Week 6 Game Recap: Seattle Seahawks 30, St. Louis Rams 28

What you need to know

Seattle Seahawks

The extra rest afforded by the Seahawks’ bye week did nothing to help their anemic running game get back on track. Back-up RB Maurice Morris started his second consecutive game in relief of the injured Shaun Alexander and recorded only four yards on five first half carries. The offensive line offered a bit more help in the second half and Morris found some holes and looked good on a handful of plays. He finished with 74 yards on 23 carries, well below his career yards per carry average, and did not find the end zone. He also committed the Seahawks’ lone turnover, a late fourth quarter fumble that let the Rams back in the game.

QB Matt Hasselbeck, with some of his offensive weapons shelved by injury, managed the Seahawks to a narrow victory. The Seahawks had a successful opening drive, but notched only 30 yards and a single first down for the balance of the first half. With the running game struggling, Hasselbeck found himself going to the air often. He showed phenomenal accuracy on both of his second half touchdown passes, threading tight triple coverage to Darrell Jackson on one and hitting Deion Branch with a perfect fade to the corner of the end zone on the other. In the end, Hasselbeck completed 19 of 34 attempts for 268 yards and three scores.

This game was loaded with big plays on both sides of the ball, but none was bigger than Josh Brown’s 54 yard game winning field goal. He was the Seahawks’ hero of the game; also hitting a pair of 49 yard attempts to make fans forget his third quarter miss from 34 yards.

St. Louis Rams

QB Marc Bulger amassed 360 passing yards, completing 26 of 39 passes for three touchdowns. His receivers found lots of space in the first half and Bulger had little problem feeding them the ball. The Seahawks’ defense tightened up a bit in the second half, dropping more men into coverage and successfully applying pressure with a three man pass rush. He was sacked six times on the day. Bulger saw his league-leading streak of pass attempts without an interception come to an end when LB Lofa Tatupu picked him off late in the fourth quarter.

WR Torry Holt rebounded from last week’s three catch, 40 yard disappointment to tally 154 yards and three trips to the end zone. All in all, Holt was targeted 14 times bringing in eight catches. His spectacular 67 yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter made everybody’s NFL highlight reel and gave St. Louis back the lead late in the game.

RB Steven Jackson recorded only 56 rushing yards on 20 carries, but was an integral part of the Rams’ passing game, adding seven catches for 40 yards. He also found the end zone for the second time this season.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 19 - 34 - 268 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 22 - 0

Hasselbeck had a solid opening drive, finishing with a 14 yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch, but the Seahawks’ offense went into hibernation for the rest of the half. The lack of a running threat allowed St. Louis’ defense to key on Hasselbeck and he completed only two passes the balance of the half. He fared better after the break, finishing the game with 268 yards on 19 of 34 passing and three touchdowns. Hasselbeck’s completion percentage continues to drop, but the big plays made up for it this week and helped the Seahawk’s record a win.

RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 23 - 74 - 0, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (2 targets)

Morris started his second game of the season in relief of the injured Shaun Alexander. He and the Seahawks’ running game got off to a miserable start, managing only four yards on five first half carries. The offensive line opened up some space in the second half and Morris was able to contribute to the offense and help tire out St. Louis’ defensive front. He fumbled late in the fourth quarter when all the Seahawks need to do was run out the clock, giving the game back to St. Louis. Morris finished the game with 74 yards on 23 carries.

RB Mack Strong, Rush: 2 - 10 - 0, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (3 targets)

Strong had a 32 yard touchdown run nullified back by a marginal holding call.

RB Shaun Alexander

Alexander is still sidelined with a cracked bone in his foot.

WR Deion Branch, Rush: 1 - 19 - 0, Rec: 6 - 76 - 2 (11 targets)

Branch made a 14 yard touchdown reception to cap the Seahawks' opening drive. His second touchdown of 19 yards came in the fourth quarter. Branch also contributed a rush of seven yards. He made an eight yard reception on third down that helped to keep the Seahawks' field goal scoring drive alive.

WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 4 - 94 - 1 (9 targets)

A last second tipped pass kept Jackson from a huge gain, possibly a touchdown in the second quarter. His third quarter touchdown catch came deep in the end zone in triple coverage and would have made the game’s highlight reel if not for the spectacular touchdown that Rams’ receiver Torry Holt made later in the game. WR Deion Branch saw three more targets and notched one more touchdown than Jackson in this game, but Jackson recorded more yardage. He finished with 94 yards.

WR Nate Burleson (1 targets)

With WR Deion Branch fully assimilated into the Seahawks' offense, Burleson was little more than an afterthought in this game. He was targeted only once and did not record a catch.

WR Bobby Engram

Engram is out indefinitely with a thyroid-related illness.

TE Itula Mili, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (3 targets)

Mili caught two of three balls thrown his way for 18 yards. Jerramy Stevens was a pre-game scratch.

TE Jerramy Stevens

Stevens was slated to return to action in this game, but was a late pre-game scratch.

PK Josh Brown 3 - 4 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 12 points

Brown managed to hit both the right and left uprights in missing a third quarter 34 yard field goal attempt. His next three attempts were all perfect, a pair from 49 yards out and the game winner from 54 yards.

SEA Rush Defense

Seattle’s defense did an excellent job of containing Steven Jackson, limiting him to only 56 yards on 20 carries. Jackson’s longest gain of the day was only nine yards and excellent defensive containment kept him from getting to the outside on a handful of plays.

SEA Pass Defense

The Seahawks’ secondary played miserably in the first half, giving up yards in chunks to Rams’ receivers. Whether playing zone or man-to-man, St. Louis receivers often found ample space and QB Marc Bulger had the necessary time to find them. One would have to assume there was a lot of yelling from HC Mike Holmgren at halftime, because the second half was a different story. Aside from Torry Holt’s juggling touchdown catch, the Rams had only one other second half pass play greater than nine yards. Seattle also recorded six Marc Bulger sacks in the game.

QB Marc Bulger, Pass: 26 - 39 - 360 - 3 TD / 1 INT

Bulger had a busy game, connecting on 26 of 39 pass attempts for 360 yards and three touchdowns. The going was pretty easy in the first half as the Seattle secondary gave his receivers plenty of room to operate. The Seahawks tightened up in the second half, forcing Bulger to dump off to Steven Jackson more often than not. Bulger threw his first interception of the season in the fourth quarter.

RB Steven Jackson, Rush: 20 - 56 - 1, Rec: 7 - 40 - 0 (9 targets)

Jackson recorded a decent first half of play with 43 rushing yards and a two yard touchdown, but finished the game with only 56 yards on 20 carries from scrimmage. He added seven catches for 40 yards as Marc Bulger’s safety valve receiver. Last week Jackson gave way to Stephen Davis on many red zone plays. That was not the case in this game as he received all six of the Rams’ red zone carries, including his second quarter, two yard touchdown.

RB Tony Fisher, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets)

Fisher recorded one carry and one catch for a five yard total.

RB Stephen Davis

Davis was in uniform on the sideline, but did not receive a carry or a target.

WR Torry Holt, Rec: 8 - 154 - 3 (14 targets)

Holt had a career game with 154 yards on eight catches and a trio of touchdowns. His amazing 67 yard juggling touchdown catch in the fourth quarter was fantastic, as Holt shielded off tight single coverage and maintained incredible concentration on the ball. He also surpassed the 10,000 career yardage mark in this game.

WR Isaac Bruce, Rec: 5 - 45 - 0 (8 targets)

Bruce had a mediocre five catch, 45 yard day and was far overshadowed by fellow WR Torry Holt’s 154 yard, three touchdown day.

WR Kevin Curtis, Rec: 2 - 52 - 0 (4 targets)

Curtis caught half of his four targets for 52 yards.

WR Shaun McDonald, Rec: 1 - 28 - 0 (1 targets)

His only catch of the game was a big 28 yard grab on a clutch third down play.

TE Joe Klopfenstein, Rec: 2 - 37 - 0 (3 targets)

The rookie tight end caught two of his three targets, all coming in the first quarter.

TE Madison Hedgecock, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets)

Hedgecock saw his lone carry in the first quarter.

PK Jeff Wilkins 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points

Wilkins was a perfect four for four on extra points, but did not attempt a field goal.

STL Rush Defense

The Rams squashed second string RB Maurice Morris in the first half, limiting him to four yards on five carries. They did wear down a bit after halftime and Morris found some room, allowing Seattle to open up the offense and get back into the game. Morris finished with 74 yards.

STL Pass Defense

Aside from the opening Seahawks’ drive, the Rams’ dominated the first half, sacking QB Matt Hasselbeck three times and stifling Seattle’s offense. QB Matt Hasselbeck and the Seahawks made some halftime mental adjustments and lit up the Rams’ defense in the second half. Hasselbeck ended the game with 268 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.