"I think we're pissed off but even-keeled," Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed said during his press conference Wednesday afternoon.
"Not too high, not too low. We're just trying to mentally lock in during the week. Make sure we have a good week of practice. That's offense, defense, and special teams. Just take it into Sunday. You can't ever get too high, you can't ever get too low."
After dropping a disappointing loss to the Bills last week, the Seahawks know they can be better than their performance showed last week, and it starts with playing consistently week in and week out. The Seahawks started off the season winning three straight, dropping the next three and then winning on the road vs. Atlanta before returning home and losing to the Bills.
"We can't be on one weekend or off one weekend," Reed said. "We have to be consistent with our game. I think it starts with us up front. We've got to play way better up front, and we've just got to do it in practice and carry on through the week."
Playing in his ninth season in the NFL, Reed has played for many defenses and has seen the good parts as well as the struggles that come with each season.
"Defense struggles with wins and losses. There are always things that you can change and try to do better. Now it's just doing the little things right all the time. Just not like periodically, just consistently. Doing the right things, doing the little things. That's really it. When you break it down, when you watch the film, there's nothing nobody's doing. We're just beating ourselves."
Reed said the defense has been beating themselves. "Just not doing the little things, as far as setting a better edge or peeking or holding a block out longer. Just making it cleaner for the linebackers, specifically talking about us upfront. Just little things like that. It's literally just the little things."
It's no secret that the defense isn't playing as well as they'd like, and the defense knows that. They've been chatting amongst each other during lunch or other down time.
"I think that started yesterday in meetings. Everybody's on the same page. Even just a little talk or chat around lunchtime or anything. We all know what we've got to do. We're all adults, we're all pros, and it starts with us. We've got the game plan, we've got the coaching. We've just got to go out and execute."
And as disappointing as the loss to the Bills was, they know they have a lot of football left in front of them and the season isn't over.
"We've been doing this since OTAs since April or May. I think we're very comfortable. Change takes time. We're not just going off a board. We're all headstrong. We're all still very much confident. Of course, it's not the way we want the season to be right now, but we've got a long second (half) rest of the season to go and we could change our future right now."
Head coach Mike Macdonald put it plain and simple – the season will have ups and downs.
"The season's a rollercoaster and the path to success is not going to be just like everything's great," he said. "You're going to go and just keep growing and there's going to be things you have to face and go through. So this is part of the process and I think you double down on our core values and our foundation that we've been able to build since the players have been in the building."
Macdonald added later, "It's a process right now and you got to be married to the process. You can't skip steps because you want better results. You got to keep going through it. That's what we're doing."
The Seahawks and Rams face off for the last game of the regular season on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2024. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT. Take a look back through history at the Seahawks' matchups against the Rams.
Los Angeles Rams kicker Tom Dempsey (10) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks Oct. 31, 1976, in Los Angeles. (NFL Photos via AP)
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Cornell Webster (38) stops Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Drew Hill (29) during an NFL pre-season game Aug. 19, 1979 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/NFL Photos)
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood (85) sacks Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn for a loss during the first quarter in this Aug. 28, 1982 photo in Anaheim, Calif. Youngblood was one of seven elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac)
FILE - In this Aug. 13, 1987, file photo, Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson (29) breaks away from Seattle Seahawks' Joe Nash during an NFL preseason football game in Anaheim, Calif. On Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, Dickerson signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the L Rams, reuniting the famous running back with his first NFL football franchise. Dickerson also became a vice president of business development with the Rams, who returned to Los Angeles last year after 21 seasons in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File)
Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy (96) topples a St. Louts Rams quarterback (16) during a pre-season NFL football game in 1991. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2000, file photo, St. Louis Rams' Devin Bush tackles Seattle Seahawks's Ricky Watters during the second half of an NFL football game in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck makes a pass against the St. Louis Rams during the first half in Seattle, Sunday Dec. 22, 2002. Hasselbeck passed for 303 yards completing 20 in 32 attempts as the Seahawks win 30-10. Behind is Rams' Troyka Jackson and Seahawks' Walter Jones. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Alex Bannister (85) hits St. Louis Rams' DeJaun Groce after Groce caught a punt during the first quarter in Seattle Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jerry Rice leaps to make a one-handed catch against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri on November 14, 2004. The Rams won 23-12. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)
St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, right, is sacked by Seattle Seahawks' Lofa Tatupu in the third quarter, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005, in Seattle. The Seahawks won, 31-16. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Delon Branch, right, catches a touchdown pass in front of St. Louis Rams' Travis Fisher in the forth quarter in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006, in St. Louis. The Seahawks won 30-28. (AP Photo/Bill Boyce)
Cornerback Marcus Trufant #23 of the Seattle Seahawks lends a leaping hand as teammate Deon Grant #24 intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Travis Taylor #18 of the St. Louis Rams at Quest Field on October 21, 2007 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 33-6. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Members of the Seattle Seahawks line up one yard out of the end zone against the St. Louis Rams during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, in St. Louis. The Seahawks won 23-20. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Seattle Seahawks' Julius Jones (22) runs with the ball as St. Louis Rams' David Vobora falls behind in the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry (59) and Seattle Seahawks safety Lawyer Milloy middle, during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Seattle Seahawks defensive back Brandon Browner breaks up a pass intended for Brandon Lloyd of the St. Louis Rams during an NFL game in Seattle on Monday, Dec. 12, 2011. The Seahawks won the game, 30-13. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson runs from St. Louis Rams outside linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Seattle Seahawks vs St. Loius Rams; Malcolm Smith
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, right, pushes Los Angeles Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner away as he runs the ball during the second half of an NFL football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)
Tyler Lockett's toe-drag touchdown reception from a Russell Wilson 13-yard looping-over-the-top-pass brought a feeling of poetic ballet to the skill of catching touchdown passes. The Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, 30-29, at CenturyLink Field, October 3, 2019.
