THE GEEK’S GAME OF THE WEEK
Seattle at L.A. Rams (-1.5)
Week 3 was crazy. Week 4 was even crazier. Much like the Buffalo Bills reversing their fortunes, so too did the Geek and the Greek. Mike ‘The Greek’ Raptis (36-27) bombed out, going 6-10, while J.J. ‘The Geek’ Adams (40-23) balled out, checking in in with a 12-4 weekend, going back atop the GVG standings.
The L.A. Rams are 3-1 and leading the NFC West. They were last year, too. So, bandwagoners, sit down. Trumaine Johnson has some Kendrick Lamar wisdom for you: “I remember the feeling when we were 3-1 ... and we won one game of 12 after that. Be humble.” The Socal returnees put up 224 points in all of 2016, the lowest season total by a team in five years, and set all kinds of marks for offensive ineptitude. This year, they’ve already scored 142 points and lead the NFL. The impact of Sean McVay as head coach can’t be overstated, and it’s borne out by the numbers. Since 1970, only two other coaches have more points through their first four games with a team — Bill Callahan, who inherited a Super Bowl-bound Oakland Raiders team in 2002, and Mike Martz, who took over the Greatest Show on Turf in the 2000 St. Louis Rams. McVay’s Rams came into 2017 having finished dead-last in yards gained the previous two seasons, and had ranked in the bottom third for the past 10 seasons. Personnel changes in personnel, like (finally!) installing Jared Goff as the No. 1 QB and signing Sammy Watkins as a game-breaking receiver, made a big difference, as did, well changes in personnel. Todd Gurley has reverted back to the form he showed in his rookie season, after a 216 that saw him rush for 885 yards, the lowest total in history for someone with at least 275 carries. He hadn’t reached the century mark in 20 games, but has now gone over 100 yards the past two games and he leads the NFC yards from scrimmage. A thousand miles up the I-5, things are still in disarray. Don’t let the Seahawks’ 46-18 win over Indy fool you. Russell Wilson may have thrown for 668 yards and six touchdowns his past two games, but those game against two of the league’s worst defences — and he even lost one of those. Seattle’s wins have come against the 49ers and Colts, who are a combined 1-7. The problems they have are still there, and going against a defensive line that has 12 sacks, third-best in the NFL, is not a recipe for victory.
PICK: Rams
The Greek says: The Greek says: The young, sexy Rams are the toast of Tinseltown — and for good reason. But beneath all that offensive flair is a penetrable defence, one that a resurgent Russell Wilson will be looking to exploit. PICK: Seahawks