With the Seahawks heading to Los Angeles this weekend, Seahawks.com reached out to Rams team insider Myles Simmons, who answers five questions about the NFC West leaders.
Q: Obviously there's no shame in losing on the road to one of the best teams in the league, but Sunday's loss at New Orleans was L.A.'s first of the season. How has the team responded this week/what's the mood of the team heading into this week's game against Seattle?
Simmons: To me, the interesting thing about that loss was so many of the players seemed to put it behind them right away. I think it would've been different had the club not been able to come back in the second half and tie it at 35. But the fact that the comeback happened, and then there were a couple correctable plays at the end of the game that lost it—that seemed to sort of galvanize the locker room to get back to work for Week 10. I suppose that's what happens when you stack eight wins to start the year—one loss really does just become one game.
Q: The Rams have given up 27 or more points in four of their last six, cause for concern or just the byproduct of having a quick-strike, high-scoring offense?
Simmons: I don't think it would be unfair to call it a cause for concern. The Rams have just been a little inconsistent throughout the season on defense. I think the one game where they sort of put it together defensively against a team with a truly potent offense was the victory over the Chargers — but that was all the way back in Week 3. Aqib Talib will help when he returns, but that's not going to be until after the bye week. So the Rams definitely have some work to do defensively.
Q: Even in a loss, the Seahawks felt pretty good about the way they ran the ball and functioned on offense overall when these teams met in Week 5. How important will run defense be for the Rams in this one?
Simmons: Yeah, the run defense is going to be huge. And the Seahawks should've felt good about that game, 190 yards on the ground is nothing to scoff at—especially in the NFL of 2018. Ndamukong Suh called the Rams run defense "terrible" after that game, and since then L.A. has been better. But if you're the Seahawks, you've got to test the Rams on the ground, even if Chris Carson isn't available. And L.A. knows this—Aaron Donald said they've got to be much more gap sound defensively in this contest.
Q: The Rams have lost the turnover battle only once this year, and that came in Seattle. How big of a focus is ball security in this game?
Simmons: It's got to be huge. Since Sean McVay took over as head coach last year, the Seahawks have forced eight giveaways in the three matchups—including five in last year's Week 5 matchup in L.A. that Seattle won 16-10. Especially with the way the Seahawks are running the ball, the Rams cannot give them extra possessions to drain clock and keep the L.A. playmakers unable to score.
Q: "Aaron Donald is good" is about the most obvious storyline in football, but seriously, 10 sacks in the last six games? Is it possible that Donald has somehow elevated his level of play a year after winning Defensive Player of the Year?
Simmons: Not only do I think it's possible, I also think it's actually true. Even on a video game, I've never seen a player have the stat line Donald had against the 49ers a few weeks ago—4.0 sacks, 6 TFLs, 5 QB hits, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, both of which came on the same play. It's just absurd, especially from an interior lineman. He's just one of those players that you have to sit back, watch, and enjoy because the way he's going, he'll be putting on a gold jacket one day.
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.
