Simmons before he asks and say that the Seahawks are definitely going to be rushing a lot on Sunday against the Lions Womens Quinton Jefferson Jersey , even if they’re dragging. As far as intro sentences go this isn’t gonna make my top-10, but let’s keep this train moving forward anyway.I’d say that running the football has been the topic de jour of 2018 — more so in Seattle than the league as a whole maybe, but still a huge topic in football regardless — even to the detriment of readers here at Field Gulls that wish I would just, “STOP!” However, I think it would be irresponsible to just stop talking about the importance and presence of the running game given that the running game has been the number one point of emphasis by Pete Carroll in 2018.Fire Darrell Bevell after two seasons of below average-to-bad rushing offenses (22nd in 2016, 23rd in 2017 by DVOA)Fire Tom Cable as offensive line coachPart ways with left guard Luke Joeckel, right guard Oday Aboushi, and tight end Jimmy GrahamHire Brian Schottenheimer as the new offensive coordinator, who if nothing else, got much more out of the New York Jets’ rushing offense in 2009 and 2010 than anyone expectedHire Mike Solari as the offensive line coach and his “power zone blocking” schemeSign D.J. Fluker to play right guardSign Ed Dickson to start at tight endDraft Rashaad Penny in the first roundDraft Will Dissly, considered the top blocking tight end in the draftSign J.R. Sweezy for additional depth at guardSign Brandon Marshall, who at this point in his career is likely way more adept as a blocker than he is as a receiverOh, and also just straight-up say you’re committed to the run:That intention did not produce the desired results in Weeks 1 and 2 as the Seahawks fell to 0-2 following losses vs the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears. Carroll said recently that he’s the only one to blame for the lack of emphasis on running in those games:Carroll and Schottenheimer found the run game in Week 3, even if they had to (and seemed to) force it. They’ve ran the ball 142 times in the last four games, which is the 6th-highest total since Week 3 despite Seattle even having a bye week in that time. The LA Rams have the most carries since Week 3 — they’ve run the ball 31.8 times per game in that time — but the Seahawks are running the ball 35.5(!) time per game over their last four.If a team did that for an entire season, they’d have 568 rush attempts. The team with the most rush attempts in 2017 was the Jacksonville Jaguars, and they only had 527 carries.This is not a question of whether or not Seattle should run it that much. This is not a debate about whether or not the rush attempts are a product of winning or if the winning is a result of running it. I don’t care about any of that right now, that’s not what I’m writing about. What I am writing about:Regardless of the reason for it, the Seahawks are going to run the football a lot, if they have the opportunity to. And their opponent this week seems destined to give them reason to over and over and over again.The Detroit Lions have had the fewest pass attempts against them in the NFL this season. The Seattle Seahawks have the fewest pass attempts in the NFL this season. If Russell Wilson ends up throwing the ball 40 times, something went horribly off-plan for Seattle. The intention will likely be to limit Wilson’s attempts to only his highest-percentage shots, while giving the ball to Chris Carson, Mike Davis, and Penny as much as possible. So far this year, the Lions defense has given teams little reason to not run on them; Detroit is 32nd in yards per carry allowed and 30th against the run by DVOA.Opponents have run the ball 157 times against the Lions, gaining 836 yards on 5.3 yards per carry; no single running back in the league is even close to producing at those kinds of numbers. When Ezekiel Elliott faced Detroit, he had 152 yards on 25 carries; Matt Breida gained 138 yards on 11 carries; Isaiah Crowell had 102 yards on 10 carries.The Lions lost all three of those games. And it’s hardly like you have to say, “Well, those teams started racking up rushing yards after they had a lead” because Breida and Crowell barely had a half’s worth of attempts. That’s just crappy defense. It’s an exciting opportunity for Carson, who has benefited the most from Carroll’s plan that started back in January to re-invest around the running back position: he has 277 yards in the last three games and is one of only a handful of backs to be on pace for over 1,000 yards even though he’s already missed one game.Mike Davis could also get in on the action, as he has 190 yards in his last three games. Penny had a rough start to the year, but Carroll noted early on that he’s also a rookie who missed three of four preseason games, plus a lot of training camp; though he failed to get a single snap two games ago, Penny’s also gained 5.11 yards per carry in his last two games of action, while also returning kicks.The Seahawks have a difficult task in Week 8, going on the road for a 10 AM PST kickoff against a team that doesn’t suck. The Lions are 3-3, just like Seattle, including wins over the New England Patriots http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/chris-carson-jersey-authentic , Green Bay Packers, and a 32-21 road win in Miami this past Sunday. The Seahawks likely plan to run a lot this weekend, but plans only go so far. If they can’t stop Matthew Stafford, if they end up turning the ball over, things change in a hurry.Then they could definitely end up dragging.Edit: After this article was written, the Lions traded a fifth-round pick for run-stopping defensive tackle Damon Harrison from the New York Giants. He should presumably be able to help by Week 7, though some level of new-team adjustment is usually expected. The Seattle Seahawks won’t get a chance to hand their division rival their first loss of the 2018 season, after the L.A. Rams dropped the game of the season last week, a 45-35 instant classic in New Orleans. Instead, the Seahawks uphill climb will be finding a win in the most unlikely of spots, against the league’s most complete team. The Rams are steamrolling opposing defenses in 2018 and did so in Seattle in Week 5, despite the Seahawks keeping a close scoreline. In this week’s column, we’re skipping the primers on offense and defense, as Seattle faced the same team just over a month ago. You can find a full primer on Sean McVay’s stunning offense and Wade Phillips’ time-tested defense here.Numbers that Matter6.5: One of the simple innovations McVay has brought to the forefront of modern NFL offenses is the use of tight splits. Los Angeles’ receivers—most commonly Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods—line up in-tight near the line of scrimmage. This small pre-snap adjustment forces secondary players to come near the box and into traffic post-snap, allowing the Rams’ receivers to get free releases. McVay manufactures separation for his wide receivers by simply adjusting their alignment.In 2018, L.A. ranks fourth in the NFL in yards after catch, averaging 6.5 yards per reception. Unsurprisingly, Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers lead the league in this category—McVay and Shanahan share offensive principles. Kupp enjoyed an outstanding first half against Justin Coleman in the Seahawks and Rams’ first matchup, as the slot receiver caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown before departing the game with an injury. Los Angeles’ receiving corps is back to full strength for the rematch, and Coleman and Seattle’s secondary need to be better prepared and avoid getting into trailing positions with the ball in the air. 190: In Week 5, the Seahawks, to the surprise of some, exchanged blows with the Rams for the better part of four quarters. A big part of their offense was Chris Carson and the rushing attack, which totaled a season-high 190 yards against a talented L.A. defense. The 190 yards given up on the ground by the Rams in Week 5 was the most they’ve allowed all season, and nearly 100 more than their season average of 94.8 (excluding Week 5). Though Carson’s status for Sunday is unknown—and likely won’t be known until game day—Seattle will again lean on their rushing attack to keep pace with one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses. Mike Davis, who turned 22 touches into 107 yards in an increased role last week, will likely be turned to if Carson can’t go. The Seahawks rushing attack has hit its stride mid-season; as a team, they’ve topped 150 yards on the ground in five consecutive games. 15.3: A big part of the success of a L.A. offense that ranks 2nd in Football Outsiders’ DVOA and 1st in total offense is their ability to sustain drives. The Rams have run the 5th most plays this season, they convert third downs and finish drives—they are a brutal proposition for any defense. One of the more incredible numbers relating to L.A. in 2018 is their three-and-out percentage: 15.3% of their drives have ended after just a single set of downs. The gap between the Rams and second (the Falcons at 21.4%) is nearly identical to the gap between second and 10th (the Giants at 27.6%) in three-and-out percentage. In 2018, Seattle’s defense has struggled with forcing three-and-outs. The Seahawks are forcing them on 25.9% of drives they face, the 5th worst figure in the NFL. Bend don’t break is a pillar of Pete Carroll’s defense, and against McVay and L.A., there is little choice. Whether you like it or not, your defense is going to bend. But if Seattle’s defense can hold up enough to force a handful of field goals, they can remain in the game into the 4th quarter, just like in the first matchup this season. Matchups to WatchTyler Lockett, David Moore versus Marcus Peters: In Week 5, Moore and Lockett ruthlessly took turns roasting Peters. Lockett beat him for a 39-yard touchdown before Moore beat him for a 31-yard score. Though Lockett and Moore have both been pleasantly surprising in 2018, neither of their performances in Week 5 were unique. Peters has been getting toasted by opposing wide receivers on a weekly basis. Forced into a press-corner role in Aqib Talib’s absence Womens Tre Flowers Jersey , Peters has suffered tremendously. Quarterbacks are completing 60.5% of their passes when targeting Peters, and he has allowed 463 yards and six touchdowns. Peters has had a habit of allowing explosive plays in 2018, and Sunday will see him matched up against two receivers who have a penchant for producing big plays. Two-thirds of Lockett’s production in Week 5 came out of the slot, but when the Seahawks got him matched up against Peters, they took advantage. Moore was the one primarily drawing Peters and enjoyed his breakout game, pulling in two touchdowns. Both will get the chance to go against Peters on Sunday, and as has been the case throughout Peters’ 2018, there’s a chance for a big play anytime he’s involved.Frank Clark versus Andrew Whitworth: The first time these two teams met in 2018, Clark was battling an illness and was hospitalized multiple times leading up to the contest... and it had no impact on his performance at all. Clark wreaked havoc all game, collecting an interception, a strip sack...... and a particularly epic tackle for loss.Whitworth, one of the NFL’s most consistent left tackles, has been beaten by Clark regularly since joining the Rams prior to the 2017 season. Their first matchup, in Week 6 of 2017, saw Clark beat Whitworth for a fourth quarter strip-sack. Their second matchup, in Week 15, had another Clark strip-sack. Clark’s first step and ability to dip goes directly against Whitworth’s strengths, and it’s proved to be a problem every time they face one another. In such an uneven team matchup, Seattle really needs any and every advantage they can find. If the first three meetings between Clark and Whitworth are any indication, that will include a possession-changing play by Clark. Opponent to KnowDante Fowler Jr, EDGE: If you could point out one flaw in what was a complete L.A. roster as the trade deadline approached, it would be at EDGE. Despite the dominant play of Aaron Donald and the always solid Ndamukong Suh, the Rams were missing the element of pressure from the outside. They had gotten just two sacks from Samson Ebukam, who was being counted on to take a step forward. So, Los Angeles did what any franchise in a Super Bowl window should do: They were aggressive in filling a need.The Rams flipped a third- and fifth-round pick in exchange for Fowler, the former 3rd overall selection. Fowler made his L.A. debut in Week 9 against the Saints, but was effectively shut down by the perennially underrated Terron Armstead. Though Fowler is by no means a game-changing talent, playing outside of Suh and Donald will lead to sacks. If interior pressure forces Wilson outside the pocket on Sunday, as it has in nearly every previous matchup between these two teams, Fowler will have every opportunity to clean up and start his production on the Rams with ease. Los Angeles will walk to an NFC West championship and home field advantage in 2018. From a divisional standpoint, little is at stake in this matchup. However, at 4-4, the Seahawks need to find a win where they’re the underdog somewhere down the stretch, as they get into a brutal part of their schedule. Though it’s unlikely it comes in Week 10, if Seattle can keep it close again, they could sneak out of a huge game against the Rams with an even bigger victory.