Playing St. Louis used to be a gimme win. No matter how bad the Seahawks got in the last two seasons, we managed to perpetuate our domination of the hapless Lambs.
However, these are not the Rams of yesteryear. Don't let their 1-2 record fool you. Consider, for starters, that the Seahawks barely escaped winding up with that same record last week.
St. Louis looks good this year. Their many years of futility have begun to pay off: in stark contrast to Matt Millen's Detroit Lions, the Rams have managed to translate favorable draft position into on-field talent. Their rookie quarterback is playing improbably well. Their D-line looks fierce. In past years, the Rams got blown out. This year, they've played their opponents close, including good teams like the Philadelphia Eagles.
So, the Seahawks have their work cut out for them. We play poorly on the road, especially in early games. If we hope to win, we need to field the balanced and consistent offense we haven't seen thus far this year. The O-Line needs to step up, dominate the line of scrimmage, establish the run, and keep our QB upright. Hasselbeck needs to return to form and shed his recent habit of throwing at least one interception per game.
Our solid run defense should be able to shut down a gimpy Stephen Jackson and his backups. However, we also need a consistent pass rush to pressure Sam Bradford. We need to stop making opposing quarterbacks (Kyle Orton, Philip Rivers) look like All-Pros.
Of course, if Leon Washington and our special teams could be special again, that would be great, too.
Go, Hawks!
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