The Vikings have had two weeks to get ready for this important game.  The Vikings are sitting at 3-2 and need to win this game badly.  I would think that this would be a spot where the Seahawks would be in for a let-down after their emotional last-second win last week, but this game is at home where the Seahawks have won 12 straight games.

Don’t look for the Vikings to change their offense philosophy of running the football and throwing short passes.  The Vikings offense has been effective yardage wise (325.2 yards per game), but not points wise (17.8 points per game).  Chester Taylor (421 yards rushing) could find the going tough against the Seahawks defense that is only allowing 75.6 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry.  The Vikings should be effective with their short passing game as long as the receivers catch the ball when it hits their hands.  Johnson (1,128 yards passing) doesn’t favor any receiver and likes to spread the ball around.

The Seahawks would like to run the ball a little bit with Maurice Morris, but make no mistake….they will be throwing the ball alot.  The Vikings have a good secondary, but the Seahawks have alot of weapons when throwing the ball.  Darrell Jackson (26 rec, 387 yards) and Deion Branch cause all kinds of trouble for opposing defenses.  Hasselbeck is starting to throw to his tight-ends more and that is causing trouble for defenses too.

I don’t see how the Vikings will be able to generate enough offense to beat the Seahawks in their house.  I do think the game will be close, because of the Vikings defense.

The Seahawks linebackers are playing phenominal so far this season.  MLB Lofa Tatupu has 40 tackles, a interception and a fumble recovery.  OLB Julian Peterson has 28 tackles and 4 sacks.  He’s been everything the Seahawks envisioned and more.  OLB LeRoy Hill is building on his fine rookie year last season.  Hill has 26 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.  Teams will have a hard time running on the Seahawks all season because of these guys.

This was a fantastic football game.  Matt Hasselbeck led the team on a drive at the end of the game that set up kicker Josh Brown for the 54 yard game-winning field goal with no time left.  Hasselbeck completed 19 of 34 passes for 268 yards with 3 TDs.  Hasselbeck also scrambled twice for 22 yards.  RB Maurice Morris carried the ball 23 times for 74 yards (3.2 ypc).  WR Darrell Jackson had a good game. catching 4 passes for 94 yards and a TD.  Deion Branch had a good game in his first start catching 6 passes for 76 yards and 2 TDs.  DJ Hackett added 3 catches for 66 yards.

The defense had a hard time stopping the Rams offense.  The Rams ran the ball 22 times for 59 yards (2.7 ypc).  The Rams completed 26 of 39 passes for 309 net yards passing.  Safety Ken Hamlin had 8 tackles and a sack.  LB Lofa Tatupu had 6 tackles, defensed a pass and had an interception.  DE Bryce Fisher and LB Julian Peterson each had 2 sacks.

This was a huge win for the Seahawks!

This is a showdown for supremecy in the NFC Western Division.  The Seahawks probably thought they would role through this division again like last year, but they’ve run into some speed bumps.  The Rams have played well, but their also has been a lot of luck involved.

Without running back Shaun Alexander, the whole Seahawks offense is thrown off kilter.  Maurice Morris (101 yards rushing) could find some running room against the Rams defense which is allowing 120.6 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  If the Seahawks get something going on the ground it will take some of the pressure off of QB Matt Hasselbeck.  Hasselbeck buckled under pressure in the Seahawks last game against the Bears and was making real bad decisions with the football.  WR Deion Branch is gonna start this game and give Hasselbeck a second receiver to pair with Darrell Jackson (22 rec, 293 yards).  Hasselbeck must be careful however when throwing because the Rams already have 8 interceptions this season.

Marc Bulger has been pretty good so far this season.  Bulger has thrown for 1,259 yards and 7 TDs with ZERO Interceptions this season.  The Seahawks secondary is very vulnerable to the type of downfield passing attack that the Rams possess.  Torry Holt (29 rec, 372 yards) and Isaac Bruce (22 rec, 343 yards) have been putting on a show this season and they should both have good games this week.  The new demension of the Rams offense is the running back.  Steven Jackson has run the ball well (465 yards rushing) and caught the ball well (18 rec, 184 yards).  The Seahawks linebackers will have to stop Jackson if they want to win.  The Seahawks have been tough against the run so far this season only allowing 79.8 yards rushing and 3.5 yards per carry.

I think this will be a good football game, but I like the Rams to win a close one.

WR Deion Branch will get his first start on Sunday against the Rams.  Bobby Engram has a thyroid condition and could miss Sunday’s game, elevating Nate Burleson to the #3 WR spot.

TE Jerramy Stevens is also ready to return after recovering from knee surgery earlier in the year.