A few thoughts as Seahawks lose to Rams

By Brady Henderson

A few thoughts and notes after watching the Seahawks fall to 2-2 with a 19-13 loss to the Rams on Sunday.

What it means: The Seahawks are 2-2, with both losses coming in division road games. Questions about their conservative approach on offense won’t go away after they threw for just 160 yards. Russell Wilson was intercepted three times, though a case could be made that he wasn’t at fault for any of them. The Rams, under new coach Jeff Fisher, don’t appear to be the pushovers that had lost 13 of their previous 14 meetings with the Seahawks.

The good: The Seahawks rushed for 179 yards, including 118 and a touchdown from Marshawn Lynch, who ran hard and broke tackles all game long. Backup Robert Turbin was effective while spelling Lynch, rushing for 45 yards on six carries. He, too, broke tackles and even delivered one big hit on a St. Louis defender. Seattle’s defense, meanwhile, didn’t allow a touchdown and kept Steven Jackson, the Rams’ best player, in check once again. Brandon Mebane was in the Rams’ backfield all game long. Leon Washington gave Seattle good field position with a 69-yard kickoff return. Wilson was sharp on the opening drive, completing all three of his attempts for 40 yards and adding an eight-yard run.

The bad: The Seahawks settled for two second-half field goals despite being in a good position for a touchdown each time. While they only committed five penalties, some of them were costly and unnecessary. Breno Giacomini was flagged twice for late hits and once for a false start. His second personal foul penalty pushed the Seahawks back 15 yards on their second-to-last possession. Two of Wilson’s interceptions could have been avoided had receivers made better plays. Doug Baldwin couldn’t catch a pass that was thrown slightly behind him, resulting in the first interception. Wilson threw to Anthony McCoy on Seattle’s final possession, but the tight end slipped and the ball was easily picked off to end the game. Wilson’s second interception was tipped at the line of scrimmage. The defense’s inability to stop the Rams on third down, even in some third-and-long situations, helped extend St. Louis scoring drives. Questionable clock management by the Seahawks helped St. Louis regain possession and kick a field goal at the end of the first half.

Rams get tricky. The Rams scored their only touchdown on a fake field goal, with punter Johnny Hekker throwing to a wide open Danny Amendola in the second quarter. The Seahawks opened the second half with an onside kick attempt, but St. Louis recovered and kicked a field goal with the help of the good field position.

Injury notes: The Seahawks escaped with no major injuries. James Carpenter, playing for the first time since tearing his ACL last November, started at left guard. He left briefly after hurting his other knee but returned.