Seahawks clinch NFC West after beating the Rams on ‘Thursday Night Football’

The Seattle Seahawks clinched the NFC West after defeating division rival Los Angeles, 24-3, in a Thursday Night Football showdown. Though Richard Sherman was quick to describe the matchup as an “absolute poopfest,” the All-Pro cornerback can’t be disappointed with the result.

Seattle handed interim Rams coach John Fassel his first loss as the franchise’s new skipper. With the division crown out of the way, the Seahawks can now focus on chasing down the Detroit Lions for a first-round bye in the postseason.

The Seahawks won the division for the third time in the past four years, but the road was far from smooth. Early in the season, Seattle struggled on offense. Quarterback Russell Wilson suffered an MCL sprain in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, and that injury affected his mobility. On top of that, the Seahawks couldn’t gain traction on the ground. The offensive line failed to carve put space for running backs.

Green Bay Packers running back Christine Michael, who played for Seattle from Week 1 to Week 10, played well at times. But the Seahawks decided to release him before their Week 11 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Because Wilson suffered the MCL injury early in the season, his lack of mobility affected Seattle’s passing game. Wilson loves to extend plays by scrambling out of the pocket, but couldn’t due to injury.

The defense, on the other hand, has been great this season. Seattle hasn’t surrendered many big plays, and it always played with physicality and speed.

The Seahawks started the season on a bad note, but they turned it around quickly.

Now that running back Thomas Rawls is back, Seattle’s rushing attack looks rejuvenated. That’s great news for Wilson because he doesn’t have to do much. He just has to make plays, avoid turnovers, and keep drives alive.

If the Seahawks want to have success in the playoffs, they must continue to run the ball and play physical on defense. The latter half will be tough now Earl Thomas’s season is over thanks to a broken leg, but Seattle still has the talent to overcome the loss and advance to its third Super Bowl in four seasons.