The Rams' 9–3 win vs. Seattle may tell us more about the Seahawks
Jeff Fisher earned his stay in purgatory on Sunday, coaching up the Rams to a 9–3 win vs. the Seahawks in his team’s first regular season game in Los Angeles since leaving St. Louis.
Fisher, who hasn’t won more than eight games in a season since George W. Bush was president, is reportedly up for a three-year extension, one that will likely be announced soon after this big win against a divisional opponent. And at first, Sunday’s victory may seem like a statement game for Fisher and the Rams. They have won four of their last five against Seattle, even though the Rams have been at the bottom of the league while the Seahawks compete deep into the playoffs. But consider this: What if Seattle isn’t very good this season?
Obviously, the Seahawks were limited by a less-than-100% Russell Wilson on Sunday. Wilson played with a bum ankle, and it showed. But this is Seattle’s second straight close game after struggling with the hapless Dolphins in Week 1. Outside of Wilson, the Seahawks’ defense still looks strong, but the offensive line is a major issue, creating a chain-reaction of problems on that side of the ball. Wilson and Doug Baldwin are still star players, but Jimmy Graham may be the best blocker on the team, which is not ideal.
I would not at all be surprised if Seattle reeled off something like nine straight wins after this game and rendered these thoughts not only moot but foolish in hindsight. After all, the Seahawks started last season 0–2 (with a loss to the Rams!) and still made it within a whisper of the NFC Championship Game.
But there’s no doubting that struggling with the Dolphins (0–2 after a rough go in New England) and the Rams (who were blown out by Blaine Gabbert and the 49ers in Week 1) in back-to-back weeks is not exactly a good look for a team with Super Bowl hopes—even if Fisher looks at the Seahawks’ 1–1 record with wanderlust.
