St. Louis Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks: Full St. Louis Game Preview

The St. Louis Rams (6-8) will travel north to take on the Seattle Seahawks (9-5) in CenturyLink Field—one of the most dreaded venues in all of football. 

The Rams recently suffered through a five-game losing streak, which effectively ended any shot at a playoff season. Even so, they have been trending upward. St. Louis has won each of its last two games—a 21-14 win over Detroit and a 31-23 victory over Tampa Bay.

However, the Rams' recent two-game run is nothing compared to Seattle's rampage over the last two months. After a sloppy 2-4 start, the Seahawks have soared high, winning seven of their last eight. Seattle may have started the season with a Super Bowl hangover, but the franchise has transformed back into a feared playoff contender. 

The Rams managed to beat Seattle in a 34-31 overtime victory in Week 1, but things have changed. These aren't the same teams that took the field back in September. St. Louis will be burdened with a monumental challenge Sunday. 

For more on the upcoming game, including the latest headlines, matchup analysis and more, read on. 

News and Notes

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Three Rams Players Earn Pro Bowl Bids

It hasn't been an ideal season for the Rams, but on the bright side, three of their own will be represented at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. According to NFL.com, running back Todd Gurley, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and punter Johnny Hekker will represent St. Louis. 

This is the second-consecutive year the Rams will have a rookie representative. Gurley, who has 1,023 rushing yards and nine touchdowns already this season, will make the trip and is also a likely contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Donald also made the Pro Bowl last season as a rookie. He'll be representing the Rams once again following a promising sophomore campaign. Donald now has 64 tackles on the year and leads St. Louis with 11 sacks. No player in the league has been more disruptive up the middle than Donald—he's a rare player who makes a positive impact on virtually every down. 

Hekker will also make his second trip to Hawaii. The punter has been a key special teams asset and currently leads the NFL with an average of 48.3 yards per punt.

Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson both had solid arguments for Pro Bowl bids. Johnson is fourth in the NFL in interceptions with six, and Jenkins has been a shutdown corner all season long. Unfortunately, neither player earned enough votes.

For a team facing its ninth-consecutive sub-.500 season, three representatives is a solid number. That number is not likely to increase until St. Louis starts producing winning seasons. For now, St. Louis' three current representatives are totally deserving of the honor. 

Rams Taking It Easy with Alec Ogletree

Linebacker Alec Ogletree suffered a devastating ankle injury in Week 4 and has yet to return to the field. According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, the Rams are being cautious by holding him out of practice, but he's still getting some work in at Rams Park. 

"He’s working inside," said Rams coach Jeff Fisher. "He’ll be out over the next couple of days. We’ll see how he moves and then we’ll kind of push him as best we can, but not going to put him in a position where if he’s not ready, we’re not going to play him."

However, it's still possible the linebacker will see action before the season is over. 

"We were hopeful when the injury took place at Arizona that he would be back. Realistically, from a medical standpoint, the doctor’s said, 'probably not,' but we want to give him that chance. I want to let him try to...you set a goal out there for him and so we’ll see. We’ll know probably in the middle of (next week) whether he can go or not.”

At this point, with no playoff hopes and nothing left to play for other than pride, it doesn't make sense to force Ogletree onto the field. He's a key defensive player and a rising star. The Rams might as well keep him safe on the sidelines until 2016. 

Injury News

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T.J. McDonald and Robert Quinn Have Surgery

According to Wagoner of ESPN.com, safety T.J. McDonald and defensive end Robert Quinn underwent their season-ending surgeries. 

McDonald suffered a devastating shoulder injury earlier in the year, and Quinn has been struggling with a back issue since midseason. Fortunately, Fisher has stated that the surgeries were successful. 

"Their procedures are both done," Fisher said, per Wagoner. "They're doing well. Rob had immediate relief, which was great, which we expected. T.J.'s shoulder was not in good shape, to say the least. But he's got a new shoulder."

Wagoner's article also mentions that both players are expected to be back for offseason activities, so McDonald and Quinn should be ready to roll in 2016. 

CB Lamarcus Joyner Limited

Rams second-year cornerback Lamarcus Joyner has been limited in practice this week with a back injury, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch via Twitter. 

The former second-round pick from 2014 has yet to earn a full-time starting role on defense, but he's still a reliable role player who sees plenty of action. His game-day status is uncertain, and the St. Louis secondary will suffer if he can't play. 

Cornerbacks Jenkins and Johnson have both recently missed time with injuries, but neither player is on the injury report this week, which is a lucky break for St. Louis. If the top two corners were still questionable, the Joyner injury would be a complete disaster for the secondary. 

In Joyner's place, second-year pro Marcus Roberson will take over as the No. 3 cornerback. 

WR Bradley Marquez Dealing With a Knee Injury

According to NFL.com, rookie wide receiver Bradley Marquez has been limited in practice this week. Thomas reports that it's a knee injury, but team has provided no info on his status for Sunday. 

Marquez made St. Louis' final roster this past summer as an undrafted rookie. He initially appeared exclusively on special teams but has seen more and more action on offense. He has nine total receptions in the last four weeks. 

If Marquez is not ready for Sunday, it'll be a blow to St. Louis' special teams unit. 

Top Matchups

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Michael Bennett vs. Rob Havenstein

Defensive end Michael Bennett is the muscle of the feared Seattle defense, so he's a player who must be contained. Stopping him will be a monumental challenge for St. Louis. 

Bennett is Seattle's left end, so he'll line up across from rookie right tackle Rob Havenstein. Putting a rookie up against a top-notch player like Bennett could be problematic for St. Louis. 

Bennett is a diverse player. He's an excellent pass-rusher and leads the Seahawks with 9.5 sacks, but he's also an excellent run defender. If Havenstein isn't up to the challenge, Gurley will have absolutely nowhere to run on the right side.

So far in 2015, Havenstein has been a stout run-blocker, just as advertised. His pass blocking still leaves something to be desired, and that'll be his primary issue this Sunday. The Rams must keep Case Keenum clean in order to get anything going offensively, so the matchup between Bennett and Havenstein will be of the utmost importance.

If Bennett steamrolls Havenstein, as he's done to so many offensive linemen this season, the Rams offense will regress into its usual dormant state, and the game will get out of hand.  

Cliff Avril vs. Greg Robinson

If the Rams somehow get the offense going and pull off the upset in Seattle, it'll take a monster effort from the offensive linemen. On top of the Bennett and Havenstein battle, the showdown between Seattle defensive end Cliff Avril and tackle Greg Robinson is also key for St. Louis. 

Since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2014, Robinson has been a disaster. Pro Football Focus rates him 74th out of 75 total NFL tackles, with an overall grade of minus-35.4. He leads all linemen in penalties (15) and quarterback hits allowed (19). The Rams drafted him to be a road-grading monster up front, but so far he's been an overwhelmed liability. 

Avril is a solid pass-rusher on the right side and has already accumulated 7.5 sacks this season. If Robinson is in his usual helpless state, Keenum will be in big trouble. 

If Robinson can finally overcome his mental lapses and find his physicality, it will do wonders for the St. Louis offense. 

Matchup X-Facors

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Case Keenum Has to Keep Up the Confidence

Against Tampa Bay on Thursday Night Football, Keenum turned in his best performance of the year. He completed an astonishing 82.4 percent of his passes for 234 yards. He tossed two touchdowns with zero picks and holds a passer rating of 94.0 in 2015. 

Keenum has started three total games for the Rams this season and owns a 2-1 record. His initial start against Baltimore in Week 11 was shaky—a 46.2 percent completion rate with just 136 yards—but he has since been a reliable presence under center. He's the primary reason for St. Louis' current two-game win streak. 

At the moment, Keenum is on a roll, and the Rams must keep it that way. So long as the offense is supporting him, his confidence will go, and the point production will steadily rise. However, if the offensive line implodes and allows Keenum to be pounded into the ground this Sunday, that confidence will vanish. 

If the Rams can provide Keenum with proper support, he'll make the plays the offense needs and put St. Louis in a position to win the game. 

The Rams Must Spark Todd Gurley

Despite the Rams' big 31-23 victory over the Buccaneers, St. Louis was never able to get Gurley going. 

Gurley made some plays in that game—he punched in a touchdown from the goal line and had a key 19-yard reception to set up a touchdown—but he was basically contained on the ground. He rushed for just 48 yards on 21 carries, which averages out to just 2.3 yards per pop. 

Time after time, Gurley ran into a brick wall. The run blocking up front was not up to par, and his performance suffered as a result. 

St. Louis was able to produce offensively against the Buccaneers despite Gurley's low production, but that won't keep up. If the Rams are going to produce points against the Seahawks, it's going to take a huge performance by Gurley, and it'll require a team effort to make that possible. 

If Gurley is shut down again, the Seahawks will have no trouble outscoring the Rams. 

Prediction: Seahawks 28, Rams 10

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It'll be difficult to find a single analyst who predicts a victory for the Rams this Sunday, and it's understandable. 

Seattle has been on fire lately with five consecutive wins. According to Odds Shark, the Seahawks are 14-point favorites over the Rams, despite St. Louis' recent two-game win streak. In fact, St. Louis has not won in Seattle since the 2004 season—the Rams have lost 10 straight road games against the Seahawks, which is an astonishing feat. 

Given St. Louis' embarrassing history playing in Seattle, there's no good reason to favor the Rams. Until St. Louis proves it can win in that venue, it's only reasonable to expect yet another loss. 

The Seattle defense will give the anemic St. Louis offense fits. The Rams offense will face constant three-and-outs, which will keep the St. Louis defense on the field and eventually wear it out. The game will probably be tight in the first half, but expect Seattle to go on a hot run in the third and fourth quarter. 

Watching the Rams upset Seattle on its own turf would be a feel-good story and a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing season, but don't expect it to happen. The odds are against St. Louis. 

If history is an indicator, the Rams have no chance. 

Prediction: Seahawks 28, Rams 10