St. Louis has appeared in two Super Bowls since 2000, winning one. Seattle, meanwhile, is the chic pick to win it all this year, combining an already potent offense with a much-improved defense. This game will reveal to us if Seattle is really equipped to take the crown, or if the Rams aren’t yet ready to relinquish their title. Three things to watch for:
A Little Respect, Please?
Seahawks stud RB Shaun Alexander puts up big numbers week in and week out, but always seems to fly under the radar when it comes to national attention. This is inexplicable considering his three straight years with more than 1,000 yards and at least 16 touchdowns. Alexander has already reached the Promised Land six times in just three games this season. This game could come down to whether or not the Rams can keep him out of their endzone.
See, We CAN Run
After a week of hearing constant criticism about how he didn’t run the ball enough, Martz earned a big fat “told you so.” He ran Pro Bowl RB Marshall Faulk and backup Stephen Jackson 33 times, four more attempts than the two had in the past two games combined, and St. Louis racked up 24 first-half points and won the time-of-possession battle. Against Seattle’s top-ranked defense, Martz will again have to prove that his team isn’t a one-trick horse and mix both run and pass.
We’re Improved Too:
A big reason for the unit’s improvement is the free-agent acquisitions of DE Grant Winstrom and CB Bobby Taylor. Just as important, though, has been the tutelage of defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes, who has his unit following the same path of his prior teams Washington, Denver, Philadelphia, Green Bay. All four have ranked in the top 10 overall within two seasons. Surprise, surprise: this is year two with the Seahawks.
The Seahawks have already proved that they can step it up and get stops in crunch time. Prove it one more time against one of the league’s top offenses, and I’ll become a believer.