The Bromance is real.

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Now first, I would like to say I am very impressed w/ what I have seen so far. That been said, the 4 wins we have are against teams ranked in the lower part of the league. An we have a long ways to go before we get to a point where we should consider ourselves within the upper echelon of the league. We have some great players. And some good ones, but we'll need better performances from everyone going forward as the competition gets tougher. (Not you Mr. Donald. We're very happy w/ what you bring to the table...You keep doing wheat you do.....). I believe we have the right mixture of folks (players, coaches, support staff...) that can bring things home, I truly believe. But I don't get too far ahead either. Beating the Washington Football team was what we were supposed to do. 24 hours is up. It's Whiners week. And it will be a dog fight. We'll get to the Squawks, when we get to them. One game at a time w/ total focus. I know it seems like a Debby Downer moment to some, . but this ain't a sprint. It's a marathon. So let's get stupidily wound up to beat the Whiners. Let the team know, we're with them w/ every step of the way.
May the ugly dancer appear in our celebration thread many, many more times this season..... Into February.....
Go Rams.

Cam Akers makes most of return from rib injury

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Considering how his rib injury occurred, Rams running back Cam Akers' burst, explosiveness and ability to absorb contact against the Washington Football Team was rather impressive.

In Week 2 at Philadelphia, Akers' separated rib cartilage came from landing on the pointed end of the football after a carry, then having three bodies land on top of him.

"Yes, it was painful," Akers said during a video conference with reporters Monday morning.

Fortunately for Akers, treatment and physical therapy with the assistance of the Rams' athletic training staff caused him to miss only two games and afforded a Week 5 return. He made the most of being back at full strength, leading Los Angeles' rushing attack with 61 yards on nine carries in their 30-10 win at Washington.

While the first five of those nine rushing attempts went for modest gains, the sixth proved Akers was at 100 percent.

Taking the handoff from Rams quarterback Jared Goff, Akers weaved through Washington defenders and broke free for a 46-yard gain. He might have gained more on the carry if not for Washington defensive end Montez Sweat – who lined up opposite the play side – catching up to him to make the tackle.

"I thought he had a couple tough runs and then he got hawked by Montez Sweat, so I'm not going to let him live that one down," Rams head coach Sean McVay said with a smile. "That was a great run, to be able to get that going, and then you see a 4.4 d-end, that looked like a big freaking impressive guy chasing him. But he was good."

Collectively, Akers, Darrell Henderson Jr. and Malcolm Brown helped the Rams rush for 129 yards as a team. Henderson had the most carries with 15 for 38 yards and one rushing touchdown, adding three receptions for 30 yards and one receiving touchdown, while Brown chipped in eight carries for 30 yards.

"(Henderson) and Cam are both young, and even Malcolm's still in the beginning of his career," Goff said. "But having those guys play at the level they're playing at is really good."

From a playing time standpoint, Akers received 13 of the team's 68 offensive snaps, while Brown got 26 and Henderson 29.

Though it was less action than Akers got pre-injury – 24 of 73 snaps against the Cowboys in Week 1 – McVay said "you can expect his workload to increase" against the 49ers this week. Akers is also content filling whatever role the team needs.

"You really can't get frustrated with the process," Akers said, when asked if it was frustrating to share carries and not get the same reps he did before. "I'll take my role as what it is. Whatever this team needs me to be or do, that's what I'll do. Obviously I want more if more is available, but whatever they need me to do at this point in time, or at that point in time in a game, that's what I'll do."

Let me start this thread by saying, Mr Brandon Staley , I am a fan !!

Our defense seems to be getting better by the week. AD has been off the charts.

If he is not sacking the QB, he is providing tremendous push funneling the QB into the waiting arms of our OLB's and DE's.

Rams are tied for first in sacks with 20 and allowing the third lowest QBR in the league at 81.3

Jimmy! Jimmy!........................... Jimmy, Why are you under the bench, Jimmy?


I have gathered some other Defensive stats for those interested.



Sacks



3rd in points allowed per game.




4th in yards allowed per game.

Hey guys here are the ram highlights.First one is just defense.
Let's try to keep anything we post about Seattle Arizona and San Fran in the "Rest of the West" thread.
Were trying to make everything about our division foes a one stop shop thread. Thanks.



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The Los Angeles Rams have looked like a legitimate contender in the NFC this season, and they certainly looked every bit like one on Sunday against Washington. In a rain-soaked game at FedExField, the Rams put up 429 yards on offense, scored 30 points and held Washington to only 10 points with 108 total yards.

It was as dominant a performance as the Rams have had this season, crushing a team they were expected to beat. Both the offense and the defense stepped up in a big way, with standout performances from the likes of Gerald Everett, Aaron Donald and Jordan Fuller.

Taking a look at Pro Football Focus’ grades for the Rams in Week 5, Everett, Donald and Fuller were unsurprisingly at the top of the heap. John Johnson also had an outstanding game with five tackles and a pass defensed.


Here are some of the most notable PFF grades, courtesy of J.B. Long of the Rams.




You’ll notice Troy Reeder is nowhere to be found. That’s because PFF wasn’t kind to the Rams linebacker, giving him an overall grade of 53.2, with a pass-rush grade of 87. Despite racking up 10 tackles and three sacks, Reeder didn’t play as well as the box score indicates.

His coverage grade of 36 was also unimpressive, but not surprising. Washington picked on him in coverage with running backs, and he had no answer in the middle of the field. That’s been his weakness since last season, and it was once again evident on Sunday.

On a more positive note, it’s great to see Fuller playing at such a high level after missing last week’s game. He had his best grade of the year at 89.9, and he only seems to get better with time. The defense played much better with him back on the field this week.

1. NFC East... swept!

2. So this Aaron Donald guy is pretty good, huh?

3. No, I mean he's pretty good... like, double-teamed as much or more than any player, no dominant outside pass rusher, and still leads the NFL in sacks, good.

4. Maybe he needs a nickname. Not sure if its catchy enough, but his first sack yesterday had me thinking of Aaron "Don't Blink" Donald.

5. News of Jared Goff's demise (after the 2019) campaign were greatly exaggerated.

6. So who had Troy Reeder with 3 sacks in the pool?

7. Nice to see Cam Akers back, and he had two very nice runs. The ceRBus attack lives!

8. The Rams' receiving corps may confound fantasy team owners, but by spreading the ball around (Gerald Everett's turn this week), it confounds DCs even more.

9. Is there a CB who hits harder and intimidates more than Jalen Ramsey?

10. The defense is now ranked 4th in yards/allowed, 3rd in points allowed and first (tied) in sacks. I'm fully aware that these numbers were built, in part, on three games against poor offenses, but those numbers are still impressive.

11. This week presents an opportunity to truly bury the 49ers. A win would put them far enough behind the rest of the West to make their playoff hopes extremely dim.

12. The Seahawks keep doing it with mirrors. I'd question whether that is sustainable.

13. Sam Sloman... step it up!

14. That ref crew yesterday had a quick trigger on personal fouls, did they not?

15. Alex Smith's return was noteworthy. Bet he wishes he had a better supporting cast, though.

16. Jordan Fuller is the value pick of this year's draft, thus far.

17. Congrats to the Lakers and their fans. As a Miami Heat fan, I'm proud of our team's unexpected run, and feel great about our future.

18. I feel bad for Dak Prescott. The Cowboys are fortunate to have Andy Dalton as a backup. I don't want to ever have to find out how good our backup is.

19. Let's keep this thing going!

20. I don't think this team has peaked

Offense

Defense

STs

Jimmy Garoppolo
's Week 6 status is questionable after aggravating an ankle injury that kept him sidelined in Weeks 4 and 5. “I really haven’t thought that far ahead,” Garoppolo said when asked about [Week 6]. “I guess we’ll just take it day by day with the ankle and see how it goes.” This report also confirms that Garoppolo was struggling and pulled because of the ankle injury. (The Sacramento Bee: Chris Biderman )

Click to expand...

Dick Sherman might be back. OK? Dude's bark is bigger than his bite right now. It's a young man's game. If Miami could destroy their OL, what will the Rams do?

I'm not buying they're still this high powered team. They just aren't. Backup QB, inexperience at WR, meh DB. Injured front 7. Losing D'forest Buckner and replacing him with a rookie might hurt them in the short term. Right now they have Raheem Mostert and sour skittles.

Fucking bring it. Ass kicking coming.

A company says its ‘Bubble Curtain’ could snuff out hurricanes. Is it just another crazy idea, or could this one work?

Imagine if Hurricane Delta, the Category 3 hurricane striking Louisiana Friday, could have been stopped in its tracks a week ago before it even became a hurricane. And imagine if all that was needed was cold water.

It may sound like another crazy hurricane-killing idea, but Olav Hollingsaeter says such technology could be just a few years away.

It’s called the Bubble Curtain, a series of perforated pipes that use compressed air to bubble deep, cold ocean water up to the surface, cutting off a storm system’s supply of the warm water it needs to intensify into a hurricane. Hollingsaeter, a former Norwegian Naval submarine officer and chief executive officer of OceanTherm, is trying to make it a reality.

It’s not the first time scientists have floated ideas to smother or redirect hurricanes. Billionaire Bill Gates proposed a radical plan to plan to use the ocean’s waves to cool the surface. Another proposal would pump billions of tons of sulfate gas into the upper atmosphere. Another called for using offshore wind farms to slow down storms. And then there was the nuclear bomb proposal.

Some researchers say the Bubble Curtain stands equally little chance of working.

“I hate to be so pessimistic,” said Dr. Berrin Tansel, a professor in civil and environmental engineering at Florida International University. “The technology has a place, but I’m not sure if this is the right place.”

Undeterred, Hollingsaeter and OceanTherm are pressing ahead and seeking $4 million in grants to continue testing the Bubble Curtain, which includes a two-year pilot project in or near the Gulf of Mexico.

"We have had some bad experience with the scientific community in Florida because they are saying, ‘Oh, this isn’t possible because if you go to stop a hurricane, Category 4, right before landfall it’s one thousand miles wide, it’s impossible,’ " Hollingsaeter said.

That’s true, he continued, but the Bubble Curtain isn’t intended to be used against a hurricane. Rather, it would target a weaker tropical storm before it has the chance to intensify into a hurricane.

Here’s how the Bubble Curtain would work:

A “curtain” of perforated, underwater pipes shoot compressed air into the ocean’s depths. When the bubbles rise, they lift cold water to the surface, eliminating the hurricane’s main fuel: warm water.

OceanTherm has plans for a fixed bubble curtain that is secured in the ocean and a mobile bubble curtain that is towed by ships.

The goal is to bring the surface-water temperate — which can get as high as 87 degrees — below 80 degrees. That’s no small feat. To draw up water that’s cold enough to lower the surface temperature so far, the Bubble Curtain’s pipes would have to reach a staggering 400 feet deep, and maybe more.

In one field test that Hollingsaeter and OceanTherm said was a success, the bubble curtain worked at a depth of 164 feet.

OceanTherm said similar technology is being used in Norway’s fjords, a series of lakes formed by glaciers. The bubble curtain, which OceanTherm said is loved by ocean-dwelling creatures, keeps ice from forming on the water’s surface by bubbling warmer, salty sea water to the surface.

A series of perforated pipes, called the Bubble Curtain, in Norway’s fjords brings up deep, warmer water to prevent ice from forming on the surface.

But scientists say trying to influence a hurricane in the ocean is much more difficult.

“We have had some bad experience with the scientific community in Florida because they are saying, ‘Oh, this isn’t possible because if you go to stop a hurricane, Category 4, right before landfall it’s one thousand miles wide, it’s impossible,’” Hollingsaeter said. “And we actually agreed. But they will not listen because that is not what we are talking about. As we have explained we are trying to avoid a tropical storm becoming a hurricane, working like a preventive solution.”

OceanTherm said it has already met with a few U.S. companies, including Florida Power & Light, but didn’t provide details of those talks.

“We can’t go on public record about any meetings we’ve had in Florida,” said OceanTherm business developer Oliver Hollingsaeter, Olav’s nephew.

OceanTherm wants to test its bubble curtain in the Florida Straits, the 100-mile stretch between Florida and Cuba, or the Yucatan channel, the 135-mile stretch between Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.

In those areas, stronger currents help cool the ocean surface.

“We are using the bubble curtain across currents,” Hollingsaeter said. "So the current is the engine creating the influence area, making a larger influence area from one point. If you cool down the currents running through the Florida Straits then the effect will go further with the currents.”

OceanTherm realizes it can’t stop every tropical storm from becoming a hurricane or reduce the impact of every landfalling-hurricane. And the challenge of bringing up enough cold water to the surface is enormous.

Maybe too enormous to overcome, said Nan Walker, director of Louisiana State University’s Earth Scan Laboratory and a professor of Coastal Studies in the LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences.

Her main field of study is using satellite data to study the ocean and air-sea interactions.

“You bring a little cold water to the surface, the sun is going to counteract that,” she said. “You know how much solar energy the sun puts into the ocean every day? It’s an incredible amount.”

On top of that, Walker said hurricanes, just by their typical churning, already draw cold water from the ocean’s depths to the surface. If they didn’t, she said, they’d be even stronger.

Tansel, the FIU professor, said the Bubble Curtain might be better used to provide oxygen to so-called “dead zones” in the ocean — areas where animals and plants can’t live because oxygen has been depleted by pollution or oil spills. Or, perhaps, it could provide oxygen to areas such as Biscayne Bay, which experienced a massive fish kill in August believed to be caused by sewage and other factors.

“I think that’s probably where they will find their application because there’s a need for that type of thing,” Tansel said.

The fixed Bubble Curtain could cost about $500 million to deploy, according to Oliver Hollingsaeter. The mobile curtain might cost between $100-$300 million a year.

Hurricane Laura, which hit Louisiana in August, is projected to have caused as much as $8-$12 billion in damage.

Oliver Hollingsaeter noted that the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency believes every dollar spent on mitigation saves four dollars in storm damage.

“Our system would cost maybe $200 million for one entire hurricane season,” Oliver Hollingsaeter said. “And if we could have prevented just a little bit of Laura’s damages then we would still be way, way beyond that four times factor.”

And still has his best ahead of him.

It's easy to take what he does for granted.
We expect him to single-handedly takeover games and we are surprised when he doesn't. Thats not how it's supposed to work!!

He is stronger than anyone he lines up against. He is quicker than anyone he lines up against. He is more explosive, more violent, more technical, more intense... often he is just more than the two or three people trying to stop him.

Donald is so dominant they should change the word so that it's spelled "Donaldnt"

The man deserves a ring or three and it will be a shame if we don't get him any. I think we will and when we do he will have every box checked for the title of GOAT.

Monday Night Football: Los Angeles Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints

In what could be the final matchup against his former team, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saintsare set to take on Los Angeles Chargers on "Monday Night Football" with a chance to reclaim a winning record and share of the division lead.

The Chargers looked ready to pull an upset over another NFC South team last week when they jumped to a 24-7 lead late in the first half at Tampa Bay. But a fumble in the last minute of the half led to a Buccaneers touchdown and portended what was to come. Tom Brady and Co. poured on 24 second-half points and sealed the game with three minutes left on a Justin Herbert interception.

The Saints, meanwhile, got back to .500 last week in a comeback win over the Lions. After allowing a pair of touchdowns to open the game, the Saints responded by punching it into the end zone on their next five possession. New Orleans held off Detroit's attempted rally late in the fourth quarter, and after a Bucs loss on Thursday Night Football, the Saints can tie the Bucs at 3-2 with a win.

The Chargers lead the all-time series, 7-5, and actually are 4-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. However, the Saints have won all three meetings that Brees has started.

Los Angeles at New Orleans

Kickoff: Monday, Oct. 11 at 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: Saints -7.5

Three Things to Watch

1. How much will the Chargers miss Austin Ekeler?

Ekeler has been ruled for this game due to a left hamstring strain and a hyperextended knee. Through four weeks, he leads the Chargers in rushing yards (248) and is second in attempts (49). He also ranks third on the team in receptions (17) and receiving yards (144, respectively).

Do the Chargers possess a suitable substitute? Rookie Joshua Kelly has the most rushes (52) and second-most rushing yards (174) on the team. Quarterback Justin Herbert ranks third in both categories with 12 carries for 47 yards. No one else has double-digits in carries or more than 20 yards on the ground.

The Saints' defense has not yielded yardage on the ground easily. The Lions ran the ball 22 times but gained only 90 yards with one touchdown. The Packers picked up just 98 yards and one touchdown on 26 attempts. The Raiders accumulated 116 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries. The Buccaneers rushed 26 times for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Is Kelly or anyone else among the Chargers capable of filling the void left by Ekeler? Could the Chargers find a way to average four yards or more per rushing attempt?

2. Will the Saints continue to pressure opposing quarterbacks?

Last week at Detroit, Cameron Jordan, Trey Hendrickson, and David Onyemata each recorded a sack. That was the third time this season that three Saints defenders each recorded a sack. Hendrickson leads the defense with three sacks. Demario Davis and Onyemata have both recorded two sacks. Three others have one each.

With the Chargers' running attack presumably limited, Herbert will have to shoulder more of the offense. He took over as starting quarterback from Tyrod Taylor since the second game of this season. The first-rounder has played quite consistently in those three games. His passing yard totals varied between 290 and 330. He has thrown one interception while being sack twice per game. He rushed between three and five times for 14-18 yards per contest. Can Herbert raise his passing production to offset the loss of Austin Ekeler?

3. Can Emmanuel Sanders and Tre'Quan Smith continue to increase their contributions?

Sanders and Smith have steadily boosted their numbers in the absence of Michael Thomas. At Las Vegas, in the first game without Thomas, Smith caught five passes for 86 yards but Sanders had only one pass for 18 yards. The following week versus Green Bay, both receivers had four receptions each, for 42 yards by Smith and for 56 yards and a touchdown by Sanders. At Detroit last week, Smith hauled in four passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns while Sanders had six catches for 93 yards.

The Chargers had shown a considerable amount of resistance against opponents' passing attacks early in the season. They held the Bengals to 173 passing yards and no touchdowns while recording three sacks and an interception. They limited the Panthers to 221 passing yards with only one touchdown in addition to sacking Teddy Bridgewater twice. However, Tom Brady shredded them last Sunday: 30 completions for 369 yards and five touchdowns without any sacks.

Was last week's collapse by the Chargers' defense an anomaly or a revelation of vulnerability? Those gaudy passing stats helped the Bucs score three straight touchdowns to open the second half. Tampa Bay followed those with a field goal then five plays to run out the clock. The Chargers cannot afford to be so generous to Drew Brees and Co.

Final Analysis

The Chargers will have to make a second consecutive long trip for a game. Last week, they were playing at 10 a.m. body time. Fortunately for them, this week's game requires a shorter flight with a kickoff in the early evening, according to their body clocks.

The Saints will head into their bye week after this contest. With a victory, they will sit above .500. With a defeat, they will have to stew in frustration of having lost two of their three initial home games. Their successful runs through October during the past few seasons will continue.

Prediction: Saints 38, Chargers 27

This seemed like relevant information to be aware of as the season goes on. More than likely this will happen I'd say.

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Does anyone here actually understand how much I hate the Seattle football team?
Do you even have a clue? I don't think you are capable of understanding.

They are my most hated team of all time.

Are they yours?

Torn bicep.

That is a huge loss for the Cards D.

These boys are about to get tested. 9ers look like ass, granted, but it's a division game. This next five is a stout string of games:

@ 9ers
Bears
@Dolphins
Seahawks
@Bucs

Shanny will have some dipshit scrub come in and play like Joe Montana I'm sure. But I do like our chances to whoop that ass. The lineup of games though... If this team can run through those like they have the first five they're gonna be a team to beat no doubt about it.

I reserve the right to change my opinions after re-watching this game, btw.

Here goes...

This Rams scoring D is already elite, especially in the 2nd half.

Just hated to see Obo and Fuller injured in this game. Obo seemed to be finally ‘getting it’ and Fuller had already established himself as a key player in this D. This D is simply better when he’s in there.

I think Ebu is being phased out. Obo, Polite, Hollins, and Lewis seem to be doing a better job, tbh.

Reeder had an eye opening game. I had thought that he shouldn’t be on the field on passing downs. I might have been wr..., wr..., Wrong!

Hill is still on my ‘stuff list’ I would give either Long or Burgess some of his snaps if I were Staley. At least a few. Just as Staley is doing with Ebu, matter of fact. Then let the best performer play. Staley can thank me later. Lol.

Ramsey positively impacts the game far beyond his coverage and tackling. He occasionally makes ‘special’ plays that inspire his teammates, not unlike AD.

Yeah, the jury is now in. Goff IS different this year and the results are on the field each week. We’re so fortunate to have this young man as our QB.

Akers was a pleasant surprise. I thought he would be tentative after that painful injury and the long layoff, but he certainly wasn’t. My expectations for him just went up a notch.

Okay, Everett is turning into a danged stud! He’s having a VERY nice year. Still don’t see how we can afford him next year, but he is putting out some great film that should have other teams drooling. Good for him.

Reynolds is another guy building himself an excellent resume in his contract year. Gonna miss them both. I mean, a LOT.

About Sloman. What can I say? Way too much drama, don’t you think? Still hasn’t made a FG in the critical 40-49 yard range, has he? Technically, he hasn’t had to attempt one. Weird, huh?

I still can’t understand why McVay/Bonamego prefer Kupp as a PR over Webster or Calais. Seems counterintuitive on multiple levels. So Un-McVay like.

My general impression is that all phases are coming together more and more each week.

Fewer penalties.
Better playcalling
Better execution
Progress is being made at edge opposite Floyd.
Already an elite scoring D, and isn’t that the name of the game?
O’Connell was a great hire.
Staley looking like a great hire.
Tackling seems a bit better.
Better communication in the secondary.
More pressure now than earlier and also far more sacks.

When ARob comes back and IF that edge position gets sorted out? Look out, NFC West!

Then again, our last 2 opponents were the Giants and Washington, sooooo...

We knew it was coming

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You cant guard Mike when he's not on the field

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Rams win!!

Fox NFL just did a segment on penalties called this season and examined why they were down across the board. Reasons why from former head of officiating Mike Perrera were things like no pre season and a couple other vague reasons.

I've been waiting a few weeks for the data to roll in to comment, but i'm here to say that IMO the #1 reason penalties are down is because there are no fans in the stadium influencing these officials.

So many of these plays involving big hits and other contact are ALWAYS simultaneously resulting in 70,000 people vocally calling attention to these plays.

These stadiums in 2020 are quiet. The plays unfold and the only vocal influence now are the players and staff on the sidelines. If ya'll believe that officials aren't being influenced by full stadium crowds you're going to have to change my mind.

I think we're watching a season being officiated as it should be (in a perfect world) in 2020.

Sunday Night Football: Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks

"Sunday Night Football" heads into Week 5 on NBC with a good news/bad news scenario for football fans as the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings will meet at CenturyLink Field. The good news is these two teams tend to play some dramatic games on national television, including a 37-30 Seahawks win over the Vikings 37-30 on "Monday Night Football" last season. Now, the bad news is that fans will have to go back to listening to Cris Collinsworth without a mask this week. Collinsworth and Al Michaels ended up having to call last week's Philadelphia-San Francisco game in Santa Clara with masks on, which made for some interesting television.

Russell Wilson tied Peyton Manning's record of 16 passing touchdowns after four games last week as Seattle (4-0) held off Miami for a 31-23 win to stay undefeated. Wilson completed 24-of-34 passes for 360 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. DK Metcalf caught four passes for 106 yards. David Moore and Tyler Lockett chipped in with multiple explosive plays on deep balls from Wilson that always seemed to come at the right time on Sunday. The defense made some more progress this week by limiting Ryan Fitzpatrick to 315 passing yards despite playing without Jamal Adams and Quinton Dunbar in the secondary. K.J. Wright made plays all over the place, totaling eight tackles and three pass defenses. Shaquill Griffin got back on track with a key interception in the fourth quarter that allowed the Seahawks offense to cash it in a few plays later to extend their lead to 31-15. Limiting explosive plays helped the Seattle defense a great deal — they did not allow a play of longer than 26 yards to the Dolphins.

Minnesota (1-3) picked up their first win of the season by beating the Houston Texans, 31-23, on the road. Dalvin Cook took advantage of the worst run defense in the NFL by rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Cook is on a roll heading with back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances heading into this showdown with the Seahawks. Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson combined for 12 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown, which took the pressure off of Kirk Cousins. The Vikings defense did a nice job of pressuring Deshaun Watson, as they recorded three sacks on the afternoon. Winning third down was another key to Minnesota's success against Houston, as they converted 41 percent on third down offensively and held the Texans to just 25 percent on third down. Keep an eye on this stat this week since they will have to find a way to stay on the field offensively for as long as possible.

Minnesota at Seattle

Kickoff: Sunday, Oct. 11 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Seahawks -7

Three Things to Watch

1. Can the Seahawks contain the Vikings' big three on offense

This week will provide a stiff test for the Seattle defense, and Minnesota has a big three of Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and Justin Jefferson that can cause all sorts of headaches for opposing teams. Cook was limited to just 28 yards on nine carries in last year's contest against Seattle, and that was a big reason why the Vikings lost. Thielen also missed last year's game with a hamstring injury, and Jefferson is starting to settle into his rookie season nicely — he has 11 catches for 278 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks.

The Minnesota offensive staff has to establish the run game with Cook and Alexander Mattison and not get impatient if it's not effective right away. That could be the key to opening things for Cousins in the passing game. As for the Seahawks, it all circles back to the health of the secondary since Adams (groin) will be out again this week with a groin injury and Dunbar (knee) was a limited participant on Thursday. If Dunbar can't go, it'll be up to Tre Flowers to step up and make plays at the other cornerback slot.

2. Minnesota defense

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and his defensive staff will have one heck of a challenge in front of them this week when they have to deal with the Seattle offense. The Vikings are allowing 31.3 points per game and have had issues taking the ball away, as they only have two interceptions after four games. Part of that is due to their inability to generate pressure. After that was a massive strength last season, their seven sacks are tied for 10th-lowest in the league.

Yannick Ngakoue has been the lone bright spot with 4.0 sacks, but the team has badly missed Danielle Hunter, who remains out indefinitely with a neck injury. Three other players have recorded exactly one sack, but the team should have an opportunity to feast against a Seahawks O-line that has allowed 11 sacks (tied for 11th-most) this season. Finishing drives defensively by getting the Seahawks off the field will be key, and sacks are one of the easiest ways to do that.

Last week was a prime example of this. Wilson got the ball back with 24 seconds left in the first half and connected with Moore on a 57-yard pass. Two plays later, Wilson finished the drive off by firing a three-yard touchdown pass to Travis Homer to extend their lead to 17-9 at halftime.

3. The "Snacks" Harrison effect

Seattle signed defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison to the practice squad on Wednesday to bolster their defensive line. Harrison, an All-Pro in 2016, is a proven run stopper who should have plenty of motivation to play after his eventful experience in Detroit under head coach Matt Patricia. It's unclear if the Seahawks will activate Harrison to their 53-man roster before the game, but if they do, he could play in the neighborhood of 10 snaps this week as he continues to work into football shape.

The biggest benefit of signing a player like Harrison is that it should make everyone else around him better because teams will have to pay extra attention to him. Look for Jarran Reed to have more one-on-one situations as a result of this signing. Rookie Alton Robinson and L.J. Collier should also benefit out on the edge as well as the Seahawks continue to try to find ways to generate additional pressure on the quarterback.

Final Analysis

The over in Vegas should be in danger once again this week since both teams are going to put up their fair share of points. The difference between the teams may come down to offensive versatility, though. Wilson has too many weapons at his disposal, and this will likely take a toll on the Vikings' defense in the second half. Minnesota will play hard as they always seem to do for Zimmer, but they will lose the turnover battle, and that will end up costing them the game. Seattle will finish off the first part of the season at 5-0 and head off into their bye week with plenty of confidence.

Prediction: Seahawks 38, Vikings 29