Grey Zabel spent plenty of time staring across the line at the Rams last season, and he came away with a feeling that sounds about right for a division rivalry: equal parts irritation and admiration.
The Seahawks left guard said on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast that the three meetings between the two NFC West teams, including the NFC Championship Game, felt like a grind from start to finish. Seattle won that title game on the way to its Super Bowl title, but Zabel’s description of the matchup made clear the battle left a mark.
“That game was a heavyweight boxing match,” Zabel said.
He didn’t stop there. Zabel laid out exactly how he views the Rams after a rookie year spent seeing them over and over again.
“I hate the Rams, but I love the Rams because it is mano a mano, best on best,” Zabel said. “They know us well, we know them well.
You’re just sitting there trying to win every single rep. When they’re calling out plays, we can tell what they’re doing based off the defensive scheme, it’s fun football.”
Zabel also pointed to Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner as his “kryptonite” last season. And if the Seahawks thought the matchup was already difficult, the Rams made it more complicated this offseason by trading for Myles Garrett.
There’s even another wrinkle that could raise the temperature in the NFC West: Aaron Donald could return from retirement and rejoin the Rams up front. If that happens, the line between rivalry and full-blown trench war gets even thinner.
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