Rams vs. Seahawks: Three must-know storylines for Thursday's Week 16 prime-time game

This is probably the most significant Thursday game of the season: Rams at Seahawks, with the NFC West and the conference’s top seed up for grabs. With two top-three scoring defenses facing two top-five scoring offenses, it shapes up as a true heavyweight battle – with a ton at stake.

Each team enters the game with matching 11-3 records, with the Rams' Week 11 victory over the Seahawks the current tiebreaker in their favor. A Rams win at Lumen Field on Thursday would put them in a dominant position, but Seattle settling the score would shift the tide back in its direction.

The Rams' 21-19 victory in the first matchup was a dogfight, as Sam Darnold (four INTs) struggled, but he also had the Seahawks a few yards away from potentially winning it. That's now the backdrop for an exciting and consequential matchup that will have a massive effect on how the NFC playoff field is shaped.

Three must-know storylines

1) Darnold hopes to rebound from the last Rams game

Sam Darnold's worst game of the season came against the Rams in Week 11 with four interceptions (three in the second half) in Seattle's narrow loss. The first pick came vs. man coverage, but the other three were when the Rams played zone. All four can be chalked up to poor throws or decisions by Darnold, although there was tangible pressure on three of the four INTs. He continued to rally the Seahawks, who outgained the Rams significantly (414-249) that day and nearly pulled off the comeback. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a big game, and tight end AJ Barner had his busiest game of the season with 11 targets and 10 catches. But Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed (in his second game as a Seahawk) were both quiet, and the Rams shut down the Seahawks' run game outside of one 25-yard scamper by Kenneth Walker III. Darnold wasn't sacked in the last meeting, but he felt consistent pressure, especially on the edge against OTs Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas. So yes, Darnold must clean up his performance this time around, but there were other Seahawks players who came up short in the prior loss.

2) Potentially Davante-less Rams still boast firepower elsewhere

Matthew Stafford is among the MVP favorites heading into the final three games of the season, but he might be without star Davante Adams, who aggravated a hamstring injury this past Sunday against the Lions. Even if Adams can't go, the Rams have proven to be a diverse, dangerous offense capable of moving the ball in a variety of ways. Adams had a 1-yard TD in the first meeting against the Seahawks, but it was his only reception on eight targets. Puka Nacua lost a fumble in the first meeting but had several big second-half catches and has 16 catches for 348 yards and two TDs in his past two games. He's certainly capable of being the big-play threat in the pass game again, but the Rams have a trio of tight ends (led by Colby Parkinson, who had two crucial TDs last week) and a two-headed run game that rivals the Seahawks' RB duo. Kyren Williams has 50-plus rush yards in 13 of his 14 games, and Blake Corum is second in the NFL in yards/carry (5.5), behind only Miami's De'Von Achane (min. 100 carries). That's still a lot to deal with, with or without Adams playing.

3) Don't overlook the prowess of Seattle's defense

The Rams are a potent offense, averaging 30.0 ppg, but the Seahawks' defense will be a stiff test. They have allowed a mere 25 points over their past three games and only one TD in that span. In the first meeting, the Seahawks allowed the Rams to drive 74 yards on one of their three TD drives, but the other two came off interceptions, spanning just 3 and 25 yards, respectively. After the first quarter of the prior meeting, the Rams totaled 105 yards on eight possessions and had a long gain of 19 yards. Kyren Williams had a productive day, and Puka Nucua totaled 93 yards from scrimmage, but the Seahawks held Matthew Stafford to 4.6 yards per attempt and had seven "stuffs" in the red game, per Next Gen Stats. Interestingly, the Seahawks have 42 sacks this season, but the Rams are the only team to hold them without one in a game this season, even as Demarcus Lawrence had a few shots at taking Stafford down. Seattle has been excellent defensively on third downs (64 of 194, 33.0%) and in the red zone (22 TDs in 43 trips, 51.2%), which has helped them win games, especially when the Seahawks offense has not been as effective. The secondary has also improved steadily down the stretch, assuring this will be a tough test in a short week for a possibly shorthanded Rams offense.

Rams' Week 16 injury report

Seahawks' Week 16 injury report