NFL News & Analysis

SEA-LA grades: Rams' defensive front is too much for Seahawks

during the second quarter of the home opening NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Coliseum on September 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.

Los Angeles Rams 9, Seattle Seahawks 3

Here are the biggest takeaways and highest-graded players from the Los Angeles Rams’ 9-3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in their home debut:

Los Angeles Rams

Quarterback grade: Case Keenum, 80.5

Keenum efficient despite unimpressive offense

Although quarterback Case Keenum did not receive a lot of help from his teammates, he played as well as a quarterback can when his team does not score a touchdown. While the Los Angeles signal-caller was hurt by three dropped passes, he was accurate on 75 percent of his aimed throws. Furthermore, he was effective throwing downfield, too, as he completed three of his five pass attempts of 20 yards or more.

case-keenum-passing-chart

Top offensive grades:

WR Kenny Britt, 77.2

OT Roger Saffold, 73.3

OT Rob Havenstein, 70.1

TE Lance Kendricks, 70.0

TE Tyler Higbee, 64.3

Rams offense lacks spark

Similar to last week's shutout loss to San Francisco, this was an absolutely lackluster performance from the Los Angeles offense, with nobody standing out from the pack. The Rams’ rushing attack struggled against the strong Seattle defensive front, as running back Todd Gurley averaged just 0.6 rushing yards before and 1.9 yards after contact, while Los Angeles’ longest run of the day went for only 11 yards.

Top defensive grades:

DT Aaron Donald, 91.6

CB Lamarcus Joyner, 85.9

LB Alec Ogletree, 85.7

DT Dominique Easley, 84.7

DE Robert Quinn, 80.4

Rams' defensive line is the difference in close win

Those who have been watching closely are not surprised anymore by the numbers Aaron Donald puts up week in and week out. The Los Angeles interior defender recorded three hits and three quarterback hurries, while he also added four defensive stops. However, it was not Donald alone who had a field day against the Seahawks' offensive line. Former New England Patriot DT Dominique Easley’s quickness helped him have an impact on the game despite playing only 22 snaps, while Robert Quinn was an unstoppable force off the edge and recorded one sack, one quarterback hit and two hurries. If the Rams' pass rush was not good enough on its own, they had a huge advantage in facing a Russell Wilson who had limited mobility in the pocket due to his injury.

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Seattle Seahawks

Quarterback grade: Russell Wilson, 79.4

Wilson’s performance limited by injury

It says a lot about the Seahawks offense that Wilson was their highest-graded player by a far margin. While Seattle’s signal-caller did not have a poor game, he was clearly bothered by his ankle injury and was not as evasive when escaping the pass rush as he is usually. In addition, his long pass to Tyler Lockett on Seattle’s last drive was probably the most impressive throw this weekend that didn't result in a touchdown.

Top offensive grades:

RB Christine Michael, 73.9

WR Paul Richardson, 72.8

C Justin Britt, 72.1

TE Jimmy Graham, 71.4

WR Tyler Lockett, 69.1

Offense overpowered by Los Angeles defensive front

The Seahawks' offensive line was bullied all day long by the Rams defenders, and simply could not get the running game going nor protect their quarterback. Center Justin Britt was the only offensive lineman who did not give up multiple pressures, and left guard Mark Glowinski surrendered the most total pressures with two quarterback hits and three hurries. Running back Christine Michael provided the lone spark for the offense, as he was able to create big plays from nothing, but his performance will more likely be remembered for his game-sealing fumble than his electric runs in the previous three-and-a-half quarters.

Top defensive grades:

LB Bobby Wagner, 89.7

LB K.J. Wright, 87.5

DI Tony McDaniel, 81.3

ED Frank Clark, 80.2

S Earl Thomas, 80.1

Strong performance in losing effort by the Seahawks defense

Almost each and every Seattle defender had a solid outing against Los Angeles, as free safety Earl Thomas was dominant once again after earning the lowest grade among safeties in the NFL last week. The fact that the Seahawks' defense missed only two tackles in the entire game shows how well the unit played despite the fact that the Seahawks could not come away with a win from the Coliseum.

PFF Game-Ball Winner: DT Aaron Donald, 91.6

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