Why star-studded Seahawks-Rams game can be decided by line of scrimmage monsters

Sunday’s NFC West matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams will be as star-studded as they come- but the offensive and defensive lines can decide which team wins the battle under the Hollywood sign.

The game, set to kick off at 1:00 p.m. PST, has hype at an all-time high for football fans on the west coast. It features the two best receivers in football in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua, and the two best head coaches in the NFL in Mike Macdonald and Sean McVay. Quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford have both taken over Los Angeles as superstars in the last decade, too- Stafford with the Rams, and Darnold back when he played at the University of Southern California for the Trojans. However, the defensive fronts are as impactful to these two teams' successes as anyone.

The Seahawks have become a true contender this year due to their defensive line. They’re led by Leonard Williams, another former USC Trojan whose name can’t be mentioned enough right now. He is an NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate and there’s no overstating his value to the team. Fellow defensive tackle Byron Murphy II has emerged as one of the best sack-getters at the position, benefitting from Williams’ dirty work absorbing double teams. When Seattle drafted him with the 16th overall pick last year, the Rams were praying he would be available at the 17th pick right after- but had to settle for another star defensive lineman.

They traded back to the 19th pick and went with Jared Verse, who won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. His power-speed combination is lethal and allows Los Angeles’ interior defensive line to cause a world of hurt- something Seattle’s interior offensive line will be tasked with stopping today. Grey Zabel, Olu Oluwatimi, and Anthony Bradford will have one of the biggest prove-it opportunities of their careers to this point, facing off against young game wreckers Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner, as well as former Seahawk Poona Ford- who’s having a season of revival himself in 2025.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Seahawks defensive end Uchenna Nwosu, a third Trojan who’ll return to SoCal and star in today’s blockbuster movie of an NFL game.

While JSN and Puka receive the press junket, the line of scrimmage will be a recreation of the movie Battle: Los Angeles today. Today’s NFC West game of the year contender features as many stars in the trenches as it does on people’s fantasy lineups.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks & Rams JSN, Puka joined by lineman stars like Williams, Verse