Getty Aaron Donald gets doubled team on September 10, 2023 in Seattle.
The roar of the Seattle Seahawks’ “12th man” didn’t last long during the Los Angeles Rams’ 30-13 road win on Sunday, September 10. The Rams’ second-half surge hushed the Lumen Field crowd — arguably, the loudest in the league — as fans made early exits while LA dismantled the Seahawks.
Two days after the 17-point victory, the Rams took a dig at the Seahawks and their fans.
“Got real quiet up there,” the team posted on X, formerly Twitter, with a graphic illustrating the LA defense’s dominance over the Seahawks offense. The Rams gave up only 12 total yards and one first down.
Got real quiet up there.
How Dominant Was the Defense?
The Seahawks’ first four possessions of the second half ended with punts. The fifth possession comprised one play with 5 seconds left in the game.
It wouldn’t have been made possible without the following sequences:
Third-and-5 during first defensive possession: Geno Smith turned his eyes to the left to try to feed prized rookie draft pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had second-year cornerback Derion Kendrick covering him. However, Russ Yeast closed fast to pick up and assist Kendrick. Had it not been for the safety help, the Seahawks might’ve picked up a first down.
Kendrick’s sticky coverage on deep shot by Smith: Smith, the league’s reigning Comeback Player of the Year, still wanted to test Kendrick. But this time, Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf was facing Kendrick. Kendrick, though, stayed attached to Metcalf’s hip the whole way and helped force an incompletion. A completion during that third-and-4 would’ve place Seattle near the LA 30-yard-line.
Hey, rookie, welcome to the league: Rookie linebacker Byron Young showed why he was drafted in the third round. On another third-down-and-long scenario for Seattle, Young resorted to a bull rush on Jake Curhan. But Young is low and powerful enough to move back the towering 6-foot-6 blocker before getting to Smith to force an incompletion. A completed check down pass to Kenneth Walker would’ve kept the drive alive.
Double the sack fun: Before the first sack, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris called a defensive lineman stunt with Aaron Donald, who looped behind rookie Kobie Turner only to run into a double-team wall. That let Turner and edge rusher Michael Hoecht take advantage, because each was left with only a solo blocker to beat. On the subsequent play, the Rams dropped seven into coverage and rushed four, but Smith was left with no running back help to prevent a sack.
Sean McVay Praises 2 Rams Defenders
The dominating defensive performance during the second half was certainly a topic among the LA media during head coach Sean McVay’s Zoom press conference on Monday, September 11. McVay praised the way Young and Turner both brought early energy to the Rams’ defense.
“Yeah, I thought they both did really well,” McVay said. “I thought the relentless strain, the effort, the overall understanding of what we were trying to get done, but I think these are two relentless competitors. They’re two conscientious guys.”
Their games weren’t considered perfect or dominant. Still, McVay couldn’t help loving the impact both made immediately.
“It’s never perfect, but football isn’t perfect and we don’t expect that, but I thought Kobie was really outstanding the way he affected and influenced the game. I thought Byron made his presence felt,” McVay said.