Leonard Floyd, Los Angeles Rams.
The Seattle Seahawks came out of Week 4 with a possible season-saving victory. With a short week and another tough division matchup ahead, there’s no time to savor it. Here at Pacificnwsports.com, our team of experts is ready to deliver the answers to your burning questions on this short week.
Thanks to either a reinvigorated defense or an injury-marred 49ers offense, the Seattle Seahawks come into Week 5 with a .500 record. A win against the Los Angeles Rams would cement their contender status and ease some doubts about their losses to Tennessee and Minnesota. To answer this week’s Seahawks-related questions, we have Joe Swenson, Herb Nightingale, Chris Phillips, and Ed Stein joining me.
Chris: Despite what fan Joe Thompson thinks of Sidney Jones IV’s play. Jones’ teammates wouldn’t come out and praise him if he didn’t play well or better than Flowers. Also, I think the improved secondary play was more about the poor SF QB play.
Herb: I agree with Chris about it being a combination. The Seahawks’ secondary has a ways to go, but the pass rush wasn’t the best either. Both Sacks came from linebackers, not from the defensive line. The Seahawks might need to use more of Jamal Adams or other defensive backs used as pass rushers. This would mean more of Ryan Neal or other defensive backs on the field to help out in pass coverage.
Joe: I think it’s more of a product of Trey Lance. George Kittle caught 4 passes on 5 targets from Jimmy G. He caught no passes on 5 targets from Lance. Also, 76 yards came on a broken play, but who knows how that drive would have gone if that play didn’t happen.
Andrew: The 49ers drafted Trey Lance because they knew Jimmy G. was not the answer. Lance was erratic on Sunday and threw every pass like he was Randy Johnson trying to zip it past everyone. I also think that almost any ambulatory professional CB is an upgrade over Tre Flowers. Still, we won’t really know if Sunday’s performance was for real until after they face the Rams.
Ed: A little of both. Jimmy Garoppolo played very well in the first half. Trey Lance wasn’t as good in the second. I also think it took a little time for Sidney Jones to settle in.
Chris: This week, we see another running back by committee (RBC) approach despite the fact this team will not move to an RBC format. I think it’s just the coaches doing what is necessary to be successful. Carson is still the primary running back.
Herb: I wonder if Chris Carson was injured against San Francisco. Maybe Collins read the lead his lead blocks better. It also could just be play calling.
Joe: Carson is the primary back, and Alex Collins is a bit more shifty with decent hands; otherwise, they are the same back. It came down to hitting holes vs. not having holes.
Andrew: Chris Carson’s propensity for injuries has always been what kept him from being one of the league’s top backs. Finding out he has a chronic neck injury isn’t surprising, and who knows what that means long term.
Collins ran for nearly 1000 yards in 2017 for the Ravens and also had a solid year for them in 2018. It’s not shocking he’s been successful this year. Pete Carroll and John Schneider loved him coming out of college. This could slowly become a committee.
Ed: Collins looked good last week. He gave the Seahawks a spark when they needed it. It’s Carson’s job unless he’s too hurt to carry the load against the Rams. It will be interesting to see how many carries Carson gets with his neck injury if he plays at all.
Chris: It’s possible. Maybe more Doug Baldwin than Tyler Lockett as Freddie Swain doesn’t appear to be as explosive as Lockett. Regardless, it’s great to see the young player growing before our eyes.
Herb: It could come down to the situation and how opposing defenses are playing him. Let’s see if he shows up against the Rams.
Joe: Tough to say about Swain. He doesn’t have Lockett’s speed, hands, or ability after the catch. That said, Russel Wilson’s confidence in Swain is very strong.
Andrew: Since I’m asking the question, so obviously I see it. There are certain throws Wilson makes to Swain that do remind me of Baldwin and early Lockett. There have been some third down passes that weren’t huge gains but were big plays that Swain made. I think he’s going to have more of an impact than people expect.
Ed: It doesn’t feel like the same dynamic. In my opinion, Swain is finally catching on to what Russ does, after a year plus in the Seattle Seahawks system. He’s making the right adjustments to Wilson’s improvisations.
Chris: The Rams didn’t just beat the reigning SB champs; they destroyed Tampa Bay. So, yes, I think LAR is a contender. Chalk last week’s destruction up to the old “let down” storyline.
Herb: The Rams lost both coordinators in the off-season. Losing Waldron may have impacted the running game, as did losing Cam Akers. That’s a lot of talent to lose at once, but they’re still 3-1.
Joe: Every team in the NFC West is a contender. Stafford made them a contender on offense, and they lost to a good Cardinals team. It feels like a forced narrative, their only loss is to Arizona, and the Cardinals are undefeated.
Andrew: Right now, the NFC West has two real contenders, and one of them is playing in this game. The question is which team it is. Unfortunately, I’m not sure a Thursday night game three days after both played division opponents will tell us much. So far, neither team impresses me as a contender.
Ed: To me, the Los Angeles Rams aren’t overrated; they’re a good team.
Chris: Anytime a team has a winning record at the midway point, it should be considered a successful start to the season. Should 12’s expect more since they have a future Hall of Fame quarterback? Sure, they’ve been spoiled.
Herb: There have been years where the Seattle Seahawks have gotten off to slow starts, while there are other years like 202 where they started fast. Obviously, it would have been nice to beat either the Titans or the Vikings. I still like the 6-2 record, and even 5-3 would be good since the second half of the schedule is light too. We still don’t know if the Cardinals are for real or not. If they are, then it doesn’t really matter.
Joe: I wouldn’t call the Steelers or Saints soft. Three straight prime-time games for a coach that has the highest winning percentage (.875) and a quarterback that has the highest winning percentage (.833) in prime-time games is a more compelling conversation.
Andrew: If the Seahawks pull off the upset on Thursday, anything short of 6-2 would be a disappointment. Ben Roethlisberger literally can’t throw a ball more than 10 yards in the air anymore. The Saints threw everyone off with their Week 1 win, and Jacksonville …well, we should all hope to be the kind of grandparent Urban Meyer is. I’d be ok with 6-2, but that Tennessee game will haunt the Seahawks.
Ed: If Seattle Seahawks win Thursday, 6-2 is definitely within reach. Hopefully, Seattle stays relatively healthy through that point of the season.
Chris: Seattle 23-20, walk-off field goal.
Herb: Seattle 28-27
Joe: 27-24 Hawks
Andrew: Rams 35-17; I’m not a believer in the Seahawks defense.
Ed: Seahawks 23-21. Seahawks win the turnover battle.
Check back with PNWS later this week for our takeaways from the game.