice on Saturday, July 29, 2017 in Irvine, Calif. (Paul Spinelli via AP)
Los Angeles Rams Lamarcus Joyner during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Florida. (Tom DiPace via AP)
Los Angeles Rams safety Mark Barron (26) looks into the backfield during an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons on December 11, 2016. The Falcons defeated the Rams 42-14. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Los Angeles Rams middle linebacker Alec Ogletree stands on the field during NFL football practice, Monday, June 5, 2017, in Thousand Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
St. Louis Rams strong safety Maurice Alexander on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014 in St. Louis. Arizona won 12-6 (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (10) looks up from the field with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Saturday, August 26, 2017 in Los Angeles. The Chargers won the game 21-19. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Rob Havenstein (79) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Robert Quinn (94) stands on the sidelines action during an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Tom Hauck via AP)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods (17) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Saturday, August 26, 2017 in Los Angeles. The Chargers won the game 21-19. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Sammy Watkins (12) watches from the sideline during an NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts, September 10, 2017 in Los Angeles. The Rams defeated the Colts 46-9. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (89) rests during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017 in Los Angeles. The Rams won the game, 13-10. (Greg Trott via AP)
Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver Cooper Kupp (18) runs onto the field for the Los Angeles Rams NFL football training camp practice on Saturday, July 29, 2017 in Irvine, Calif. (Paul Spinelli via AP)
