Seahawks aim to avoid third straight loss vs. reeling Rams

SEATTLE (6-5) at LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-8)

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Seahawks at 7 1/2.

AGAINST DISSEMINATION: Seahawks 6-5; Aries 2-8-1.

SERIAL RECORDING: Rams lead 26-25.

LAST MEETING: The Rams defeated the Seahawks 20-10 on December 21 in Inglewood, California.

LAST WEEK: Seahawks lost to Raiders 40-34, OT; Rams lost to Chiefs 26-10.

SEAHAWKS INJURY: OVERALL (12), RUSH (16), PASS (9), SCORING (4).

SEAHAWKS DEFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (29), PASS (23), SCORING (28).

RAMS ATTACK: OVERALL (31), RUSH (31), PASS (24), SCORING (29).

RAMS DEFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (4), PASS (20), SCORING (18).

SALES DIFFERENCE: Seahawks plus-4; Aries minus 7.

SEAHAWKS PLAYERS TO WATCH: S Quandre Diggs had two interceptions against the Raiders in the first quarter and single-handedly extended Seattle’s six-game streak with multiple takeaways. It’s the team’s longest such run since 2013. Diggs needs an interception to become the only player in the NFL to have at least three interceptions in each of the past six seasons.

RAMS PLAYERS TO WATCH: WR Van Jefferson will be at the center of any production Los Angeles can produce in the passing game, with Allen Robinson (foot) joining Cooper Kupp (ankle) on injured reserve. Jefferson had three receptions for 29 yards against Kansas City and made his second touchdown catch in three games since his debut after offseason knee surgery.

KEY COMPARISON: Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III vs. Rams LB Bobby Wagner. In the last two games, the standout rookie has had a difficult time hauling 43 yards and rushing to Tampa Bay and Las Vegas on 24 losses. He had impressive TD rushes for 12 and 14 yards against the Raiders last week but was otherwise handicapped. Walker will face another tough test from a run defense in Los Angeles that allows 3.9 yards per carry. Wagner, who played his first 10 seasons with the Seahawks, leads his new team with 49 tackles.

KEY VIOLATIONS: S Ryan Neal is the only Seahawks starter eligible due to elbow and shoulder injuries sustained in the loss to the Raiders. Neal didn’t practice earlier in the week, but the Seahawks are optimistic he can play. … Rams DL Aaron Donald (high ankle sprain) will not play for the first time in his nine-year career through injury. … Coach Sean McVay doesn’t say who will start in QB as Matthew Stafford (concussion log) is unlikely to play. John Wolford has been unavailable for the past two weeks with a neck injury.

SERIES NOTES: The Rams won the two-game season series against the Seahawks in 2021 and improved to 7-2 in their last nine games against NFC West opponents. …Los Angeles is 5-1 at home to Seattle since he returned from St. Louis after the 2015 season. … Wolford started the 2020 season in a wild-card playoff game against Seattle but fell out early in the 30-20 win with a neck injury.

STATISTICS AND STUFF: QB Geno Smith needs 245 passing yards to set a career high in a season. Smith had passed 3,046 yards as a rookie in 2013. … Walker leads all rookies with nine quick touchdowns. In the overall league standings, he ranks fourth. … WR Tyler Lockett is one of two wide receivers with at least six touchdown catches in the last five seasons. Stefon Diggs is the other. … The Seahawks have dropped three sacks in three of their last four games. … After 19 sacks in four games, the Seahawks have just one sack in their last two games. … Seattle gave up rushing 283 yards against Las Vegas last week. That’s the most under Pete Carroll and the most allowed since 2000. … The Seahawks lost to the Rams four times in a row in Los Angeles but won earlier this season at SoFi Stadium by beating the Chargers. … The Rams have lost five straight games for the first time under McVay. It is the longest slip since the end of the 2016 season with seven straight losses. … Rookie RB Kyren Williams had a career-high 11 carries and 14 touches against the Chiefs. However, he managed a total of 60 yards from those chances. … QB Bryce Perkins made his career debut against Kansas City, completing 13 of 23 attempts for 100 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed for 44 yards on nine attempts. … Although Los Angels has generally produced one of the NFL’s best pass rushes in recent seasons, they’re releasing the quarterback this year with 5.95% of drop backs. That’s 23rd in the league. …DB Jalen Ramsey has never intercepted a pass in five games against the Seahawks since joining the Rams. He had a pick against then-Seattle QB Russell Wilson in 2017 while Ramsey was still with Jacksonville. …Los Angeles has reached at least .500 in division play since McVay took over in 2017. However, with a 1-3 record this season, they need to sweep Seattle to continue that mark.

FANTASY TIP: Seahawks WR DK Metcalf has never received 100 yards in six regular season games against the Rams. He has three touchdown receptions, two of which were lost in Week 5 in 2021. There might be better options elsewhere for those chasing a playoff spot.