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The Rams and Seahawks have one of the more exciting rivalries in the NFL. The race between the two teams is tight with the Seahawks leading the win/loss ratio 25/22 heading into last night’s game. Seattle was coming off of a big win against the 49ers to bring their record to 2-2 and the 3-1 Rams were heading into a hostile territory after a surprising loss to the Cardinals.
Despite the high-flying quarterbacks at the helm for both teams, the game was a low-scoring defensive battle. That was until the fourth quarter hit.
Key Injuries Before and During the Game Made the Difference
RB Chris Carson did not practice on Tuesday or Wednesday, so his status for Thursday was in serious doubt. Head coach Pete Carroll called Carson a game-time decision and he was ruled out a few hours before the start. Alex Collins and DeeJay Dallas subbed in for Carson but it was an uphill battle against Aaron Donald and the staunch Rams defense. Collins rushed 15 times for 47 yards for 3.1 yards per carry and Dallas rushed 4 times for seven yards for 1.8 yards carry.[[ad:athena]]
Much to Seattle’s horror, QB Russell Wilson suffered a severely sprained finger in the third quarter. The Rams were up 16-7 when backup Geno Smith came in for Wilson. He immediately lit the team on fire and led the Seahawks down the field that ended with a touchdown to WR DK Metcalf to cut the lead 16-14.
QB Matthew Stafford, who was dealing with a finger injury of his own, answered with a 33-yard play to Cooper Kupp to get them to Seattle’s 15-yard line. Another pass to Kupp set up a touchdown to RB Sony Michel.
With just over five minutes to go, it was up to Smith to drive the Seahawks back down the field. They could not convert with a touchdown but settled for a field goal to bring the score to 23-17 in favor of Los Angeles with just over two minutes left to play.
The Rams’ offense stalled and the Seahawks got the ball back with nine seconds until the two-minute warning. Geno rolled out, but his pass was intercepted, intended for Tyler Lockett.
The Rams burned the time off the clock and ended the drive with a field goal by Matt Gay, increasing their record to 4-2 and plunging the Seahawks to 2-3.
Robert Woods Lives
Kupp seemed to have caught the eye of Stafford through the first four weeks of play and Robert Woods managers were keenly feeling the pinch. There were off-the-field questions about whether or not Woods was disgruntled about the lack of usage. Head coach Sean McVay vowed to get Woods more involved and he certainly delivered on his promise.
Woods finished with 12 receptions on 14 targets for 150 yards and 27 points in PPR. Kupp was still productive with seven receptions on 10 targets for 92 yards and 16.2 points. Woods managers should feel a little more confident starting him moving forward. However, if that is causing too much heartburn, now would be the time to trade him.
Fantasy Winners
Aside from Woods and Kupp, some players hopefully gave you a leg-up on your Week 5 matchups. RB Darrell Henderson gave us a scare during the game after he was seen on the sideline shaking out his arm and Sony Michel subbed in to take the snaps. Henderson later came back in the game and finished with 82 yards rushing and a touchdown while Michel also scored on 37 yards rushing.
Metcalf came through in a big way for managers with five receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns while Lockett finished in the double digits with five receptions on 57 yards. If you were able to snag TE Tyler Higbee off of the waiver wire, a touchdown late in the game saved his fantasy output on only two receptions for 14 yards.
Unfortunately, Stafford and Wilson both disappointed and likely put you in a hole in a matchup that should have promised more points for the quarterback position. In fact, Smith scored more points in his limited time on the field than Wilson.
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Quick Hits/Injury Updates/COVID-19
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson injured his finger and did not finish Thursday night’s game. RB Chris Carson was ruled out with a neck injury. TE Gerald Everett was not activated off of the COVID-19 reserve list. … Rams QB Matthew Stafford injured his finger, but he stayed in the game and his status should be monitored. RB Darrell Henderson missed several plays and was seen shaking his arm on the sideline, but he did return to the game. WR Cooper Kupp was on the sideline just before time expired and looked uncomfortable pointing to his collar bone. … Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey returned to practice on Thursday. … Justin Fields was named the starting quarterback for the Bears. RB David Montgomery may miss four to five weeks which could take his absence through the bye in Week 10. … Vikings RB Dalvin Cook did not practice again on Thursday. … Colts RB Nyheim Hines is on the injury report with a shoulder injury. … Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott and WR Amari Cooper were limited at practice after dealing with a knee and hamstring injury respectively. … Lions TE T.J. Hockenson was limited at practice with a knee injury. … Giants WRs Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton still did not practice. … 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo was not at practice. … Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater is treading in the right direction through the concussion protocol. … Bengals RB Joe Mixon missed practice again on Thursday with an ankle injury. … Falcons WRs Calvin Ridley (undisclosed personal issue) and Russell Gage did not travel to London for Sunday’s matchup against the Jets. … Titans WR A.J. Brown was practicing with the second team after missing last week with a hamstring injury.