Rams v Seahawks: What I Liked, What I Didn’t Like

The Rams’ latest season came to an end last Sunday with a 20-6 loss to a Seattle Seahawks side that was clinically effective in the fourth quarter. Jeff Fisher’s team’s failure to replicate the result of their first encounter against Seattle – a 28-26 win – meant that the regular season ended with a 6-10 record, a seeming regression from Fisher’s first two years in St Louis. As we now head the endless abyss that is the off-season, we look at the highs and lows of the blue-and-gold swansong.

What I Liked

The defense              For three quarters, the Rams succeeded in making this a close contest, and most of this is down to the defensive side of the ball. The Rams’ young defenders shut-out the Seahawks in the first half and came up with two takeaways and harassed a rattled Russell Wilson. The running game was largely contained – especially in the first half – and the defensive line was particularly dominant. Despite occasional struggles with coverage and tackling, and the pass rush’s late start, the defense has this season proved how well it can play, and this was certainly the case against Seattle. With the offense failing to capitulate on this, however, Rams Nation could easily predict where this was going…

Aaron Donald           Any doubts as to whether Donald’s place in the Defensive Rookie of the Year discussion is deserved were clearly dispelled with his final performance. Donald gained major penetration in every play on Seattle’s opening drive, and this set the tone for the remainder of the game. He simply crushed the offensive line and continuously flushed Wilson out of the pocket. Donald led all defensive linemen with seven tackles, with a sack of his own, but his impact cannot be simply measured in numbers. The rookie is the Rams’ best draft pick since Robert Quinn – in turn the best pick since Steven Jackson – and is one of the best defensive tackles in the League, regardless of experience. To not see him win DROY would be a shock.

What I Didn’t Like

The offense   There have been moments when both sides of the ball seemed to have been in synch with one another, but this was definitely not the case on Sunday. The defense kept giving the game back to the offense…who promptly threw away the many opportunities. The usual suspects reared their ugly heads, with promising drives petering out through penalties and questionable play-calling. The running game was non-existent – none of the rushers gained more than 2.5 yards per carry – and quarterback Shaun Hill was clearly uncomfortable with the passing game, throwing two interceptions in one of those performances that proved why he has been largely a career backup. An offense with weapons like Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook and Tre Mason should not be showing such little creativity, and the defensive wall could only contain the Seahawk tide for so long before the coffin was finally nailed on the Rams’ season.

The offensive line   The blame for Sunday’s offensive woes can be lain on many shoulders, not least Offensive Co-ordinator Brian Schottenheimer and Hill himself. But, in essence, the poor play of the offensive line was largely responsible for the loss. Injuries to Greg Robinson and Joe Barksdale did not help matters, but, from the beginning, the weaknesses in the interior line were continually exposed. These led to struggles in the running game and placed Hill under pressure, with the O-line giving up four sacks and contributing towards the turnovers. It is clear that center Scott Wells and guard Davin Joseph are very much in the decline of their careers and the line needs reinforcing in the offseason. The Rams have receivers and running backs that can post good numbers, but they are not good enough to cope when the support is lacking in the trenches.

Next week, we will be looking at What I Liked for the season as a whole…I trust I can find plenty after 16 weeks of ups-and-downs.