It's week four of the regular season. Seattle has a chance to start the season 3-1 with two division wins. Win and the Seahawks seem playoff bound. Lose and the Seahawks fall back to the pack, 2-2, with the early tiebreaker awarded the Rams.
It's been a long time since a game in St. Louis meant something. I am not going to lie and write that I think Sam Bradford looks good. I think frustrating and forcing Bradford into error is the surest path to victory for Seattle. As much as the media will insist otherwise, this game is not about Bradford.
Steve Spagnuolo has his defense playing with greater fight and intensity than I've seen from the Rams in a decade. It was the defense that allowed St. Louis to upset the heavily favored Washington Redskins. Defenders are rallying to the ball, gang tackling, stripping, jumping throwing lanes and limiting run after catch. It is too early to call it an emerging unit, but it is certainly an improving unit.
Seattle's defense should succeed at slowing the run and forcing Bradford to shoulder the load, but unless the Seahawks offense can put pressure on the Rams through scoring, St. Louis can stick in a grind it out style that should minimize turnovers and keep the game close, keep the Rams in into the fourth quarter. If they can, they can upset Seattle. If Seattle can score early, it's easy to see how they can run away this.
Sea!