During the late-game slate, the 7-2 Seattle Seahawks will be on the road facing the 7-2 Los Angeles Rams in a battle that will determine who takes sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Both the Rams and Seahawks come into this one riding four-game winning streaks. LA beat down the San Francisco 49ers last week, 42-26, while Seattle is coming off a 44-22 drubbing of the Arizona Cardinals.

Currently, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is playing some of the best football of his career. He looks like a frontrunner for the NFL's MVP award with a league-high 25 passing touchdowns on the season.

“I think it's just one of those years, right now,” explained LA offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. “This guy, for 17 years, has played at such a high clip, even if he always hasn't gotten the recognition, particularly nationally. I know within our business, within each of the buildings around this league, everyone's had [a] tremendous amount of respect and no one liked playing against him… It's not shocking. Statistically, I get it. His numbers are up, so I get it. People are going to talk about it. He's always played this way. He's always played tough. He's always been in command. He's always risen to the challenge, and I think the surrounding guys, the other ten, have played at a high clip with him. So, that's why I think you're seeing what you're seeing so far.”

Last Sunday, Matthew Stafford became the ninth quarterback in NFL history to throw 400+ career passing touchdowns. Though he said that he doesn't keep track of records, Stafford knows that he is playing really well at the moment.

“I, obviously, didn't know what was going on until people told me about it afterwards,” he said on Wednesday. “Obviously, the touchdowns have racked up the last few weeks, but I felt like I've been playing pretty good football for a while. Sometimes, I've had years where you feel like you play good football, you look up at the end of the year, and the stats may not tell the whole story of how you feel like you played… So, I don't pay too much attention to those stats. [I’m] just doing everything I can to try to get us in the end zone, and, luckily, that's been happening at a pretty good clip.”

Stafford isn't the only quarterback in this matchup playing at an MVP level. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold ranks third in passer rating this season (116.5) and currently leads the league in QBR (77.7). Limiting his production will be important if the Rams want to win this game.

“I've seen a lot of the same things that made him great last year in Minnesota,” said Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay. “I think he's in a really good system. I think he does an excellent job of recognizing whatever the coverages are and being able to get the ball where it should be. You can see he does a great job of playing in time, in rhythm. He can activate all parts of the field, and then, some really cool stuff happens when he goes off-schedule.”

Like a true leader, Sam Darnold is not going to take credit for Seattle's success. He recognized the offensive linemen and the Seahawks' blockers, who have allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL this season (ten). Strong blocking like that makes everybody else's jobs easier.

“Our offensive line is playing incredible,” Darnold told reporters recently. “Tight ends, running backs, all those that are in protection, they're doing a great job. And then our receivers being able to get open. Then for me, it's just being able to get the ball out and going through my reads.”

This will be one of Seattle's most difficult games this season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Rams' defense is second in scoring (17 points allowed per game) and tied for fifth in takeaways (14).

“[They’ve] got a great, great defense,” explained Darnold on Thursday. “I feel like they're doing a really good job. I think they're up there, if not number one, in forcing turnovers. That's always tough whenever you're going against a defense like that that can punch the ball out [and] take it away… They’ve got a great front tied with really good backers and really good DBs that make it all come to life.”

The Seahawks also have a top-flight defense. They're ninth in yards per game allowed (307.3) and sixth in points per game given up (19.1). Former Los Angeles Rams wideout and current Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp described Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald's defensive approach as a "virus."

“He wants to adapt. He wants to be ahead of the curve. He wants to be adapting to what's happening and be ahead of you before you get on the field,” Kupp said. ”It definitely helps in terms of offensively what some of the things are being presented defensively across the league. When you're playing good defense, you're going to start seeing those things kind of permeate throughout the league. It's nice to be a part of that.”

This will probably be an emotionally charged game for Cooper Kupp as he faces off against the team he spent eight seasons with. However, Kupp said he's not going to treat this game differently from any other matchup.

“It's another football game, you know? Get out there, play your game,” he said. “I love these guys. I love so many of the guys over there. But at the end of the day, you gotta go play a football game. That's going to be what it is. Try to treat this the same as any other game.”

Prediction for Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams (-3)

These teams are so even that it feels impossible to pick a winner. LA ranks second in team passer rating (114.5), while Seattle ranks third (113.7). The Rams are second in defensive scoring (17 points per game), but the Seahawks are sixth (19.1 points per game). Seattle has the third-best scoring offense in the NFL (30.6 points per game), while the Rams rank fifth in that category (27.9 points per game). Unfortunately for Los Angeles, they're dead last in field goal percentage and are still breaking in a new kicker, who has not yet attempted a field goal in the NFL. With so much on the line, Harrison Mevis' inexperience will end up costing the Rams the game when he's asked to make a field goal in a high-pressure situation.

Prediction: Seahawks 24 - Rams 23

How to watch Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams (-3)

Seahawks @ Rams starts at 4:05 p.m. EDT at SoFi Stadium. You can watch it on Fox or stream it via the Fox Sports app or YouTube TV.

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