The Los Angeles Rams shouldn’t be too upset with the matchup they drew in the wild card round. The Seattle Seahawks went 12-4, but didn’t have any wins over playoff teams except for the default Washington Football Team (barely) and the Rams at home 10 days ago. In their only other games against playoff teams, Seattle had four turnovers and gave up 44 points to the Buffalo Bills, and then they lost to the Rams one week later.
You can only play the schedule you are dealt, but even against one of the softer-looking schedules, the Seahawks were merely “okay” overall.
Seattle’s defense is probably its greatest strength at this point, and may have been overlooked for its part in the Seahawks’ early-season scoring surge: Seattle forced 14 turnovers over their first seven games and had nine touchdown drives of under 50 yards in that period of time. Even though the Seahawks defense also clearly cost them a couple of games, I’d say that it saved Seattle’s offense more often than not.
A storyline that the Rams can relate to.
The Seahawks led the NFL in scoring through nine games, but they were 15th in scoring and 23rd in yards per play over the final seven. Despite going 6-1 in that stretch, it seemed Seattle had to do more to uplift Russell Wilson than the other way around. The Seahawks finished 12-4 and two games ahead of LA in the standings but the differences in how the two teams performed this season seem rather small and little would have had to change for the records to be reversed.
With or without Jared Goff.
Here are three potential advantages for the LA Rams this Saturday in Seattle.
Russell Wilson’s struggles
First, Wilson has struggled this season. Despite being a frontrunner for MVP at the midway point, Wilson is no longer a consideration. Not only because Aaron Rogers and Patrick Mahomes and Derrick Henry pulled away, but Wilson’s in the midst of one of the worst stretches of his career. If not the worst.
The statistics show part of the story: over his last nine games, 66% completions, only 14 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 6.8 yards per attempt, six fumbles, 28 sacks taken.
The other part is that Wilson has not appeared to be making the right decisions, he’s poorly executed some others, and except for a 40-3 blowout over the Jets, Seattle’s offense can barely eclipse 20 points.
Second, Wilsons struggles against the Rams. the Seahawks are 5-9 against Los Angeles since they drafted Aaron Donald in 2014 and 3-5 since Sean McVay arrived in 2017. Wilson put up numbers against the Rams in 2018, but lost both games. In his last three starts against LA, Wilson is completing 61% of his passes with one touchdown, three interceptions, 16 sacks taken, two fumbles and 6.9 yards per attempt.
The Rams won two of those games.
Jalen Ramsey on DK Metcalf
We get Round 3 of Jalen Ramsey vs. DK Metcalf on Saturday afternoon.
Here’s a reel of every catch by Metcalf against Ramsey from their first two meetings this season. pic.twitter.com/38p79O4s85
One reason that Wilson could be contained on Saturday is that Jalen Ramsey is on the Rams. Ramsey deserves to be a first team all-pro for his performance in 2020, as he consistently shutdown opposing number one receivers, including DK Metcalf and DeAndre Hopkins in four total opportunities.
Similar to Wilson, Metcalf has not performed as well as of late as compared to his full season stats. He’s been held to under 65 yards in six of his last eight games — and only once went over 80. He’s caught only two touchdowns in the second half of the year … as compared to five drops. He caught eight passes for 87 yards in two games against Los Angeles.
Seattle went to Tyler Lockett a lot in Week 17 and he came through for first downs, but also needed 14 targets to gain 90 yards. The Seahawks do not have a consistent third weapon in the passing game. It might be painstaking for either offense to string together long touchdown drives.
In the single most prolific passing season in NFL history, Jalen Ramsey only allowed 20 yards per game in his coverage
It’s possible that Adams will play, but he’s been held out of practice with a shoulder injury and he might not get a full one in at all before gameday.
Similar to how much different the Rams offense has to be with John Wolford filling in for Jared Goff, the Seahawks’ defense and its success has been heavily predicated on the role that Adams plays as strong safety-blitzer. And like LA, Seattle traded two first round picks for a defensive back for a reason and that reason was not to have him miss playoff games or not be at 100%.
Adams had 9.5 sacks in 12 games, blitzing even more times (98) than he did with the New York Jets (90) over 14 games in 2019. Adams has not only been the Seahawks best pass rusher (though at this point, it could be Carlos Dunlap since he was acquired in trade), he plays a key role in run defense and against tight ends in the middle of the field and we know how important Cam Akers and Tyler Higbee will be to McVay’s offense this weekend.
If Adams can’t go or if he’s not operating at full capacity, that could be what unlocks the extra opportunities needed for the Rams’ offense to move the chains.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
