The Seattle Seahawks will be hosting the Los Angeles Rams in their season opener, but they will be without one of their key players, Devon Witherspoon. Witherspoon, a defensive end, has been placed on the inactive list due to a lingering ankle injury.
Witherspoon was a key part of the Seahawks defense last season, recording 8 sacks and 43 tackles. He was expected to be a major contributor this season as well, but his ankle injury has kept him out of practice and unable to play in the season opener.
The Seahawks will have to make do without Witherspoon against the Rams, who are coming off a strong season in which they made the playoffs. The Rams offense is led by quarterback Jared Goff, who is coming off a career-high 4,688 passing yards last season. The Rams also have a strong running game with Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown.
The Seahawks will have to rely on their defense to contain the Rams’ offense without Witherspoon. They will need to get pressure on Goff and limit the big plays that the Rams’ offense is capable of making. The Seahawks’ secondary will also need to be on their toes to prevent Goff from finding open receivers downfield.
The Seahawks will also need to find a way to generate offense against the Rams’ defense. Quarterback Russell Wilson will need to be at his best if the Seahawks are going to have a chance at winning. He will need to find ways to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers, such as wide receiver Tyler Lockett and running back Chris Carson.
The Seahawks will be without one of their key players in Devon Witherspoon for their season opener against the Rams. It will be up to the rest of the team to step up and fill the void left by Witherspoon. If they can do that, they may have a chance at pulling off an upset against the Rams.