Familiar faces as Seahawks host Rams to open NFC playoffs

Updated Jan. 7, 2021 12:33 p.m. ET

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES RAMS (10-6) at SEATTLE (12-4)

Saturday, 4:40 p.m. ET, Fox

OPENING LINE - Seahawks by 4 ½

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Rams 9-7; Seahawks 8-8

SERIES RECORD - Seahawks lead 25-21

LAST MEETING - Seahawks beat Rams 20-9, Dec. 27, 2020

LAST WEEK - Rams beat Cardinals 18-7; Seahawks beat 49ers 26-23

AP PRO32 RANKING - Rams No. 11; Seahawks No. 5

RAMS OFFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (10), PASS (13).

RAMS DEFENSE - OVERALL (1), RUSH (3), PASS (1).

SEAHAWKS OFFENSE - OVERALL (17), RUSH (12), PASS (16).

SEAHAWKS DEFENSE - OVERALL (22), RUSH (5), PASS (31).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- The Seahawks and Rams will meet in the playoffs for just the second time. The previous meeting came in the 2004 wild-card round when the Rams beat the Seahawks 27-20 in Seattle. It was the final postseason victory together for Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, rookie Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger. In fact, the Rams didn’t win another playoff game for 14 years. ... It’s the second meeting in three weeks for the division foes. Seattle beat the Rams 20-9 in Week 16. The game was tied 6-6 at halftime before a pair of second-half touchdowns from Russell Wilson, one passing, one rushing. ... The Rams are making their third playoff appearance in four years under coach Sean McVay. They’re 2-2 in that postseason stretch, winning the NFC title two years ago and missing the playoffs last year. ... McVay doesn’t plan to announce his starting quarterback before the opening series. Jared Goff missed last week’s game after thumb surgery, but he is hoping to play. ... Smaller, speedier backup John Wolford had a solid all-around game while leading the Rams to a win over Arizona. Although the Rams didn’t score an offensive TD, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 50 yards and pass for 200 yards in his NFL debut. ... The Rams are 35-0 when leading at halftime under McVay. ... The Rams’ defense finished No. 1 in the NFL in total yards allowed, yards passing allowed, passing touchdowns allowed, first downs allowed and points allowed. ... DT Aaron Donald finished tied for second in the NFL with 13 ½ sacks. He has sacked Wilson 13 times, more than any other quarterback. ... LB Leonard Floyd got five of his 10 ½ sacks this season against Wilson. ... LA’s opponents scored only eight touchdowns in the second half, but six of those were in December, including two by the Seahawks two weeks ago. ... WR Cooper Kupp and DT Michael Brockers are expected back after missing one game on the COVID-19/reserve list. Kupp led the Rams with 92 catches for 974 yards. Brockers had five sacks. ... Seahawks are 17-17 all-time in the postseason but are 12-2 at home and have won 10 straight home playoff games. ... This will be Seattle’s first home playoff game since January 2017 when it beat Detroit in the wild-card round before losing the following week at Atlanta. ... The Seahawks have played one postseason game on Jan. 9 previously, losing to Miami in 2000 in the wild-card round. It was the final game at the Kingdome. ... The Seahawks are in the playoffs for the 14th time in the past 18 seasons, but have not advanced past the second weekend of the playoffs since their last Super Bowl appearance in February 2015. ... In his two games against the Rams in the regular season, Wilson was sacked 11 times, threw two interceptions and had a combined passer rating of 74.1. ... Wilson is 8-10 in his career against the Rams, the only team in the league he has a losing record against. ... Wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett set franchise receiving records in the regular season. Metcalf set a mark in yards receiving (1,303) and Lockett had a franchise-best 100 catches. ... The Seahawks led the NFL in scoring defense over the final eight games of the season allowing 16 points per game. Seattle held five of its final six opponents under 20 points. ... Seattle had 37 of its 46 sacks over the final 10 games of the schedule. The 37 sacks during that stretch were the most in the league. ... SS Jamal Adams is expected to play despite a shoulder injury. Adams set a league record for sacks by a defensive back with 9 ½ in the regular season and was the first DB to lead his team in sacks since 2011. ... Fantasy tip: LA’s defense didn’t allow a 100-yard rusher all season, and just one 300-yard passer, Buffalo’s Josh Allen back in Week 3. Seattle's D has been very stingy since mid-November.

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