The Seattle Seahawks have not only lost three straight at Lumen Field, they’ve not so much as led for one second of the games against the Buffalo Bills or San Francisco 49ers. Their quest to end their losing skid is definitely not a softball, either.
Under Sean McVay, the Los Angeles Rams have beaten the Seahawks in Seattle in five of his seven seasons in charge as head coach. The only misses were 2019 (on a last-second missed field goal by Greg Zuerlein) and 2022 (on an overtime made field goal by Jason Myers), and while the Rams lost the 2020 regular season matchup (and the NFC West title), they got revenge in the playoffs. As you know by now, that 2022 Rams team didn’t have Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, and several other key starters and contributors due to injuries. At least Donald isn’t playing, but now the Rams have added Puka Nacua and potential Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Jared Verse.
If the Rams beat the Seahawks as expected, it’ll be only the second time they’ll have lost four home games in a row since Lumen Field opened in 2002. The previous time was the Mike Holmgren farewell season of 2008, when the Seahawks dropped five straight games at home and finished 4-12. But the context of that 2008 team needs to acknowledge the extraordinary number of injuries suffered, as well as how reasonably competitive the Seahawks actually were against credible opposition:
L 27-17 vs. Green Bay Packers, with Charlie Frye (!!) starting at quarterback.
L 26-7 vs. Philadelphia Eagles, with Koren Robinson scoring a franchise-long 90-yard receiving touchdown. The Eagles reached the NFC Championship.
L 26-20 vs. Arizona Cardinals, who made the Super Bowl. Matt Hasselbeck threw a game-ending interception on the opening play of Seattle’s final drive.
L 20-17 vs. Washington, with Hasselbeck throwing a game-ending interception on the first play of the go-ahead drive again.
L 24-21 vs. New England Patriots, the last team to finish 11-5 and miss the playoffs. Seneca Wallace was strip-sacked near game-tying field goal range on the final drive.
Seattle ended its losing streak with a 13-3 upset win over the New York Jets in a snowstorm, sending Holmgren off on a high note in his home finale. It was also a vital game that kept the Jets out of the playoffs when they were a near lock to qualify.
The Rams are 0-3 on the road, including a heavy 41-10 annihilation against the Arizona Cardinals. But this is LA’s first road game with Nacua and Kupp in the lineup since Week 1, when the Detroit Lions needed overtime to win 26-20. You can just about disregard much of their 1-4 start now that they’re getting healthier on both sides of the ball.
If the Seahawks want to get more 12s back in the building instead of having way too much of the stadium comprised of opposition fans, the least they can do is get one over their fierce NFC West rivals and boost not just their playoff hopes, but the optimism levels of the fanbase heading into the bye week.
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