Rams at Seahawks: how to watch, game day notes, and series history

Sunday’s matchup between the Los Angeles Rams (9-4) and Seattle Seahawks (8-5) may very well be the most important of the year for each of these teams.

A win for the Rams gives them a two game lead in the chase for the NFC West division title. A loss would move the from the 3rd overall spot in the playoff picture to 7th. A win for the Seahawks immediately bumps them into the top spot in the West. A loss, without some help from other playoff contenders, could potentially end all hopes of a postseason.

The game will be played at 4:05pm ET at Century Link Field in Seattle. Ed Hochuli is the game’s referee. Calling the game (on Fox) are Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis. Pam Oliver will be reporting from the sidelines. You can check the Week 15 broadcast map to see if the game will by playing in your area.

Sean McVay will look to even the score with Pete Carroll on Sunday, after losing his first ever matchup against the Seahawks at home earlier this season. In his tenure with the Seahawks, Carroll has a win-loss record of 9-7 against the Rams.

The Seahawks have won two in a row against the Rams dating back to last season, and hold the all-time series lead by a count of 23-15.

Rookie wide receiver Cooper Kupp leads the Rams’ receiving attack. He’s caught 56 passes for 783 yards (14.0 per) with four touchdowns on the year. He’ll look to hold off Robert Woods (703 yards), who returns on Sunday after missing the team’s two previous games (shoulder). For the Seahawks, it’s Doug Baldwin leading the charge. He’s caught 66 passes for 860 yards (13.0) with five scores on the year.

Defensively, Aaron Donald and Michael Bennett lead their teams in sacks -- with 8.0 and 7.5, respectively. Linebackers Mark Barron (3) and Bobby Wagner (2) lead their team in their respective teams in interceptions.

Rams Notes

• QB Jared Goff has 773 pass yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions, with a 100.1 rating in his past three games. He has five TD’s to one INT with a 120.2 rating in his past two on the road vs. divisional opponents. Goff is 5-1 (.833) with 12 TD’s and one INT with a 109.9 rating in his past six road games.

• RB Todd Gurley leads the NFL with 13 TD’s (10 rush, 3 rec.) and ranks 2nd with 1,637 scrimmage yards. He is one of three in franchise history (Eric Dickerson, 1983 and Marshall Faulk, 2000) with 1,600+ scrimmage yards and 13+ TD’s in their first 13 games of the season. In the past four games against the division, Gurley has 511 scrimmage yards (127.8 per game) with four TD’s (3 rush, 1 rec.).

• WR Sammy Watkins aims for his fourth in row with a touchdown. He has three TD’s in his past two on the road against NFC West opponents.

• Rookie WR Cooper Kupp had a career-high 118 receiving yards and a touchdown in Week 14. He leads all NFL rookies in rec. yards (783) and ranks 3rd in catches (56). His 56 catches are most by a rookie in team history.

• DT Aaron Donald has three sacks in his last three games. He aims for his third in a row against a divisional opponent with a sack. In his past four on the road vs. NFC West opponents, he has 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

• LB Robert Quinn has four sacks and a forced fumble in his last three games. He aims for his fourth in a row with a sack. In 11 career games against Seattle, Quinn has 12 sacks and a forced fumble. He has 19 forced fumbles since 2012 — most in the NFL.

• LB Alec Ogletree leads the team with 86 tackles. In his past three games against Seattle, he has 20 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception.

• Rookie safety John Johnson III lead the team with a career-high 11 tackles in Week 14.

Seahawks Notes

• QB Russell Wilson ranks 2nd in the NFL with 29 touchdown passes. He aims for his 3rd game in row with 3+ TD passes. In his past 8 games at home, Wilson has 2,306 pass yards (288.3 per game), 21 TD’s and 7 INT’s with a 101.6 rating. He has 17 TD passes in the 4th quarter — most in single season in NFL history. Wilson also leads the Seahawks in rushing on the year, with 482 yards on the ground.

• RB Mike Davis has 166 scrimmage yards (83 per game) in the last two weeks.

• WR Doug Baldwin had 78 rec. yards and a TD catch in Week 14. He aims for his 3rd in row at home against the Rams with a TD catch. In his past four games in December, Baldwin has 368 receiving yards (92 per game) with three scores. WR Tyler Lockett lead the team with 90 rec. yards last week, including a career-long 74-yard touchdown catch.

• TE Jimmy Graham is tied for 2nd in the NFL with 9 touchdown catches. He aims for his 4th in a row against a divisional opponent with a TD. He scored a touchdown in the team’s Week 5 meeting in Los Angeles.

• S Earl Thomas had 7 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in their last meeting. In his past five games against the Rams, he has 33 tackles, three forced fumbles, and an interception.

• DE Michael Bennett had a sack in the last game against the Rams. He aims for his 3rd in row at home against an NFC West opponent with a sack. LB Bobby Wagner is tied for 4th in the NFL with 115 tackles. He has 50 tackles (10 per game) in his past five at home against the Rams. Since 2014, Wagner leads the NFL with 500 tackles.

• LB K.J. Wright has 16 tackles and a forced fumble in his past two games at home against the Rams. Since 2014, Wagner (500) & Wright (442) are the only pair of teammates with 400+ tackles each.

• CB Shaquill Griffin leads NFC rookies with 13 passes defended.

(Visit NFL Communications for full time capsules of all Week 14 matchups)