5 Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Battle Rams on Thursday Night Football

Under prime time lights at Lumen Field, the Seahawks and Rams will play out the latest chapter in their increasingly bitter rivalry on Thursday Night Football. Last time the two franchises met, Los Angeles took control early to build a 20-10 halftime lead and eventually hold on for a 10-point wild card win in Seattle back in January.

Since then, both teams have undergone significant changes. The Seahawks hired former Rams pass game coordinator Shane Waldron as their new offensive coordinator and also signed tight end Gerald Everett away from their rival. Meanwhile, the Rams upgraded at quarterback trading for Matthew Stafford and added several new weapons around him, including signing receiver Desean Jackson.

As the two teams prepare to battle for the fourth time in less than a calendar year, which matchups will have the greatest impact on the final outcome? Check out five marquee matchups below:

--Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs versus Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford: When the Seahawks acquired Diggs from the Lions in a midseason trade two years ago, Stafford was the first former teammate to reach out to him and the two still communicate often. This will be the first time they have played against one another in a regular season game and it will be interesting to see if Diggs' past success against the Rams carries over with Stafford now running Sean McVay's offense. In the past three regular season games between the two teams, he has intercepted a trio of passes, including recording a pick-six against Jared Goff in December 2019. Stafford himself hasn't exactly played well against Seattle, throwing seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in four previous regular season matchups. This should be a fun chess match between two close friends.

--Seahawks offensive line versus Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald: Since entering the league in 2014, Donald has terrorized every opponent he has faced, but he's been especially dominant against the Seahawks. In 15 previous games against them, he's racked up 15.0 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 40 quarterback hits, consistently assaulting Russell Wilson. Since he moves all over the defensive line in different alignments - he has seen at least 20 snaps at both defensive tackle and defensive end spots this year according to Pro Football Focus - the entire Seattle offensive line will be tasked with trying to find a way to slow him down. Specifically, guards Gabe Jackson and Damien Lewis will need to play at the top of their game after uneven starts to the season to keep Donald from wrecking the team's offensive game plan, something he has been far too effective at accomplishing over the years.

--Seahawks cornerbacks D.J. Reed, Sidney Jones, and Ugo Amadi versus Rams receivers Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Desean Jackson, and Tutu Atwell: The Seahawks shook up a maligned cornerback group last week by benching Tre Flowers in favor of Jones, and the changes brought mixed results in a win over the 49ers. D.J. Reed looked far more comfortable back on the right side and interestingly, he had great success at that position in three starts against the Rams a year ago. He gave up only one reception for 20 yards in the playoff game, three receptions on five targets for 24 yards in Week 16, and four receptions for 49 yards in Week 10, surrendering no touchdowns in 12 quarters of play. But he, Amadi, and Jones, who gave up two touchdowns in his starting debut, will be challenged by a talented receiving corps led by Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, who is first in the NFL in touchdown receptions and third in receiving yards. The addition of speedy wideouts Jackson and Atwell coupled with Stafford's big arm brings new elements for Seattle's defense to worry about and this looks to be a matchup that could heavily favor the visiting team.

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett versus Rams cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams: Seattle's second half swoon on offense a year ago coincided with all three matchups against Los Angeles' top-ranked defense happening after Week 10. For the most part, Ramsey locked down Metcalf in those games, limiting him to four receptions for 44 yards and no touchdowns on 10 targets. But while Russell Wilson respects Ramsey, arguably the best cornerback in football, he can't be afraid of testing him and Metcalf had him burned on a couple plays in that trio of games only for the quarterback to overthrow him. Big plays could still be there, so get your popcorn ready. Meanwhile, Williams served as Wilson's kryptonite last year, intercepting him three times, including returning a pick-six on a failed bubble screen to Metcalf. He will have to keep a close eye on the versatile cornerback and try to make him pay for his aggressive nature jumping routes, as double moves by Lockett and Metcalf could be effective if the Seahawks have enough time to let them develop.

--Seahawks defensive ends and safety Jamal Adams versus Rams tackles Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein: Boasting a top-five offense so far, one of the biggest reasons the Rams have been lighting up scoreboards has been the outstanding performance of the offensive line. Stafford has only been sacked three times in four games, allowing him to threw 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions so far. Continuing to beat Father Time, per Pro Football Focus, the 39-year old Whitworth has allowed six total pressures and a sack so far, while Havenstein has allowed seven pressures and a sack. To get Stafford off his game, Seattle's edge rush featuring Carlos Dunlap, Benson Mayowa, and Darrell Taylor will need to play with better consistency and find a way to crash the pocket frequently. This may also be the game where the Seahawks finally let Adams off his leash from a pass rushing perspective, as he produced six pressures and a pair of sacks in the three games between the teams a year ago. If he can disguise his blitzes effectively, his speed and explosiveness off the edge could be a problem for both of the Rams tackles.

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