Seahawks vs. Rams Week 16 Predictions
After clinching a playoff berth in the nation's capital last week, the Seahawks will look to secure their 11th win of the season and first NFC West title since 2016 as they host the Rams in a pivotal Week 16 matchup.
Will Seattle enact revenge after losing the first matchup between these teams in November and notch a playoff home game? Or will Sean McVay continue his mastery of Pete Carroll's squad with a season sweep to stay in the division title hunt?
Corbin Smith
Seahawks 31, Rams 26
Coming off a humbling loss to the previously winless Jets, I expect the Rams to come to Seattle with a renewed sense of urgency and Sean McVay's offense has always performed well against Pete Carroll's defense. With that said, Russell Wilson is beyond due for a strong outing against the Seahawks' bitter division rivals and this seems like a prime opportunity for him to bust out a bit with a three-touchdown performance, especially with all three of his main running backs back healthy to compliment him. Defensively, Seattle will have its share of struggles due to the athletes on the outside at quarterback Jared Goff's disposal, but without Cam Akers in the backfield or Andrew Whitworth protecting the blindside, look for the pass rush to get home and generate a turnover or two to squeeze out a close victory and capture a division title.
Nick Lee
Rams 27, Seahawks 23
I am going for the "reverse psychology" approach today. The Seahawks have their destiny entirely in their hands and all they need to do is win at home. Easy right? Wrong. The Seahawks are 2-5 against a Sean McVay-led Rams team and 1-2 in Seattle and they have lost five of their last six against L.A. The Rams give Seattle all sorts of trouble. If the run game starts rolling for the Rams, it's big time trouble. On the flip side, whenever the Seahawks are able to control the line of scrimmage and run the ball, they neutralize the effect of the best defensive player in football in Aaron Donald. The Rams will come out ticked off after being embarrassed by the Jets and their game plan will be airtight.
Ty Gonzalez
Seahawks 20, Rams 17
The only thing really keeping the Rams afloat this year is their defense, which gave Russell Wilson and the Seahawks’ offense plenty of fits in their first matchup six weeks ago. Of course, the biggest storyline to come out of that game was Wilson’s unwillingness to target DK Metcalf against Jalen Ramsey, though I expect that to be a non-issue in this one. Instead, what this one really comes down to is Seattle’s defense. After playing a relatively easy schedule since their Week 11 win versus Arizona, can the Seahawks keep their momentum going and get consistent pressure on Jared Goff, so as not to allow Los Angeles enough time to scheme themselves open? Or will Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Josh Reynolds run wild like they’ve done so many times versus Seattle due to the lack of pass rush? If the answer is the former, then I expect this to be a relatively low-scoring, sluggish affair between the two with Jason Myers hitting the game-winning field goal to give the Seahawks their ninth NFC West title in 19 seasons.
Colby Patnode
Seahawks 23, Rams 21
The stakes are pretty simple: win and you're hosting a playoff game. Lose and you'll need help from the up and down Cardinals to help win the division next weekend. But the Rams have the Seahawks number, as they're just 2-5 since Sean McVay entered the equation. Russell Wilson is starting to play better, but the Rams certainly have his number as well, a trend that continued in the team's first matchup. But with a healthy Ethan Pocic, the emergence of D.J. Reed, and a renewed commitment to the run game, Seattle is in a much better place than that first matchup. The Seahawks win the game and the NFC West on the back of Chris Carson's 100 yard, two touchdown performance, which will be sealed by a late Jamal Adams sack and forced fumble.
Aryanna Prasad
Seahawks 27, Rams 21
Obviously there's so much on the line, but I already thought the Rams were the toughest opponent the Seahawks have had all season. A case could be made for the Bills, but for Russell Wilson to go against Aaron Donald is always difficult and the Rams have dominated this series as of late. Still, I think this game will be close, and because the Seahawks have gotten so much stronger on defense as of late, I think they're primed to get a bit of payback. Tyler Lockett will have a big comeback game and I can see his skill set coming in clutch to get a win today, especially with DK Metcalf attracting extra attention. The pass rush will stay alive with sacks on Jared Goff from Jamal Adams, Benson Mayowa, and Carlos Dunlap.
Season Standings
Patnode 11-3
Lee 10-4
Smith 9-5
Gonzalez 8-6
Prasad 8-6
