The Seahawks managed a dramatic one-point victory over the Rams the last time the two teams played. What will Seattle head coach Pete Carroll do to make things easier this time around for his team?
"We're not really looking to make it easier, we're just trying to find a way to win," Carroll said on a conference call with Rams beat writers this week.
The Rams have cycled through some personnel changes since then, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
On Oct. 3, the Rams secondary featured safety Eric Weddle, safety John Johnson III, cornerbacks Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters and Nickell Robey-Coleman, linebackers Dante Fowler, Cory Littleton, Troy Reeder and Clay Matthews, and defensive linemen Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Aaron Donald.
The front seven of Fowler, Littleton, Reeder, Matthews, Brockers, Joseph-Day and Donald is still in tact, but the secondary is much different. Weddle and Robey-Coleman are the lone holdovers from that game after Johnson landed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury after Week 6. Talib was placed on injured reserve and later traded to the Dolphins, while Peters was traded to the Ravens. They were replaced by Jalen Ramsey, acquired in a trade with the Jaguars, and Troy Hill, while rookie Taylor Rapp took over a starting role.
"(Ramsey is) such a dynamic player that you certainly have to know where he is and how they're playing him in the game that you're in," Carroll said. "Do they match him? Do they play him on one side or the other? Do they do special things with him? He's an extraordinary player. So just like all of them, they have a number of really highlighted, marquee players that we have to pay attention to and make sure we know where they are and what they're doing and try to take care of them during the course of gameplanning."
Carroll sees challenges pressented by the Rams that go beyond Ramsey.
"They're a really good team and they've got players that can make things happen in difficult situations," Carroll said. "The coach knows how to call it and the quarterback knows how to throw it and the runner knows how to run it. They've got terrific receivers. The defense can do everything that they need to do with rushing and cutting."
Each of the last three games between the Rams and the Seahawks have been decided by fewer than seven points.
"They're a very difficult team to play because of scheme and the coaching and also the players," Carroll said. "So as we go against them again, we're just going to try to hold it together and play good football and take care of the ball. See if we can come out on top somehow in the end."
What else the Seahawks are saying about the Rams...
Seahawks digital media reporter says Seattle's one-two punch running game vs. a loaded Rams front seven is one of three key matchups on Sunday.
"Obviously Aaron Donald is as good as there is in this league, Clay Matthews, really good player, (Michael) Brockers, (Dante) Fowler, they have a ton of really good players over there," Seahawks tackle Duane Brown said. "They play well, they're fast. It's a challenge for us for sure."
