The Los Angeles Rams did something that few teams have been able to do this season, contain Russell Wilson. They forced him into quick decisions, and poor throws leading to key turnovers and long third-down situations. Everyone knew coming into the game that it would be the Rams’ defence vs. the Seahawks’ offence. It was proven once again this past weekend that defence wins championships.
Seattle Offensive Woes
Since starting the year red hot and averaging 34 points per game, the Seahawks offence dropped slightly in the second half of the year. It was a concern worth noting coming into the wild card game. It was proven on Saturday as they only finished with 20 points on the scoreboard. Wilson threw for 174 yards completing 11 passes on 27 attempts, two touchdowns but had a costly pick-six that changed the momentum in the game. A big part of the Seahawk’s issues were on third downs and penalties. They had multiple false starts and holding penalties that pushed them back further down the field. Which made for several long-downs resulting in numerous punts.
Rams Defence and Special Teams Show up
The Rams defence and special teams showed up big in the wildcard game vs. the Seahawks. Early in the second quarter, Seattle was driving when Darius Williams picked off Russell Wilson on a screen pass and took it 42 yards to the house. Easily a game-changing moment. The defence did allow 136 rushing yards but was able to contain the running backs to short gains. Aaron Donald and company did their job on the front line as they sacked Wilson five times for 32 lost yards in total. Another key to the Rams victory was their special teams as in the fourth quarter leading by 10 they were able to force a fumble on the return and recover the ball. That play allowed the Rams offence back on the field, giving Jared Goff and the offence excellent field position to extend their lead to 30-13. Doing so with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Robert Woods.
Cam Akers is a Question Mark
For most of the season, Akers didn’t have much success as he only had two touchdowns and just over 625 rushing yards on the season. However, he showed this past weekend that he can break out for big games when it matters the most, and he did that. Thanks to his 131 rushing yards and two touchdowns, the Rams were able to take down the Seahawks. It helps to have a tremendous offensive line like the Rams do. However, Akers beat a top-five rushing defence and made defenders look silly, including Bobby Wagner. So the question is which Cam Akers will show up against the Packers because he will be a crucial component to the Rams advancing to the NFC Championship game.
The Last-ditch Effort Falls Short
Despite the Seahawks scoring to cut the lead to 10 points, they couldn’t get a defensive stop when it mattered the most and ultimately fell short of the comeback. The Rams went on to win the game 30-20 and will move on to the Divisional round vs. the Packers. As for the Seahawks, many question marks surround their offseason. The moves they make will decide their fate next year during the regular season and the playoffs.