Seahawks vs. Rams: Halftime Observations for the Seahawks

Well that was a sloppy half of football in St. Louis as the 3-6 Seahawks play the 2-7 Rams in an NFC West battle.  Even though both teams might be out of the playoff race, there is still lots on the line when division foes face off.

The game started off with two quick interceptions thrown by Tarvaris Jackson, which the Rams were able to take advantage of by scoring on a pass from Sam Bradford to Brandon Lloyd.

The Seahawks were able to tie it up on a touchdown pass from Jackson to Sidney Rice.

Heading into halftime with Seattle leading 10-7, who is going to come up big in the second half and win this game?

Here are five things that Seattle must do to get control of the game in the second half against St. Louis.

1. Expose the Injury Plagued Rams’ Secondary
The Rams have had over 10 injuries to their secondary this season alone.  This should be an area the Hawks can expose.  Doug Baldwin and Sidney Rice need to get on the same page as Tarvaris and exploit this banged-up secondary.  What would be great is if Mike Williams could put together a huge game by imposing his size against the young DBs.

2. Get Your BEAST MODE Going
The best weapon the Seahawks have is Marshawn Lynch.  They need to get him the ball early and often in the second half.  Lynch is the type of back that gets better with more carries.  Another benefit of pounding the ball with Lynch is that it will open up the passing game and make play-action a real weapon.

3. Stop Turning the Ball Over
Tarvaris Jackson’s two early interceptions got the Hawks off to a terrible start. Sidney Rice threw a great deep ball on the first drive—why not just have him be the QB the rest of the game?  All jokes aside, Jackson needs to step up and make plays this second half.  Better ball control will get the Hawks back in this game.  What the Hawks really need is a couple of turnovers forced against the Rams.  This will give them the best opportunity to win the game.

4. Stay Healthy
The Hawks have been decimated by injuries on their offensive line.  They can't afford anyone else to go down in this game.  Furthermore they really need the backups to step up and play out of their mind.  The offensive line needs to jell quickly and give Jackson some time to throw. Jackson has shown that he can make smart plays down field if given protection in the pocket.

5. Command the Line of Scrimmage
Steven Jackson is a beast that needs to be contained.  The way to stop him is to not let him get going.  Penetration from the defensive line will disrupt and negate Jackson’s running.  Furthermore the Hawks need to get pressure on Sam Bradford.  If he is given time to sit back there he will pick the secondary apart.  When he is pressured he has shown tendencies to turn the ball over or make errant throws.  Control the line of scrimmage and give yourself a shot to win this game.