THURSDAY NIGHT PREVIEW:
LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-1) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2-2)
Week 5 of the 2021 NFL season gets underway on Thursday, October 7 (8:20 PM ET, FOX/NFL Network/Amazon) as the Los Angeles Rams (3-1) visit the Seattle Seahawks (2-2) in an NFC West division matchup. The two clubs last met in the 2020 NFC Wild Card round, when the Rams defeated the Seahawks, 30-20, as defensive lineman AARON DONALD and linebacker LEONARD FLOYD each recorded two sacks. In their last regular-season meeting, Week 16 of the 2020 season, Seattle defeated Los Angeles, 20-9, as quarterback RUSSELL WILSON recorded two second-half touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) in the win. All-time, including the postseason, the Seahawks hold a 25-22 series advantage.
Dating back to Week 7 of the 2013 season, Seattle has won nine consecutive games played on Thursday and can join the Indianapolis Colts (11 consecutive wins in Thursday games from Week 12, 2004 to Week 5, 2015) as the only teams to win 10 consecutive games played on Thursday. The Philadelphia Eagles (six games) have the second-longest active winning streak on Thursday and host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 6. Under head coach SEAN MCVAY, the Rams have won three of four games played on Thursday, with the only loss coming to Seattle in Week 5 of the 2019 season.
Rams quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD ranks second in the NFL with 11 touchdown passes this season and ranks third in both passing yards (1,222) and passer rating (117.6). He is the only quarterback this season with at least 275 passing yards and two touchdown passes in each of the first four weeks. Wide receiver COOPER KUPP leads the NFL with five touchdown receptions, ranks tied for second with 30 receptions and third with 431 receiving yards this season. He has at least five receptions in five of his past six regular-season games against Seattle and aims for his ninth in a row overall in the regular season with five-or-more catches. Wide receiver ROBERT WOODS had his second touchdown reception of the season last week and has 792 scrimmage yards (88 per game) in nine career games against Seattle.
In 15 career games, including the postseason, against the Seahawks, Donald has 15 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. He has 5.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss in seven career games on Thursday. Since entering the NFL in 2014, Donald leads the league with 87.5 sacks and 134 tackles for loss. Floyd aims for his third in a row against the Seahawks with at least two sacks and his fourth in a row in 2021 with a sack. Cornerback JALEN RAMSEY is the only player in the league with four passes defensed and three tackles for loss this season.
In Week 4, Wilson totaled three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) with no interceptions for a 116.0 rating to earn his 100th career regular-season victory and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (105 wins) as the only quarterbacks with 100 regular-season wins in their first 10 seasons. He has a passer rating of 110-or-higher and no interceptions in each of his first four games this season and joined JOHN HADL (1973) and MILT PLUM (1960) as the only players in NFL history with a rating of 110-or-higher and no interceptions in each of his team’s first four games of a season. In nine career home starts against the Rams, Wilson has recorded 18 touchdowns (16 passing, two rushing) with three interceptions for a 107.8 rating.
Seattle wide receiver D.K. METCALF recorded his third touchdown reception of the season last week and has nine touchdown catches in his past 10 at home. He has at least six receptions in two of his past three against the Rams. Wide receiver TYLER LOCKETT aims for his third in a row on Thursday with a touchdown reception. Running back CHRIS CARSON has 420 scrimmage yards (105 per game) and a receiving touchdown in four career games against the Rams. He aims for his third in a row on Thursday with a touchdown.
Linebacker BOBBY WAGNER led the team with 10 tackles in Week 4. In nine career games on Thursday, he has 79 tackles (8.8 per game). Since entering the NFL in 2012, Wagner leads all players with 1,265 tackles. Safety QUANDRE DIGGS had his first interception of the season last week and since 2019, ranks tied for third among safeties with nine interceptions. Safety JAMAL ADAMS aims for his fifth in a row at home with at least five tackles. He has 21.5 career sacks, the sixth-most by a defensive back since 1982 when the individual sack became an official statistic.
FOX will broadcast 10 Thursday Night Football games between Weeks 5-15 (excluding Thanksgiving night) and are slated to be simulcast via NFL Network, distributed in Spanish on FOX Deportes and streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
For the Week 5 Los Angeles Rams-Seattle capsule, click here.
COURTESY NFLmedia.com
