Key Seahawks-Rams matchups: Can DK Metcalf best Jalen Ramsey?

For the 6-2 Seahawks to stay atop the NFC West, they must beat the 5-3 Los Angeles Rams, who enter Sunday’s Week 10 matchup coming off their bye week while Seattle is coming off a brutal 44-34 loss in Buffalo to the Bills.

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These two teams have great familiarity with one another and last season, they split the season series, each team winning at home. Week 10’s contest is in Los Angeles.

Football is a game of matchups and the team that wins the majority of the key battles typically takes home the win. When the Seahawks and Rams face off, which matchups are most important to watch? Here are four that could decide who takes the key divisional showdown.

DK Metcalf vs. Jalen Ramsey

In his second year in the NFL, DK Metcalf has emerged not only as the Seahawks’ top receiver, but he’s now being seen as one of the top receivers in the entire NFL.

Entering Week 10, Metcalf is second in the NFL in receiving yards with 788. He also has scored eight touchdowns, which is tied for second most in the league.

On the flip side, the Rams have arguably the game’s top cover corner in Jalen Ramsey, who many expect to cover Seattle’s big-bodied receiver for most of the game. Looking at the numbers, it’s not hard to see why.

So far this year, per Pro Football Reference, opposing quarterbacks have thrown Ramsey’s way just 33 times, completing 17 passes (51.5%). Additionally, Ramsey has allowed only 186 yards and one touchdown while intercepting a pass. That equates to an opposing passer rating of just 66. Ramsey, a one-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, is having arguably his best season in coverage and the Rams rank second in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game at 197.1.

Last season, Ramsey only played the Seahawks once as the Rams acquired him partway through the year. In that one game, which the Rams won, Ramsey was regularly lined up on Metcalf. Metcalf had a solid game, catching all six of his targets for 78 yards.

The matchup is also important as it causes other defensive backs to line up on Tyler Lockett and David Moore, who are each having good seasons as well.

The Rams play nearly all their snaps with three cornerbacks, with Darious Williams and Troy Hill lining up with Ramsey. Williams is having a great year, picking off two passes and allowing only 54.8% of passes to be completed. Hill is allowing over 77% of passes to be completed.

But if Metcalf, Lockett and Moore can get the ball in their hands, it could be an issue. Ramsey has a missed tackle percentage of 12.5 while Hill’s is 14.8 and Williams’ is 13.

If the Seahawks can get some quick passes and get their receivers open, there’s a great chance for yards after the catch and yards after contact. And it all starts with that likely one-on-one between Ramsey and Metcalf.

Cooper Kupp in slot vs. Ugo Amadi or D.J. Reed

Whether or not the Seahawks even play nickel defense is in question due to injuries to Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar that could cause Seattle to stick with three linebackers.

If one of those two plays opposite Tre Flowers, however, Ugo Amadi and/or D.J. Reed will have a tough task at hand in Cooper Kupp, the Rams’ star receiver who is one of the top slot receivers in the game.

Of Kupp’s 527 receiving yards this season, 353 have come out of the slot, per Pro Football Focus.

Most yards from the slot:
1. CeeDee Lamb – 557
2. Cole Beasley – 522
3. Tyler Boyd – 497
4. JuJu Smith-Schuster – 358
5. Cooper Kupp – 353 pic.twitter.com/PKToS9SOF0

— PFF (@PFF) November 12, 2020

The Seahawks struggled overall against the pass last week, but a lot of their issues came when the Bills passed to the outside on Dunbar’s side of the field. The Rams don’t have someone on the outside who is as dangerous Stefon Diggs, who leads the NFL in receiving yards, is for the Bills – though Robert Woods is a very good receiver – and Kupp is a key part of this offense and keeping the chains moving.

Amadi has been up and down in coverage since taking over at nickel corner for the injured Marquise Blair and Reed had a great game out of the slot two weeks ago against the 49ers. If both are healthy and able to go – Amadi missed the last two games – one of them will have to show up and limit Kupp’s involvement. If not, it’ll be a long day for an already struggling secondary.

Aaron Donald vs. Seahawks’ IOL

In the link at the top of this story, 710 ESPN Seattle’s Stacy Rost describes just how great All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald is. This season, Donald has nine sacks, 38 pressures and has caused three turnovers with those pressures per NFL.com.

He’s also moving around the defensive line seemingly more than ever, with a decent amount of snaps coming off the edge. That may not be the case against the Seahawks.

Seattle may be without starting center Ethan Pocic, who is in concussion protocol. If Pocic can’t go, Kyle Fuller is the next man up and he hasn’t played an offensive snap in 2020. That could lead to Donald lining up over the center all game long.

But even if Pocic plays, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Donald playing inside as the interior of Seattle’s offensive line is more unproven than the outside.

Rather than lining up against left tackle Duane Brown, who is having a great year, or solid right tackle Brandon Shell, Donald could line up against a first-year starter in Pocic, a backup in Fuller, or a rookie in starting right guard Damien Lewis. Left guard could also be a spot the Rams attack, as either Mike Iupati returns to action after missing multiple games with a back injury, or Jordan Simmons starts again and the Rams may want Donald to test the young guard.

But regardless of where Donald lines up, the guy is a problem for everyone. He’s sacked Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson 12 times in his career and is always looking for more. As Stacy asked, can the Seahawks just keep Donald “at bay”?

Both team’s running games

When the Seahawks played the Bills, neither team tried to run the ball at all, but for different reasons.

For the Bills, they didn’t try to run it because the Seahawks are on pace to allow the most yards ever in NFL history and nearly all of that has come through the air. Buffalo had just 19 rushing attempts, with most of that coming either late or in short-yardage situations.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, played from behind nearly the entire game, so they had only 17 rushing attempts. Additionally, they were without top running back Chris Carson and backup Carlos Hyde, which didn’t help either.

So now it begs the question of if the Rams will take the Bills’ philosophy from a week ago and ditch the run, or if they’ll try their luck against Seattle’s fourth-raked rushing defense.

On the other side, the Seahawks aren’t sure if Carson and/or Hyde will be ready for the Rams game, but regardless, the Rams have been good against the run all year, ranking fifth, just behind the Seahawks.

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