Ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, the Los Angeles Rams have several questions that require answers.
The Rams, who currently sit at 3-1 and are tied with the Seahawks for second in the NFC West, have not been able to find any rhythm on offense to start the year. Jared Goff has struggled as the team looks to break in two new starters along the offensive line as well as preserve Todd Gurley.
In their loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles and Goff were forced to keep pace as they fell behind 21-0 early in the first half. It was an uphill battle all afternoon as the Buccaneers were able to move up the field almost at will while the Rams found it difficult to score against a clearly improved Tampa Bay defensive unit.
Los Angeles also came out of the game banged up, losing inside linebacker Bryce Hager and rookie safety Taylor Rapp to shoulder and ankle injuries, respectively.
According to Lindsey Thiry of ESPN, Hager will not play on Thursday night, while Rapp is a longshot to see the field:
Rams starting ILB Bryce Hager has been ruled OUT for tomorrow nights game against the Seahawks. Safety Taylor Tapp is doubtful.
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) October 2, 2019
This obviously comes as a blow to a Rams defense that had been playing well prior to their game against the Buccaneers. Undrafted rookie Troy Reeder and backup Marqui Christian saw elevated roles and are projected to be the replacement starters in Seattle.
Although Seattle is not an offensive juggernaut by any stretch, the team does employ Russell Wilson, who has been great to start the year. His ability to extend plays with his legs and find receivers down the field will surely cause some problems for Los Angeles, especially now that they are down two of their rotational pieces.
Wade Phillips will need to compensate for the losses in the middle and backend of his defense and that could start with trying to get better looks for Aaron Donald up front. Donald has been consistently double and triple-teamed, resulting in fewer pressures and sacks from the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
While the Rams have not looked like the dominant team we are used to seeing at this point, it still would be wise to allow them some time to reset themselves given all the change this past year. Hopefully, they get back on the right foot in what should be a tough road matchup with the Seahawks on a short week.
