Leonard Williams Identifies What Makes Rams so Tough on Third Down

For the second straight week, the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks will face a team for the third time this season. Mike Macdonald’s club clashes with the Los Angeles Rams with an appearance in Super Bowl LX on the line. Sean McVay’s club won the season’s first meeting by two points (21-19) at SoFi Stadium, and the ‘Hawks retaliated with a one-point primetime overtime victory (38-37) in Week 16 at Lumen Field.

Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic wrote about the task facing the team that finished sixth in the league in total defense and allowed an NFL-low 292 points, and allowed a total of three field goals (vs. the 49ers) in their last two outings. Macdonald’s club hopes to knock off quarterback Matthew Stafford and company for the second time in six weeks.

The 17-year veteran has had his share of success in this series. The first overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft joined McVay’s team in 2021 via trade from the Detroit Lions. He’s faced Seattle a total of seven times as a member of the Rams, and owns a 6-1 record as a starter. He’s completed 60.9 percent of his throws for 2,018 yards, 11 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He’s also been sacked only six times in those seven outings. That includes zero times in three meetings with Macdonald’s Seahawks’ defense.

Matthew Stafford vs. Seahawk — Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass against the Seattle Seahawks in the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

“Reaching the Super Bowl rests on Seattle’s ability to rattle the engine of the Rams’ offense,” explained Dugar. “The Seahawks have not registered a sack and have just seven quarterback hits in two games this season against Stafford, who also hasn’t committed a turnover in 79 drop-backs versus the Dark Side. He threw for a season-high 457 yards in Week 16 after throwing for a season-low 130 yards against Seattle in Week 11. One of the few consistencies in these meetings has been Stafford’s ability to stay upright against Seattle’s pressure.”

Seahawks’ defensive force Leonard Williams had an explanation for the latter. “They get the ball out extremely fast (via Dugar). “What they do a good job of is putting him in third-and-manageable downs. They have the shortest distance (to gain) on third downs in the league, which allows for quick passes. You don’t have to sit back, drop and read coverages when you only need three to five yards for a first down."

“A lot of times, (Stafford) just catches the ball and knows exactly where to put it," added Williams. "Sometimes he’s not even looking, and he knows exactly where to put it.”

Now Macdonald and company need to find a way to put Stafford on the ground a few times on Sunday.

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