Rams

Rams HC Sean McVay told reporters he has started to put more emphasis on special teams than he did in the past, given how the rules have changed since he took over as head coach in Los Angeles.

“Special teams wasn’t as important to me as offense and defense,” McVay said, via The Athletic. “But now, I think it is more important because there are more action plays. You are covering more kicks, you are returning more kicks, and when the ball is on the 30-yard line, or a touchback goes to the 35, you are really one first down away from being in four-down territory.”

Rams

Rams S Kamren Curl had a career year last season and is looking to build on the momentum entering 2026.

“That was the most tackles I ever had in the season. And catching picks, that’s always good,” Curl said, via the team’s website. “Just getting back to getting turnovers, that felt really good. That brings a lot of confidence, because it was a minute since I caught the ball in a game. So that brought a lot of confidence back. In these past two years, I’ve touched the ball more – PBU’s, picks, forced fumbles. So that brings a lot of confidence.”

Fellow Rams S Quentin Lake said that Curl is always in the right place at the right time and he’s dependable.

“I think the biggest thing with him is he’s reliable,” Lake said. “You know exactly what you’re going to get from him in terms of the toughness, in terms of knowing his assignment, and he’s so versatile, too.”

Curl added that the team’s coaching staff has helped put him in a position to make more plays and unlock his full abilities.

“I feel like the coaches have put me in a position to show it,” Curl said. “I’ve made plays there, specifically in the deep zones, playing post safety or half field, because I didn’t really get to do that in Washington. So coming here, they put me in position to do that, and I made plays, and they put trust in them to trust me and continue to do that.”

Rams DC Chris Shula said Curl is one of the team’s leaders and can be used in a number of different ways on defense.

“He’s been our silent leader, so to speak,” Shula said. “He’s just one of the most consistent guys you’ll ever be around. He’s a leader on the field. Guys look up to him, the way he plays, the way he communicates. He can do a lot of different things for us. We’re really excited to have him. He’s done an awesome job, and I think over his two years, it’s been really cool to see the growth. To see [from when] he came here from Washington, and how we utilized him, and then in that first year, you felt a ton of growth. You just felt him to continue to get better and better next year. So, we expect him to take that next step, and part of that is being a leader of the defense and that’s exactly what he is.”

Seahawks

Seahawks QB Drew Lock said he never had the chance to practice the play that led to WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba running free for a 45-yard touchdown.

“It is like a classic football play,” Lock said, via PFT. “But, no. No, definitely never ran it. Looked kind of funny before the snap. I didn’t really seem like they had anybody ready to match Jaxon based on what I knew we were about it run. He’s the third read in that play, and when 11 is just standing there, you got to give him the pill.”

Lock added that he trusts the defense to keep the game close and he was simply trying to not commit mistakes and keep the ball moving forward.

“Knowing the type of defense that we have, there is no rush to push the ball down the field,” Lock said. “Let’s find ways to get the ball in our guys’ hands. Now, when the ones down field are there, I’ve never been one to be afraid of those, but having the mindset of taking football, getting it in our guys’ hands. You got the best defense in the world, in my opinion, let’s keep the ball moving forward and see what the scoreboard looks like at the end of this.”