Monday Night Football Comes to Seattle

Monday Night Football usually draws a big crowd, but tonight's matchup between the Seahawks and Rams has drawn some claims of disinterest. True, on paper, a showdown between a 2-10 team and a 5-7 team doesn't sound all that appealing, and when both teams hail from the much maligned NFC West division, we could forgive some folks for thinking this might not be worth missing the reboot of Fear Factor. But, they would be wrong. Not just because Fear Factor is never worth watching, but also because the Seahawks are still mathematically in playoff contention and are putting together a perfectly watchable second half of the season.

Keys to the Game

1. Keep Marshawn Lynch moving forward, but make sure Steven Jackson never gets started. The Rams are pretty bad against the run, like giving up nearly 160 rushing yards a game bad. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have forged an identity as a running team, thanks to Marshawn Lynch finding his mojo mid-season and putting up 854 yards. The Rams have a stellar running back of their own in Steven Jackson, but he's going up against the Seahawks' 11th-ranked run defense, which was able to hold him to 42 yards when these teams faced off back in November.
Advantage: Seahawks

2. Turn yards into points, and contain Brandon Lloyd. Both the Rams and the Seahawks have had issues with their passing games. For Seattle, the situation is complicated by the absence of wide receiver Sidney Rice and some serious gaps on the offensive line. The Rams' offensive line has also been bitten by the injury bug, but their bigger concern is that they might have to start their third-string quarterback. The Rams have two positive things going for them though: receiver Brandon Lloyd, who has been known to come up with some sensational catches, and sack-master Chris Long, who has put quite a few opposing QBs on their backs this season.
Advantage: If Sam Bradford starts, he and Lloyd earn the advantage for the Rams. If Bradford is out, this one tips in the Seahawks' favor.

3. Keep penalties down. This season, the Seahawks have acquired countless penalty yards for no good reason. They can beat the Rams tonight, if they don't let stupid penalties give the game away.
Advantage: Refs.

So, yeah, this might not be the most-watched Monday Night Football game in the record books, but there are some power running backs in play and injuries on both sides will force these teams to get a little creative. This game might not be as boring as some people expect it will be.

Kickoff is at 5:30 pm.