Rams and Seahawks to be decided by quarterback play

It seems like a lifetime ago that the St. Louis Rams opened the 2015 season with an overtime victory over their biggest rival, the Seattle Seahawks. A game that was very promising for the team and fans alike it was meant to be the new precedent, but instead it was the unfortunate peak for the 2015 Rams. The game ended in a spectacular overtime victory for St. Louis after they squandered away a late lead. Since then both teams have gone in opposite directions, but regardless of season record, a victory over a division rival is always worth it.

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It’s a difficult comparison to make at this point in the season. These two teams have evolved quite a bit since Week 1. The biggest change has been at the quarterback position.

The first run through the Rams were on the doorstep of the Nick Foles era. Foles, acquired in an offseason trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, was looked upon as the consistent weapon at the quarterback position that seemed to have eluded St. Louis for years. Foles played one his best games of the season that September afternoon. Foles completed almost 70 percent of his passes for 276-yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Little did fans know, it would be just one of three occasions the young quarterback would hit the 200-yard passing mark.

Dec 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Cleveland, 30-13. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson started slow to say the least. Wilson struggled all day long and his offensive line did nothing to help the situation. The usually elusive quarterback was sacked six times and never established a rhythm with is receivers. He would throw for just 219-yards, one touchdown and one interception. It was a very pedestrian day for the usually electric Wilson. It was certainly an ode to the St. Louis defense as they displayed such a dominant and complete effort.

Since then, the two quarterbacks could not have gone in such vastly different directions if they tried. Foles has found himself benched in favor of a lesser talent and Wilson has vaulted himself into MVP considerations, and has the Seahawks positioned for yet another postseason appearance.

The aforementioned Keenum hasn’t provided much spark for an already struggling offense, but he has been under center for two of the team six wins. However, much like Foles, Keenum has struggled to find yards and the end zone. In the four games Keenum has started he has accumulated less than 500 passing yards and tossed just three touchdowns. His best game came last week against Tampa Bay when he threw for 234-yards and two touchdowns.

Wilson has gone in quite the opposite direction. Since Week 1, Wilson has thrown for 3,287 passing yards. That’s more than Foles and Keenum have combined for in the same amount of time. His 29 touchdowns are also more than St. Louis has thrown for as a team.

Wilson has been a machine since coming alive in late November. A 260-yard, three passing touchdown victory over the San Francisco 49ers was the catalyst for Seattle’s five-game winning streak. In that stretch Wilson has thrown for 19 touchdowns and zero interceptions. A huge part of Wilson’s success can be contributed the offensive line. A line that struggled in the early parts of the season made adjustments for the better, something St. Louis has failed to match.

Football is a team game, so a comparison of one position can’t accurately predict the outcome of a game, but the Rams will certainly need to contain Wilson if they hope try and salvage something out of this season. If the Tampa Bay game is an accurate barometer, Keenum and new offensive coordinator Rob Boras might be hitting their stride. Regardless, with playoff positioning on the line for Seattle and the opportunity to play spoiler for the Rams it should be an exciting matchup.