Game of the Week. Game of the Season. Best game in Thursday Night Football history?
The stakes speak for themselves in Week 16, as the Los Angeles Rams look to extend their reign in the NFC West and maintain the inside track for the NFC's top seed. However, the Seattle Seahawks have their sights set on dethroning LA.
Two top-five scoring offenses. A pair of top-three scoring defenses. The two best point differentials in the league.
The Rams are vying for consecutive NFC West titles for the first time since 2017-18, Sean McVay’s first two seasons. The Seahawks haven't been to the division's mountaintop since 2020.
It feels like these two franchises will collide again in January, and if they do, this will be the game that determines which city gets to host.
The Rams in the elements, in the Pacific Northwest, against The 12s, in pursuit of a 12th win.
"This is what you love playing NFL football for," Rams quarterback and MVP favorite Matthew Stafford said on Tuesday. "It's a quick turnaround to get this one going which is sometimes difficult, but we'll be ready to rock and roll."
He and the offense have been a buzzsaw this season, and especially lately. But the Rams least productive day on offense came against this Mike Macdonald-led Seattle defense, likely the NFC's best.
The Seahawks have allowed 25 points combined over their last three contests, fewest in a three-game span for the franchise since 2014. They've surrendered one touchdown in that stretch and it was a passing play from a 44-year-old quarterback off the couch. Go figure.
We broke down the rematch with Camryn Irwin and D'Marco Farr.
All Over The Park
Two former Seahawks will be critical in this matchup.
Poona Ford and the Rams defense just held the explosive Detroit ground game to 3.5 yards per carry and 70 rushing yards total.
Meantime, Colby Parkinson has six touchdown receptions in the past six games – more than he had in over five seasons of professional football before this "13 Personnel Era."
On a new Rams Revealed, Parkinson discussed the ingredients of his breakout campaign, but perhaps more importantly, touted the tight end room's contributions to the rushing attack.
Back To the Future
Kyren Williams and Blake Corum each have at least 70 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in three straight games. According to league research, they are the first NFL teammates since at least 1950 to accomplish that on the ground. The only other duo to have even 50 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown apiece in a 3-game span were Browns Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell, spanning the 1959 and 1960 seasons.
And with that, it's probably time to give the offensive line some love as they lock in for their greatest test of the season.
One juxtaposition to watch going into Thursday night is Seattle potentially being without left tackle Charles Cross, injured at the tail end of their win over Indianapolis, whereas Los Angeles may have found its right tackle of the future in Warren McClendon Jr., an injury replacement for captain Rob Havenstein.
"Right now, Warren's playing as well as any right tackle in the league," general manager Les Snead told us following the most recent victory.
Just For Kicks
Seldom do we carve out a section just for the kicking game, but this is the week to make an exception.
After all, Jason Myers just booted a Seahawks-record six field goals, including the game-winner from 56 yards with 29 seconds left to beat the Colts. And he won the Seahawks their first TNF game of the season, as time expired, in Week 4 at Arizona.
He also missed the decisive kick from 61 at SoFi Stadium in Week 11. Plus, back in 2023, Myers had a chance to beat the Rams with a 55-yard field goal at the end of regulation. But his kick sailed wide right, and instead LA swept Seattle.
On the Rams sideline, Harrison Mevis had not attempted an NFL field goal the last time these franchises connected. Now he's five-for-five in his debut campaign and still perfect on extra points.
Especially if weather is a factor in prime time, who'd be surprised if control of the division and conference came down to the kicking game?
Or, as is often the case, the team earning sevens not threes will likely be victorious.
Talking Points
Last week, the Rams punched their playoff ticket. And while there are bigger prizes at play, now it's the Seahawks' turn to be a home favorite with a win-to-clinch opportunity.
However, home woes and giveaways have been the story of Macdonald's two-year tenure. Whereas Seattle is 13-2 on the road since he took over for Pete Carroll, they're 8-8 at Lumen Field with a minus-12 turnover margin.
Sam Darnold has been off since his trip to Inglewood, however he's only thrown one interception since that four-pick performance.
Neither Darnold nor Stafford were sacked in their Week 11 meeting at SoFi Stadium – the only NFL game this season in which neither team earned a sack. I recall Seattle regretting their quarterback didn't take a sack or two rather than throwing interceptions under duress.
By the way, Rams safety Kamren Kinchens is averaging 1.33 interceptions per game in his young career against the Seahawks.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is responsible for 45 percent of the Seahawks receiving yards this season. Rashid Shaheed could be an under-the-radar problem, as well, with nine catches for 141 yards in his last two outings, in addition to the lethal threat he poses in the return game.
There were a litany of illustrations of the Rams rushing success making the rounds this week, but this one drives the point home.
Watching the West… Later This Weekend
We've reached the point where there's nothing left to watch if the Rams win on Thursday. That's the great thing about controlling your playoff destination as well as playing first in Week 16.
But in the interest of a rooting guide, here's your Red Zone menu. Let's start with the easy ones.
Go Colts, of course. And Steelers. And Commanders.
While we're at it…sure, why not? Go Cardinals, too. If you're watching that Falcons draft pick, Atlanta has five wins whereas the Commanders, Saints, and Bengals have four. So those are the teams you want to pick up victories down the stretch.
Where are you on the Bears and Packers? Green Bay's loss in Denver, and the even more consequential personnel losses, changed the dynamic. Whereas I didn't necessarily think it was in the Rams' best interest for the Packers to win Round One with the Bears, now I would concede that a bit of breathing room relative to Chicago might be valuable. What really tips the scales, however, is the desire for the Bears to have their backs against the wall when they travel to Santa Clara next week. So, whatever will make them supremely motivated, I guess?
And how about the battle for the NFC South? The Bucs and Panthers will play twice in the final three weeks to decide that division. Whichever team prevails will get a home game on Wild Card weekend, and it's entirely possible they'll host the loser of Rams-Seahawks.
