We still have one more game to go tonight (Seattle Seahawks vs St Louis Rams on Monday Night Football) but I think that one is already in the bag for the Hawks. The St Louis Rams are going to be without starting QB Sam Bradford as well as playing on the same night as game 5 of the World Series (Boston Red Sox vs St Louis Cardinals; series tied at 2-2) which will be played only a few miles down the road from the Edward Jones Dome (St Louis Rams Home Stadium). That should have an ill-affect on the home field advantage the Rams thought that they had, because most of the sports fans will be either attending or watching the World Series. The Hawks are coming into this game ranked 4th in the league in scoring at 27.3 pts a game and the points should keep rolling on in tonight's game where the Rams are giving up 26.3 pts on average.
The Rams will put the offense in 8 yr pro Kellen Clemens hands tonight, who has played behind Sam Bradford for the last 2 years so at the very least he is familiar with the offense. St Louis was averaging 299 yds of offense before Bradford went down and that number will probably be decreasing tonight against a Seattle defense that is giving up on average 282 yds a game. The Rams have also signed QB Brady Quinn, who played in the preseason for the Hawks and also spent some time with the New York Jets until being released last Monday.
The Seahawks will be looking to revenge there last meeting in St Louis last year where they lost a close, defensive game 19-13, in which QB Russell Wilson was intercepted 3 times. RB Marshawn Lynch (2nd in the league in rush yds behind Lesean McCoy) will be looking to plow thru a Rams defense that is giving up an average of 126 yds per game on the ground.
The X-Factor in this match-up I think will be the Seahawks offensive line, who are still short 2 of their 5 starters (Russell Okung & Breno Giacomini) and have given up 20 sacks on the year. This number could be even larger if it wasn't for the fact that Russell Wilson is one of, if not the best scrambler in the league. The Rams have 18 sacks on the year (8th in the league) and will need DE Robert Quinn (7 sacks) to continue his terror on QB's if they want a chance at winning, although Seattle, who is tied with Arizona and Green Bay with 23 sacks, will be doing their own QB Terror show Monday night with off season acquisitions Cliff Avril (3 sacks) and Michael Bennett (4.5 sacks), as well as Chris Clemons (3.5 sacks) and Clinton McDonald (3.5 sacks).
This being a NFC West showdown makes my prediction on this game a little more close than some would like, but as a guy who grew up watching the NFC West I know that you don't take any of these teams for granted.
Prediction:
SEA over STL 19-9
Injuries/Inactive:
SEA - The Seahawks will be without Starting T Russell Okung, TE Anthony McCoy, DT Jesse Williams, RB Spencer Ware, as well as WR Percy Harvin.
STL - Other than Sam Bradford the Rams will be mostly healthy when they take on the Seahawks tonight. CB Corltand Finnegan is listed as Questionable, as well as RB Benny Cunningham, and C Scott Wells.
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