Check out what Rams coaches and players are saying about the Seahawks before the two teams meet in Week 5 at L.A.Coliseum, via therams.com
Head Coach Sean McVay
(On what do you remember about the games against the Seahawks when you were an assistant with the Redskins…) "Well I think specifically, when you are really focused on the defense, you remember the effort. The fundamentals of technique that they play with. I think you look at the overall team speed and how consistent they have been year in and year out with so many great players and I think it has led to a couple guys getting head coaching jobs because of the way that defense is played. But I think Coach [Pete] Carroll has done an excellent job leading the team as a whole, where you can see everyone works in the same direction. The way you hear those guys, you hear them talk about competing all the time and it shows up on their tape really in all three phases. I think it is why they have given themselves chances to compete for World Championships the last handful of years and been one of the more consistent teams in this league."
(On how you and your team view the Seahawks in terms of the division…) "Well I think the way we kind of try and take it one game at a time. We know that they've done an excellent job being relevant and winning the division a handful of the last few years. But this is a great challenge for our team. We certainly have a huge amount of respect for what they represent and the type of competitors that they are and the way that Coach Carroll always gets those guys ready to go, week in and week out, so we know we have a great challenge ahead. We just try to take things one day at a time and hopefully our approach and our preparation will give us a chance to have a good performance. This is one of the best teams in the league without a doubt. I don't think they have any weaknesses. They are strong in all three phases and it's why they have been so consistent over the last handful of years."
(On the Seahawks defense…)"It's a great task. This is an excellent defense. I think you look at the history of what they've done over the last handful of years they've got all pro players really on all three levels up front. You know at the Linebacker spot and on the back end. They play hard, they're fundamentally sound, they're really well coached and I think those are the recipes for great defenses. I think that's certainly what we're getting ready to go up against. I think that when you look at those known passing situations they can get home with four man rushes, they play great coverage on the back end whether they're playing their three deep or some of their man principles and they've got elite players all over the place. It's an excellent challenge, I've got a whole lot of respect for this defense and we certainly have to be at our best if we're going to give ourselves a chance to compete."
(Challenges the offense poses…) "Huge amount of respect for Russell Wilson. His ability to operate in the pocket, create offschedule, change the launch point so we know he's one of the better quarterbacks in this league that can beat you with his arm or his legs. So I think it's really about us playing at our best, making sure that we do a good job of trying to limit the explosives that he's able to create. Inevitably a great player like him will. I think Doug Baldwin is one of the more underrated receivers in this league with his ability to play in the slot on the outside and we all know what Jimmy Graham's done throughout the course of his career. I think it's really going to be about playing our best based on whatever the call is, continue to play with a high level of effort by making sure our communication, our lineman and then the technique. Those are the biggest things I would say with all three phases."
(On what he's seen on film from Seattle QB Russell Wilson…) "Really, even since his rookie year – when I was in Washington we played them in the playoffs and continue to come away impressed with the way that he leads and the way that he continues to compete from the first snap all the way to the end. You can see that his players believe in him. He's got a rare ability to create off-schedule. I think he can push the ball down the field, he's accurate in intermediate and short and you can see, he's comfortable staying in the pocket and making accurate throws and they've got some really good skill players. But, there's nothing that Russell can't do. I think he's rare and special as a leader and really as just a football player. But, the main thing that I think is really impressive is that he's got the ability to beat you with his arms or with his legs and when he scrambles he does a great job of kind of keeping his eyes down field, being able to create those explosives. You look at, he hits an explosive to (WR Tyler) Lockett, but then if the rush lanes aren't consistent and there's an opening, he'll put his foot in the ground and run for a 20-plus yard touchdown. He did both of those things just last week on Sunday night, so it's going to be a great challenge. He's one of the better players in this league and when you have a quarterback that's dynamic like that, it makes it a monster to defend."
Quarterback Jared Goff
(How do you match up against Seattle…) "They're going to be a really good challenge for us. They're a good defense and a team that's been consistently good for a long time now. So it'll be a great challenge for us but we're up for it and we're excited for it."
(What's the biggest challenge against the Seahawks defense…) "I think just how good they are at what they do. People say it all the time. They don't do much and they know they don't do much but they do it so well and they do it consistently well for so long now that they've proven to be hard to beat. It will be a challenge for us like I said but we're excited for it."
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.
Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips
(On the Seahawks offense…)"We've got to contain the guy. But if we contain him he can still throw the football really well so it presents big problems. They're still a good running team. I think they've had the most yardage in the league the last two games offensively so they're clicking pretty well."
(On how important it is to establish the pass rush against the Seahawks early in the game…) "Well, the quarterback is the key. You say, 'Well, their offensive line has not played well.' But the last two games, they're going almost 500 yards, so it's hard to say they didn't play well. They get beat some, but the quarterback makes up for it and they're pretty solid most of the other times. He throws well from the pocket, but if anything breaks down, or if he just decides to run around and make a – instead of a three-and-a-half second pass, he makes it to six seconds, sometimes he just does that. He doesn't see what he wants, he just starts scrambling around. He's not pressured, he just starts moving around to give him more time and he's able to do that, so it causes a lot of problems defensively."
Running Back Todd Gurley II
(Why have you had so much success against the Seahawks…)"This is a cliché but I guess they say you draft for your division or you get players for your division. I mean obviously every other game is important but you know at the end of the day you win your division you know you get to go to the playoffs. I don't know what it is it's just one of those hard fought games. They know we're going to bring it. Even if we were 1-15 and those guys were 10-6 at the end of the day they know it's going to be a shootout so that's just kind of how it's been the last couple of years."