SEATTLE — CenturyLink Field is a notoriously difficult place to play for visiting teams. While the Seahawks went just 4-4 last year at home, the club carried a record of at least 7-1 for five consecutive seasons from 2012-2016.
And now after Los Angeles' 33-31 victory in Week 5, the Rams have handed the Seahawks three home losses in the last four years.
It started back in 2015, when the Rams won 23-17, improving their record at the time to 7-8 in Week 16. That was the team's first victory in Seattle since the 2004 season, when the club won a playoff game at the facility — then known as Qwest Field.
Though the club fell to the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in 2016, last season the Rams dominated the matchup for a 42-7 win in Week 15 to take full control of the division.
Sunday's matchup was another contest that went down to the wire. But L.A. ended up on top after quarterback Jared Goff's two-yard QB sneak on 4th-and-inches to secure the win.
While there's significant roster turnover each year in the NFL, the Rams do have quite a few players who have been around for all four of those games. Defensive lineman Michael Brockers said he feels the team feeds off of the crowd — even though it's hostile toward them.
"We just love playing up here. The energy the crowd brings — you get that 'us against the world' type vibe when you come up here," Brockers said. "So it really just pulls the team together. And through adversity, you just see this team — how young we were last year and the confidence that we have in each other right now, it's out the roof."
As the proverbial changing of the guard has seemed to happen in the NFC West, left guard Rodger Saffold hasn't forgotten the days where the Seahawks bested the Rams more times than not.
"I just think that this just continues the rivalry," Saffold said of the recent success in the Emerald City. "A lot of these guys weren't here, but I remember the days where Golden Tate used to taunt us before he got to the end zone. I remember the days where we had the close games at the Edward Jones Dome [in St. Loius]. And you can say that sways my decision and what I think about this team. But I think at the end of the day, we knew it was going to be a tough and physical game. But we had to overcome a lot of adversity, and that speaks volumes about our team."
Because he entered the league in 2015, running back Todd Gurley personally holds a 3-1 career record at CenturyLink Field. He told the media postgame that he was joking with some heckling fans while on the sideline.
'Oh yeah, I told the fans, 'This is my stadium. This is my city. We're taking over. That's what the Rams are coming to do,'" Gurley relayed postgame. "So, it feels good. There's no better place to win than in Seattle with the 12th man."
