Seahawks Offense Goes Silent in Week 1 Loss to Rams
The first half of the Seattle Seahawks matchup against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field on Sunday saw both teams charge down the field in long methodical drives to put points up on the board.
But the second half saw the two sides play like opposites, as the Rams shutout Seattle in the final two quarters en route to a convincing 30-13 win.
The Seahawks went into halftime with the lead thanks to a touchdown pass from Geno Smith to a wide-open DK Metcalf, who routed the defender in coverage. The rest of the first half was headlined by three field goals that were missed as Jason Myers doinked one off the upright, while Rams kicker Brett Maher had one blocked and missed another to end the half.
© Steven Bisig, USA TODAY
The Rams opened the third quarter with a touchdown from Kyren Williams, who powered in his second score of the day giving Los Angeles a 14-13 lead, and they would never turn back. They would later add to their lead via a field goal made by Maher, making it 17-13.
After forcing a second Seattle punt, the Rams went 79 yards in 14 plays, in a drive that ended with a Cam Akers rushing touchdown. The touchdown gave L.A. a 24-13 lead, putting Seattle in a situation where it had to score the next drive. The Rams would add two more field goals to close out the game, making it a 30-13 final.
The Seahawks struggled to move the ball, and having injuries at both tackle positions across the offensive line did them no favors, being forced to punt for a third straight possession.
Despite having three big-name receivers in Seahawks uniforms, it was Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell of the Rams who stole the show, combining for 16 catches for 238 yards.
The Rams outscored the Seahawks 23-0 in the second half, while Seattle was only able to muster three yards of offense in the second half. There isn't much to say about the offensive struggles other than that won't get it done. The Seahawks failed to protect Smith, and the offense continuously came up short, as Smith went 16-of-26 for 112 yards, while the running game added 76 yards. Defensively, Seattle gave up 426 yards, and the Rams had the ball for nearly 40 minutes to Seattle's 20.
The Seahawks will hit the road next week, as they are set to head to Detroit (1-0), who are fresh off a Thursday night win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
