Rams vs. Seahawks: 4 Players in the Spotlight for Monday Night Football

Though the Seattle Seahawks and (especially) the St. Louis Rams have little at stake in tonight's game aside from draft positioning, this battle of NFC West teams still has in it some compelling storylines.

From quarterback controversies to running back battles, there's a lot worth watching in tonight's game.

Here are four players who will make the biggest impacts for their respective teams this evening.

RB Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams

Despite being on such a historically poor team, St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson has managed quite a career for himself.

He's rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his last six seasons and should hit that number again this year.

However, it's going to be hard for him to contribute much to that total tonight against the Seattle Seahawks.

In 14 games between the two teams, Jackson has never rushed for 100 yards, despite having 30 100-yard games under his belt.

Earlier this season, Jackson was on a three-game streak of 100-plus-yard games before meeting the Seahawks in Week 11. They held him to just 42 yards on the ground and 19 yards from receptions, and he has yet to hit 100 yards since.

Considering that Jackson is almost solely responsible for most of the Rams' offensive production as of late, look for him to get a lot of carries and receiving targets.

While it may not be enough to finally get him that 100-yard game against the Seahawks that's been eluding him for his entire career, he will certainly try to hit that mark tonight.

RB Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is easily one of the most bruising and dominating rushers of the second half of the season, racking up five 100-yard games on the season, four of which have come in the last five weeks.

Much like the Rams' Steven Jackson, Lynch is the primary contributor to his team's offense.

However, Lynch is having much more success, thanks to the other components of his team being relatively strong.

Lynch is on pace to run (and catch) for more than 100 yards again tonight as he faces the Rams' last-place run defense that's giving up an average of 157.8 yards on the ground per game.

On the season, Lynch has rushed 202 times for 854 yards and eight touchdowns and has caught 20 passes for 170 yards and a score. He's on pace for his first 1,000-yard season since 2008, and he should have his highest-scoring year of his career when this season wraps up.

Lynch is easily the most compelling reason to watch tonight's game.

Every week he manages a number of impressive runs, being able to break tackles like few other backs in the league. The Rams aren't likely to stop him tonight.

The St. Louis Rams Quarterback

It would be nice if I could plug a name in there, but quarterback alone will have to suffice, considering the Rams' starter situation is still very much a game-time decision.

Sam Bradford did not practice at all last week but did do some light throwing in the team's Saturday practice.

He's still very much questionable and is a game-time decision, as he continues to struggle with an ankle injury that's bothered him all season.

If Bradford cannot play, usual backup A.J. Feeley won't be available, either, as he is dealing with a thumb injury. That leaves just Tom Brandstater and Kellen Clemens on deck for the team, with Brandstater likely getting the nod tonight despite Clemens seeing a number of first-team reps in practice last week.

Brandstater was drafted by the Rams in 2009 but has never started a game, instead spending most of his time on the team's practice squad, from which he was promoted last week.

If Brandstater struggles tonight, don't be surprised if he is pulled during the game for the recently-signed Clemens.

At this point, the Rams' season is all but lost, so they might as well see what they have at quarterback and give opportunities to guys who would otherwise be unlikely to get a shot at starting.

WR Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks

With Sidney Rice on injured reserve and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks receiving corps unreliable, wideout Golden Tate has become the team's undisputed starter.

Tate has scored two touchdowns in his last two games and has garnered praise from head coach Pete Carroll every chance he's gotten to speak on the second-year player.

On the season, Tate has caught 20 passes for 220 yards and three scores.

Though the St. Louis Rams defense is relatively strong against the pass—allowing just 208 yards in the air per game on average—when quarterback Tarvaris Jackson turns to the play-action pass, he'll likely be looking for Tate most of the time.

The young player has emerged as a real threat in the Seahawks' otherwise fragile passing game. It's worth paying attention to this future star tonight when he's up against such a struggling opponent.