Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams
Final Score: Rams 21, Seahawks 19
Writer: Matthew Bevins (MattBQBList on Reddit)
When looking at this game on paper, expectations would be one of the premier matchups on the NFC slate, potentially two teams that could see themselves in the NFC Championship Game. Zoom out on this one, and you see a somewhat sloppy experience where both teams had continuous trouble finding paydirt and made costly mistakes in important situations. The game started with an early four-and-out drive by the Rams, and was followed shortly after with a pick on Sam Darnold. The game ended excitingly, with a field-goal attempt that could have put the Seahawks ahead as the clock expired.
Three Up
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba — What else can be said about this man? He had a heater of a season in 2024, accumulating over 1,100 yards in his second season. He has since broken out even more, and in this game compiled another 100-yard output in the air. He has quickly found himself in Sam Darnold‘s good graces.
- Kenneth Walker III — Walker needed a big showing after continuously teasing us with RB1 potential, only to disappear into the blue tent, obscurity, or the second spot on the RB depth chart. Walker showed up Sunday, and we can only hope it’s not too little, too late. Walker had 67 yards on the ground, as well as 44 yards in the air.
- Kyren Williams — Williams didn’t have an offense running on all cylinders to take the pressure off him Sunday, and he still came out and put up almost 10 yards per carry. Williams is plagued by constant doubt, as he’s labeled a touchdown merchant, but Sunday, he showcased what he can do when his team needs him most.
Three Down
- Matthew Stafford — Stafford has made a career out of being consistent when needed and being otherworldly when required for his career. Sunday, he had the worst showing of his season, as he ended the game with just 15 completions. Stafford faced a lauded defense in Seattle and had to compete with a constant rush encroaching on his pocket. Look for better days ahead.
- Davante Adams — Adams has become a security blanket and goal-line target for Stafford. With the passing game in a constant state of panic due to pressure, Adams was not seen with much space off the line or the ability to create separation. This left him with scraps, only able to break off on a single play for a 1-yard touchdown in the first half.
- Cooper Kupp — It’s a sad thing to say, but the fantasy funeral procession for Kupp’s fantasy output can begin whenever anyone has a free date in their calendar. Kupp had an early touchdown called back due to being marked down by a sliding defender, but even so, he ended the game with fewer receiving yards than recently acquired Rashid Shaheed, and it’s very clear the Seahawks were looking for some depth in a receiving crew where he cannot be trusted.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: 29/44, 279 Yards, 0 TDs, 4 INTs | 2 Carries, 11 Yards
Sam Darnold was having one of the best seasons in the NFL behind center and was the talk in many circles regarding a potential MVP run. This game may have put full brakes on it, as the Rams’ defense reeled in and ballhawked Darnold to the tune of four interceptions. Early on in the first quarter, coming off the heels of an unsuccessful four-and-out from the Rams, Darnold was backed up near his team’s goal line. With pressure coming through the line at him, he came off his back heel and ripped off a pass that was undercut by the Rams’ defense and Kamren Kinchens. Four interceptions in this game is something you’d never expect to see, as Darnold had just six on the season, and only once other than in this game had he even thrown more than one. Darnold will continue to see himself as a top-10 potential quarterback given his ability to connect with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and this can be chalked up to an absolutely dominant showcase by the Rams’ defense.
Running Back
Kenneth Walker III: 16 Carries, 67 Yards, 1 TD | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 44 Yards
Zach Charbonnet: 11 Carries, 37 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards
George Holani: 2 Carries, 6 Yards
Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet have often dueled out of the backfield, with Walker being at worst a 70-30 leader in rush attempt expectation, but it seems as this team continues to win games behind the arm of Darnold. They are also looking to find someone in the backfield to take the reins and become a dominant workhorse rusher. Walker may have taken the step needed to remedy the situation, as he looked explosive and was able to make consistent, chunk rushes. Walker even showcased on one rush a downhill burst that pushed the chains and also garnered them an additional 20 yards on a rush. When the team was down late in the game, Walker was able to take in a short 1-yard punch-in, and that was almost enough to get them back in the game.
Charbonnet and Holani will remedy the remaining rushing attempts, but it is going to be a Walker backfield for the remainder of the season, unless Walker slips on his opportunity.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 12 Targets,9 Receptions, 105 Yards
A.J. Barner: 11 Targets, 10 Receptions, 70 Yards | 2 Carries, 1 Yard
Cooper Kupp: 7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 23 Yards
Elijah Arroyo: 2 Targets
Rashid Shaheed: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 27 Yards
The Seahawks’ passing attack looked eerily similar to its usual offering, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba was able to get open often and even make an outstanding one-handed catch on a pass attempt made to him heading to the outer edges of the field. Darnold was able to find Kupp early on a passing attack that was called back from a touchdown reception to a standard completion. While the team has relied on Smith-Njigba throughout, it may seem to be time for the team to split up their target share. Sneaky pickup A.J. Barner has had flashes, and this game was actually the best he has looked this season, as he was able to help extend a drive on their short-yardage rushing play, as well as convert on 10 of the 11 targets he was in line for. While the season had started with Smith-Njigba and Kupp as the expected top-two receivers, the usage of Rashid Shaheed, who found himself with five targets this week, and Barner, who had his largest target share of his career, tells us that this team wants more from its offense than a stud receiver and Kupp.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford: 15/28, 130 Yards, 2 TDs
Matthew Stafford will go down in football as one of the most consistent arms in the league, and he’s found himself winning games like this all of his career, but usually it’s on the final drive where he shows his capabilities. This game was actually one of the least Stafford-esque showings that we have seen, where his team’s win was bailed out by a missed Jason Myers field goal. Stafford was gifted the ability to start four drives on shortened fields, given Darnold’s inability to hold onto the ball. Whereas that likely kept us from seeing his passing attempts spike over 30, he was also mildly inefficient, and it seemed as if his passes were a tad off, mostly attributed to the consistent pass rush of the Seahawks. While the Stafford to Adams connection was able to finish a drive with a 1-yard touchdown reception, not much was there for him otherwise. This is the first time this season that Stafford was unable to finish the game with under 150 yards passing and 17 completions. Stafford is likely not a standard starting quarterback, but games like this are far from the norm and can be attributed to the Seahawks’ aggressive defensive play.
Running Back
Kyren Williams: 12 Carries, 91 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 reception, 5 Yards
Blake Corum: 8 Carries, 10 yards | 2 Targets, 1 reception, -5 yards
Kyren Williams continues to impress with less aplomb than should be received, as he left the game Sunday with a 7.5 yards per carry average, almost 2 yards higher than his next best number for the year. This is something unanticipated, as the Seahawks came into the game as a top-three defensive unit and were stymying offenses left and right. Kyren was unable to surpass 12 carries, however, and this now ties his lowest carry count of the season. While Blake Corum continues to show up and be the only other player who is receiving any rushes, it seems at this point that the usage of Corum is mostly to spell Kyren than it is to eat into Kyren’s rush count. Kyren would likely have seen more carries, but this game was a mixture of short-field opportunities given Darnold’s interceptions, as well as the fact that Stafford was unable to keep drives rolling given his low completion count. In a game environment like this, with shorter fields to score on and consistent drive management by Stafford, Kyren could’ve easily left this game with two touchdowns and well over 100 yards rushing.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Puka Nacua: 8 Targets, 7 Receptions, 75 Yards | 2 Carries, 18 Yards
Davante Adams: 8 Targets, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Colby Parkinson: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards, 1 TD
Tyler Higbee: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 23 Yards
Jordan Whittington: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Xavier Smith: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
The receiving output this week was an outlier of all outliers. Stafford was completing fewer passes due to pressure than in any other game this year, and the only player who was able to stave off the bump in the road was the target vacuum known as Puka Nacua, able to garner eight targets on a day where only 28 attempts were made. Adams was able to make hay off a very quick 1-yard reception on a stepback where most defensive play calls would anticipate a Williams rush. Puka continues to get fed, and this is another opportunity to reflect on the fact that he and Adams are likely the most reliable receiver combo in the league, buoyed by a quarterback who will continue to pepper them in any situation found.
The secondary options continue to be far behind the top two in this group, and we’ll likely continue to see Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, and Jordan Whittington divide up roughly a third of the pass attempts between them. Adams has found himself as the continued red-zone option, so anyone secondary will also likely not have much opportunity for additional fantasy scoring close to the end zone.