Seattle is 1-2 in St. Louis against Jeff Fisher, who consistently motivates his teams to exceed expectations against division rivals.
Preseason showed that our offensive line--which had been merely adequate under the leadership of Pro Bowl center Max Unger--looks utterly lost without him. The franchise continues to ask O-Line coach Tom Cable to work alchemical magic by turning the base metal of free agents, late-round draft picks and converted D-linemen into something resembling a professional front five. The unit showed a few encouraging signs of cohesion in the last exhibition against Oakland. Our sole stud lineman Russell Okung rested during preseason; will his insertion fortify the unit, or discombobulate what little chemistry there was?
Today our half-baked O-Line faces the sternest possible test. The Rams field the NFL's deepest and most terrifying defensive front, featuring four starters who were first-round draft picks, three of whom boast Pro Bowl resumes (tackle Aaron Donald, ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn).
Behind them is a capable linebacking corps and a secondary that might be vulnerable if the D-Line ever allowed opposing quarterbacks much time to throw.
There will likely be little running room for Marshawn Lynch. Expect to see Russell Wilson on the run. A lot. Or on his back.
Even Jimmy Graham is not a silver bullet. The Rams consistently shut him down in past contests.
Our only hope is that Darrell Bevell has done his homework and devised a strategy for keeping St. Louis off balance. Presumably, the unimaginative vanilla that passed for offense in preseason was a smokescreen, and we have designed some creative schemes to compensate for our limited O-Line with quick passes to Golden Graham and the receiving corps, including rookie sensation Tyler Lockett. Spreading the field and establishing a short passing game could create run alleys for DangeRuss and Beast Mode, which in turn could open up some deep aerial strikes down the field.
Fortunately, the Rams O-Line is similarly unsettled, so Seattle's strong defensive front should pin back their ears to attack the immobile Nick Foles and his mediocre running backs. A fierce pass rush should protect our secondary from undue exposure.
With Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas III returning from injury and Kam Chancellor continuing his holdout, we may have to rename the defensive backfield the Legion of Whom? I expect Sherman and Thomas to show that they're fully recovered, but Dion Bailey has big shoes to field, and Cary Williams must show that he can be more than the repeatedly victimized corner he was in Philadelphia and in preseason.
Presumably, our special teams units will be alert to Jeff Fisher's penchant for special teams trickeration, which allowed them to steal the win last year.
Go, Hawks!
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