NFL on Prime Video noted on December 16 that Rams at Seahawks will be the first-ever Thursday night game featuring two teams with 11 or more wins, a wild sentence for a time slot thatâs often been more about survival than style points.
Kickoff is set for Thursday, December 18 at Lumen Field in Seattle, and both teams enter with 11-3 records.
NFL on Prime Videoâs Note Puts a Spotlight on a âPlayoff-Feelâ Thursday
The Prime Video broadcast account didnât have to oversell it. The numbers do that on their own.
This isnât just âgood teams in prime time.â Itâs an NFC West rivalry game with stakes that can swing the final two weeks of the season â and potentially the conferenceâs top seed â on a short week.
Thursday games are usually about getting healthy and surviving a short week â not matching heavyweight records. Thatâs what makes this Seahawks-Rams spot so unusual. Both teams are already playing like January is a lock, and now theyâre meeting with the division race and conference positioning in play under the brightest, fastest spotlight.
In other words: one of these teams is taking a very real hit in the standings Thursday night, and the other is leaving with a massive leverage advantage.
What It Means for Seattle and Los Angeles in the NFC West Race
Seattleâs own playoff primer laid it out pretty clearly: the Seahawks can clinch a postseason berth this week with a win or tie against the Rams (or with help if Detroit loses or ties Sunday).
But the bigger headline is the division and the top of the NFC. The winner Thursday will control its own destiny not only for the NFC West title, but also for the NFCâs No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, with the 49ers still lurking at 10-4.
Thatâs the pressure point: this game could turn the final two weeks into a sprint for home-field advantage, or a scramble to catch up.
Short-Week Storylines: Davante Adams, Plus a Rematch That Still Stings
The Rams may be carrying one major concern into the game: wide receiver Davante Adams.
Multiple reports suggested that Adams will miss Tuesdayâs walkthrough after aggravating a left hamstring injury in Los Angelesâ 41-34 win over the Detroit Lions, though coach Sean McVay said heâs not ruling him out for Thursday.
Beyond injuries, thereâs also the âremember last time?â factor.
The teamsâ earlier meeting was a tight one, highlighted by Seattle quarterback Sam Darnoldâs four interceptions in that game, which still came down to a missed 61-yard field goal at the end.
Darnold admitted Seattleâs first meeting with Los Angeles âwasnât my best effort,â and said the Rams make life difficult by âmatching the pressure with the coverage.â On a short week, he also emphasized recovery â saying heâs focused on sleep and getting his body right â while embracing the spotlight of âmeaningful footballâ in December.
How to Watch, Plus a Few Quick Notes for Thursday Night
The Seahawks say Thursdayâs matchup is the 55th meeting between the two teams, and the game will stream on Prime Video (with Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on the call).
Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. ET from Lumen Field, exactly the kind of time slot where one weird bounce can rewrite the entire conversation heading into Week 17.
Bottom line: The NFL is getting something it rarely gets on a Thursday, two true contenders, in a rivalry, with the standings ready to swing hard either way. And now it comes with a first-of-its-kind stat attached to it.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post NFL Gets Thursday Night History in Seahawks-Rams With Top Seed at Stake appeared first on Heavy Sports.
