Week 9 NFL Preview: 5 Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams Predictions

Good morning and happy Sunday, Seattle Seahawks fans! We're just hours away from the Seahawks' latest rivalry with the Los Angeles Rams. I can tell everyone is excited to see this game, and by everyone I mean Rams fans. The highlights of the win over the Atlanta Falcons were offset by the frightening incompetence against the Buffalo Bills. Even though the Rams are on the rise, in theory they are not as good as the Bills. Does this mean the Seahawks will snap their home loss and pull off the upset? My prediction is coming soon.

Here's a painful review first Last week's predictions:

Bold Prediction: Noah Fant gets his first touchdown in almost two seasons

Well, not only did he not play a role, but he's injured so he won't score a touchdown for a while.

Seahawks Offensive Prediction: Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combine for over 100 yards

Hahahahahaha.

Seahawks Defense Prediction: They will be the first team to intercept Josh Allen

Josh Jobe wasn't on my radar at that moment, but he got Allen in the second quarter. As expected, the Seahawks didn't score any points.

Opponent Prediction: Josh Allen will not be sacked

Correct. He was released by Boye Mafe but due to a penalty he was recalled so it is a zero sack day.

Game Prediction: The Seahawks lose by a narrow margin

It wasn't close.

Let's try again this week!

Bold Prediction: Kyren Williams' touchdown streak ends

Williams has one hell of a winning streak ahead of him. He has scored a touchdown in 10 straight regular-season games, although he did not score a rushing TD last week against the Minnesota Vikings for the first time in that span. The third-year player has developed into a top-notch running back who also needs to be respected as a receiver. He wasn't a particularly efficient rusher this season (3.8 yards per carry), but he played behind a struggling OL and didn't play in the Seahawks' run defense.

All signs point to another trip to the end zone from Williams. That's a bold prediction, damn it! I might as well be bold and say that the Seahawks will find a way to get him to not score touchdowns. Of course, that doesn't mean he won't have a big game.

Seahawks Offensive Prediction: AJ Barner leads the team in receptions

With Noah Fant out, AJ Barner is TE1 for one day. He has 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. Most of his targets were plays designed for him, which is a lot more than I expected from the rookie out of Michigan. I was much more impressed with his receiving skills than his blocking skills, and he appears to have soft hands and the ability to get open in zones.

With DK Metcalf out, Seattle won't have many options for shooting plays. The Rams are 32nd in DVOA defending tight ends. This is the day Barner makes the case to be the TE1 long-term. Put him in play-action boots, have him work under the zones, and maybe try to challenge LA's linebackers in man coverage. I think this will be a breakout game for Barner with Geno Smith throwing him a ton of balls.

Seahawks Defense Prediction: Ernest Jones IV sacks his former teammate

It's questionable whether Jones has a neck injury, so this prediction could blow up in my face before noon. I assume he will play, otherwise the Seahawks are super thin at linebacker. Jones had his ups and downs in his Seahawks debut, but he looks like a good tackler and one of his best skills is chasing the quarterback on the blitz.

The Seahawks have been one of the worst blitzing teams in the league this season, and I'm admittedly worried that Stafford could tear Seattle apart if Mike Macdonald sends in an extra rusher, but one of them has to go home. I think one of them involves Ernest Jones IV taking a bit of revenge on his former team. Seattle had no sacks last week, I think we'll see Jones get a sack today.

Opponent Prediction: Matthew Stafford throws for over 300 yards

Stafford hasn't thrown for more than 300 yards since Opening Day against the Detroit Lions. He never touched the ball in overtime, so it's a 300-yard day without the help of OT possessions. Last year in the season opener against Seattle, Stafford dropped .334 against the Seahawks and crushed them in every way possible.

Forgive me if I sound like an extreme downer, but I may have greatly overstated how good the Seahawks' secondary actually is. Aside from the coverage breakdowns we see at the second level, the back end has had some ugly moments over the course of the season when going up against competent quarterbacks. I can see Stafford making explosive plays against his top two receivers and even a deep ball or two against Damarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell.

Game Prediction: Seahawks get beat

I haven't picked the Seahawks to win since the New York Giants game. I also didn't pick them to lose by blowout when I picked against them. This part ends today. Of course I hope I'm wrong, but when I use my completely untested sentiment checker, I sense that something is off with this team.

Stylistically, this is a terrible combination. Seattle is one of the worst teams in the NFL at defending the short midfield, while Matthew Stafford has been one of the best QBs attacking the midfield. With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua available, this is a mismatch unless the Seahawks' defensive line overwhelms the Rams' offensive line.

Defensively, the Rams are not a particularly good unit and rank near the bottom in DVOA and EPA/Play. They have Jared Verse as a rookie of the year contender and he is a nightmare for this Seahawks offensive line. I'm not sure they can handle Byron Young, especially since he gets to wear the mask without penalty. LA's secondary isn't as good as Buffalo's. So if Seattle's receivers can't take the lead against the Rams' corners, we have a real problem. I almost gave up the running game.

I think Seattle's offense will be better (even without DK Metcalf) than what we saw against the Bills, but it will be more soul-destroying than last week. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 41-23 and we're all wondering if the Seahawks will turn from buyers to sellers come Tuesday's trade deadline.