The Los Angeles Rams celebrated their return to Southern California with a 9-3 victory over the division rival Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, September 18. The Rams improved to 1-1 on the 2016 season.
The game wasn’t pretty from the start. Both teams struggled to move the ball once they reached opposing territory, with the Rams making the most of their opportunities to kick three field goals.
Both quarterbacks put together workmanlike performances. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson completed 22 of 35 passes for 254 yards. His counterpart Rams quarterback Case Keenum went 18 of 30 for 239 yards. Neither quarterback threw a touchdown.
The key to the game was rush defense. Seattle running back Thomas Rawls rushed for -7 yards on seven carries. His backup Christine Michael compiled 60 yards. Overall, the Seahawks were held to 67 yards rushing.
The running game wasn’t any better for the Rams. Todd Gurley rushed for only 51 yards, and L.A. finished with only 64 yards on the ground.
In the end, the Rams made more plays than the Seahawks. They remain without an offensive touchdown on the season, but their passing game showed much improvement from Week 1. They will travel to Florida next week to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, September 25 at 1:05 PT.
