While the matchup between the Rams and the New Orleans Saints sounded enticing Los Angeles Rams Jerseys Stitched , the schedulemakers decided to put the Rams and Seahawks on primetime. Twice."WhiteSections 2019 offseason2019 free agency2019 NFL DraftFull ArchiveLibrary 2019 NFL calendar2019 Rams regular season sched2019 Rams preseason schedMasthead Community Guidelines NFL Odds StubHub 鉁?019 Los Angeles Rams Regular SeasonThe NFL really wants to boost the rivalry between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle SeahawksNew,20commentsWhile the matchup between the Rams and the New Orleans Saints sounded enticing, the schedulemakers decided to put the Rams and Seahawks on primetime. Twice.CDTShareTweetShareShareThe NFL really wants to boost the rivalry between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle SeahawksJayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsEver since the the NFL regular season schedule for the Los Angeles Rams was released last week, there’s been one question I keep asking myself: why does the NFL find the matchup between the Rams and the Seattle Seahawks so intriguing?With QB Russell Wilson’s freshly-signed contract cementing him in Seattle (with his monogrammed silk PJs) for the foreseeable future, the Seahawks still look like the 2018 team that overperformed at the end of the season. Their legion on defense has lost their boom, and their offensive line continues their imitation of five paper bags blowing in the wind. Are the Seahawks still the main rival for the Rams in the NFC West? Maybe it was on a certain day this weekend, but it won’t be during the Rams’ 2019 season.The San Francisco 49ers are a much more enticing matchup for the LA Rams, because their team philosophies are similar to Coach McVay’s squad. Both teams have innovative offensive schemes that are all about putting points on the board. The Seahawks on the other hand are a team where Head Coach Pete Carroll tries to control the clock with the run game. In short, they’re old school and kind of boring. And the reason behind this puzzling primetime push by the NFL to showcase the Rams and the Seahawks is due to the NFL’s short-term memory. San Francisco 49ers QB Bibby Babobbobo suffered a knee injury last year and rendered the Niners immediately irrelevant. However, with a healthy Johnny Spellcheck and another year for Head Coach Kyle Shanahan to get his culture in place, the Rams-Niners rivalry could be renewed with a newfound electricity.Another reason for not expecting too much from Seattle when they play the Rams: the Hawks will be coming off of short weeks for both games. Also, the December 8th Rams-Seahawks game is a Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC and could be flexed for something more exciting. Primetime games are drawing more fans who don’t follow those teams. The networks want an exciting game. A shootout if you will. The Rams and the 49ers are the hot ticket. They’re most likely going to be the best games played in the NFC West next season.The Seattle Seahawks might end up playing to the Rams next year, but don’t hold your breath on it being must-watch TV. THOUSAND OAKS Dakota Allen Los Angeles Rams Jerseys , Calif. (AP) — Todd Gurley probably would have won his first NFL rushing title last year if the Los Angeles Rams hadn’t rested every key starter in their season finale.Gurley was sanguine about the decision at the time, saying all the right things about the bigger picture and the Rams’ playoff goals.With Gurley in the NFL rushing lead again as the regular season heads into its final weeks, the superstar running back is telling the real story about the end of 2017.“Yeah, I was lying,” Gurley said with a laugh. “I really did care about the title. I couldn’t say nothing. No one really plays for regular (season) goals, but that would be a pretty cool thing to get. I tell people that all the time: ‘You play for team goals, but who wouldn’t want to be the NFL sack leader? Who wouldn’t want to be the NFL passing or rushing leader? It’s hard to get it.'”This time around, Gurley is openly hoping he can get the first rushing title since 1987 for the Rams (11-1) — and their race for the NFL’s best overall record might actually work in his favor. With Los Angeles in a tight race with New Orleans (10-2) for the NFC’s top seed, the Rams might not be able to keep Gurley off the field in December.Gurley heads into Sunday’s game at Chicago (8-4) with an NFL-best 1,175 yards, but just 26 more than Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott, the 2016 rushing champ. Gurley also leads the NFL with 1,649 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns after topping the league in both categories last season.Gurley is thriving again in his role as the centerpiece of coach Sean McVay’s dominant offense Dakota Allen Jersey Baby , putting him in the running for a second straight AP Offensive Player of the Year award. But this lifelong NFL fan also understands the historic importance of a rushing title, and he wants his name in the books beside the best running backs.Gurley went into Week 17 last season with the league rushing lead at 1,305 yards, but McVay decided a week of rest for the playoffs was more important than their last regular-season game against San Francisco. Kansas City rookie Kareem Hunt subsequently passed him with a 35-yard TD run on his only carry of the Chiefs’ finale.“Definitely wanted to get it last year, but whatever,” Gurley said. “We didn’t play in the last game. I’m just going to focus on these next couple of games, and whatever happens, happens. I’m just happy that we were able to clinch a playoff spot and just go from there.”The Rams are already playoff-bound after beating Detroit last week, and they could clinch a first-round bye with a win over Chicago this Sunday. But even if they beat the Bears in chilly Chicago, the Rams are likely to be pushed down the stretch by New Orleans for home-field advantage in a potential NFC championship game matchup.That race means McVay is unlikely to rest his starters unless the Rams are guaranteed two home playoff games at the Coliseum. New Orleans already beat Los Angeles this season, so the Rams need to finish one game ahead of the Saints.McVay has another reason to rely heavily on Gurley: Malcolm Brown, Gurley’s backup for all four seasons of both running backs’ careers, is out for the year after injuring his collarbone last week. Gurley and Brown are close friends who lift weights and hang out together away from the Rams’ training complex.Brown’s replacements are Justin Davis and rookie John Kelly Dakota Allen Jersey nfl draft , two solid backs with little NFL experience. Gurley generally controls his own playing time on the field, only leaving when he decides he needs a rest, but the Rams are even more likely now to lean on him in any key situation.Gurley realizes it isn’t easy to be his backup, let alone a third-stringer. His 279 touches are second in the league to Elliott’s 293 this season.“It’s pretty tough, because you’re doing everything during OTAs and you’re doing stuff in camp, and then it’s like, if you’re not a guy on the active roster, you’re not really getting many reps at all,” Gurley said. “I feel like those guys will be fine when they get in the game. They’re definitely going to play, because I’m pretty sure I’ll get tired a play or two.”