With Davante Adams doubtful, Rams ready for a ‘big one’ vs. Seattle
SEATTLE — Sean McVay could truly be considered a Seattle insomniac.
After the Rams’ win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Rams coach left SoFi Stadium for the hospital and the birth of his second son, who arrived Monday morning. Next, McVay planned for Thursday night’s game with the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
When asked this week if he slept much after the newborn’s arrival, McVay, notoriously up early, laughed.
“Not really,” he said. “Even for me… It’s a good challenge.”
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Gary Klein explains what to watch for Thursday night when the Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks on the road.
McVay and the Rams, who hold the NFC’s top seed and clinched a playoff spot, will face their biggest and most important test of the season against the Seahawks.
Both teams are 11-3. The Rams are in first place in the NFC West and have the tiebreaker against the Seahawks due to their 21-19 victory against them at SoFi Stadium on November 16.
But that will change if the Rams can’t hold off a Seahawks team that beat the Indianapolis Colts 18-16 last week by six field goals.
As if facing the Seahawks wasn’t difficult enough, the Rams’ scheduled flight to Seattle was delayed a few hours due to mechanical issues with the plane.
When asked how big a game is, Rams players usually default to “no game is bigger than any other.” But quarterback Matthew Stafford recognized the challenge.
“Yeah, it’s a big deal,” he said. “They’re all at this point in the season. … This is why you love playing NFL football.”
Because the teams have identical records, it “puts just a little more punch” on the game, Rams safety Kamren Kinchens said.
“Playing for the division, there’s a lot on the table,” he said. “And ‘Thursday Night Football’ does even more.”
The question still looming for the Rams, at least publicly, is whether star wide receiver Davante Adams will play.
Adams, who leads the NFL in touchdowns with 14, suffered a hamstring injury that forced him out of the game against the Lions. McVay said this week that Adams’ status for Thursday night would not be determined before the game. The Rams listed him as questionable Wednesday.
If Adams doesn’t play, that could mean a bigger role for rookie Konata Mumpfield, a seventh-round pick from Pittsburgh who has five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.
“I feel like this season has gone well, I’m just able to be the best in my role no matter what they throw at me,” Mumpfield said. “Whether it’s blocking, whether it’s third down, whether it’s special teams.”
Adams, a 12th-year professional, has been a mentor and “like a big brother to me,” Mumpfield said, adding that he tries to “take pieces of his game and add them to mine.”
Puka Nacua, who is second in the NFL in receptions and receiving yards, is expected to be Stafford’s primary target, alongside a tight end corps that includes Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson.
Parkinson, who scored five touchdowns in his previous five NFL seasons – the first four with the Seahawks – has six touchdowns this season.
But with cold and possibly rainy conditions during the game, McVay could rely heavily on running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, who have been particularly effective in the last three games.
“Being able to run the football is going to be primary and key,” Stafford said.
Five weeks ago, Rams cornerbacks intercepted four passes from Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.
They therefore expect adjustments from the Seahawks.
And counterattacks from the Rams coaches, including the sleep-deprived McVay.
“He’s obviously a dedicated family man, but he’s also dedicated to us, so he’s doing a great job,” Stafford said, adding, “He’s ready to rock and roll.”
