For two quarters it seemed as though Mathew Stafford and the Rams were continuing where they left off against the Arizona Cardinals. They struggled to move the ball for 30 minutes, putting up only 3 points, courtesy of a Matt Gay 31 yard field goal. Fortunately, the Rams defense, led by Aaron Donald, kept the score close, only trailing 7-3 at halftime.
The second half was a different story, though. Stafford, while battling an index finger injury on his throwing hand, was able to lead the offense on a 96 yard drive, capped by a Darrell Henderson 5 yard touchdown run. The Rams were back. The defense held on Seattle’s next possession, forcing another punt. Once again, Stafford orchestrated a long scoring drive. This one went 82 yards culminating in a Tyler Higbee 13 yard touchdown grab.
Following an injury to Russell Wilson’s throwing hand, backup QB Geno Smith sparked the Seahawks by leading them on an improbable 85 yard scoring drive. Smith finished the drive by hitting DK Metcalf for a 23 yard touchdown strike. However, Stafford and the Rams immediately answered with a 73 yard drive of their own. The drive was capped by a Sony Michel 2 yard touchdown run, putting an end to Geno Smith ’s heroics.
While the Rams seemed sluggish early in the game, their offense rebounded in the second half and finished back in the form fans were treated to during their 3-0 run. The defensive was staunch and Donald notched another sack, becoming the Rams’ all-time sack leader (88.5 total).
The slow start aside, this was a solid win. Even with the loss of Russell Wilson, for most of the second half, defeating the always dangerous Seahawks, on their hostile, home field is a challenge. In this short season, the Rams have now beaten four teams which made the playoffs last year.
The Rams can look forward to a long rest before taking on the Giants in week 6, Stafford’s former Lions in week 7 and the Texans in week 8. Los Angeles Rams fans everywhere will be relishing the coming three weeks…
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