INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — If the Seattle Seahawks had secured one more victory or the Los Angeles Rams had dropped one more close game down the stretch, the NFC West rivals' meeting on Sunday could have been a one-game showdown for the division title and a playoff berth.
Instead, the Seahawks (9-7) are playing out the string in their first back-to-back non-playoff seasons in 15 years, while the primary concern for the Rams (10-6) is staying healthy for the postseason.
Matthew Stafford won't be in uniform and many additional starters probably won't play much for division champion Los Angeles in what's merely a tuneup for its wild-card round home game next week. The Rams have won five straight games, and they are headed to the playoffs for the sixth time in eight seasons under coach Sean McVay, who clinched his fourth NFC West title last week through the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker with Seattle.
That means veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will be running the show in his first appearance for the Rams.
“I’m always trying to make decisions that I think are best for our football team,” McVay said. “It might not be best for everybody else, but if you said risk-reward, I think it’s a great opportunity for Jimmy to be able to play. I think it’s also an awesome opportunity for Matthew to be able to get rested, rejuvenated and ready to roll for the playoffs.”
The Rams have won three straight and 11 of their last 15 over Seattle, which fell out of the playoff race when Washington's victory over Atlanta last Sunday clinched the division for the Rams.
Although their organization's controversial decision to fire perennial winner Pete Carroll didn't immediately send them back into Super Bowl contention, the current Seahawks made it clear they aren’t planning to take their foot off the gas.
“The focus is on really closing the year out the right way and starting (2025) the right way, too,” coach Mike Macdonald said. “So it’s not what we wanted to be at stake, but it is what it is, and we’re gonna make the most of it.”
The Seahawks echoed Macdonald’s sentiments that although the season didn’t end the way they wanted, there is still plenty on the line in Week 18. After finishing 9-8 in each of the past two seasons, the Seahawks could reach the 10-win mark for the first time since 2020, and there are several individual statistical milestones within reach, including some big paydays for quarterback Geno Smith.
“You want your guys to hit those numbers,” Macdonald said. “If it’s within your power, you’re going to try to make that come to life and create as many opportunities for those guys as possible, all within the lens of what’s best for the team and trying to win.”
Stafford won't be in uniform, with Stetson Bennett serving as Garoppolo's backup. Right tackle Rob Havenstein will also sit out to rest his shoulder injury, and he won't be alone.
If McVay's history in these games is any guide, the Rams will play their roster from the bottom up, with the best players taking as few snaps as possible, if any.
McVay also might give himself a rest: Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur called the plays in Week 18 last year when backup Carson Wentz beat San Francisco while playing in place of a resting Stafford.
“That might be the approach that we’ll take this week,” McVay said
Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is just five catches away from breaking Tyler Lockett’s single-season receptions franchise record, a fact he says he learned two weeks ago when the Seahawks veteran approached him and told him in the locker room.
“He was like, ‘I think you’re going to break my record. I hope you break my record,'” Smith-Njigba said. “I was like ‘Oh, really?’ A special, special moment.”
While some players are protective of their record, Lockett seems ready to pass the torch to Smith-Njigba. Lockett, who is in his 10th season with the Seahawks after being a third-round pick out of Kansas in 2015, set the franchise record with 100 catches back in 2020.
“That speaks volumes,” Smith-Njigba said. “That’s just the type of guy he is. He’s going to move the bar really high and help you get there. That means everything to me. And one day, you know, I’ll be doing the same because of the culture that he has built in this building.”
Smith-Njigba also has an outside shot at the 183 yards he would need to break DK Metcalf's single-season team record for yards receiving.
Lockett's record could be broken in what might be his final game with Seattle. After restructuring his contract last year to lower his 2024 cap hit, Lockett’s cap number next season is $30.8 million, making him a logical candidate for departure.
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AP freelancer Shane Lantz in Seattle contributed to this report.
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