RENTON Cody Barton Seattle Seahawks Jersey , Wash. (AP) — For most of the season, the Seattle Seahawks have had the best running offense in the NFL, trying to win without throwing the ball all over the field.What the Seahawks showed in Sunday’s win over Carolina is that when necessary, they can still rely on the right arm of Russell Wilson.“There’s been so much talk about the run game and we need to get that going and such, but we always designed our approach to be balanced. That means when you have the opportunity to run it, you run it. When you have the opportunity to throw it, you throw it,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “But you have to really commit to the running game to make that happen in the way we’re doing it. So the fact it went this week and Russell threw for 330-something and had a really efficient day, that’s going to happen sometimes.”Wilson’s passing was the difference in Seattle’s 30-27 victory over the Panthers, which may end up being the reason why the Seahawks make the postseason. Seattle (6-5) now plays four of its final five games at home, with its lone road trip down the coast to San Francisco, and essentially controls its own path to a wild-card spot in the NFC.Wilson threw for two touchdowns, including a 35-yard strike to David Moore on fourth-and-3 late in the fourth quarter that pulled Seattle even at 27-all, and set the stage for Seattle to complete its rally with Sebastian Janikowski’s 31-yard field goal on the final play.This was a far different passing game than what Seattle showed in the first two weeks of the season when the run game was mostly ignored. At this point, Seattle’s run game is so respected that there are opportunities for Wilson that simply weren’t there earlier in the season. Couple that with better protection, and Seattle was primed for a game where its quarterback carried the load.“We have star receivers out there on the flank, we have tight ends that can catch, we’ve got running backs that can catch. We have guys that can protect really well. So there is nothing we really can’t do,” Wilson said. “We want to play tough, physical football. We also want to be explosive in the passing game, spread the ball around.”Wilson’s 339-yard passing day was his best game of the season and the only time since Week 1 against Denver he’s thrown for more than 250 yards. He has just three 300-yard passing games since the beginning of the 2017 season. Wilson was 15 of 19 for 218 yards in the second half alone.The focus on running the ball beginning in Week 3 is a big reason why Seattle finds itself in the playoff conversation. But Carolina was determined not to let Seattle control the game on the ground. Seattle’s streak of rushing for at least 150 yards in seven straight games came to an end, and its 2.7 yards per carry was a season low.That may sound like a blueprint has been created for how to stop Seattle’s run game. But not every team has a front seven like Carolina.“They really went after it. They studied well, they did a couple of new things we had to adjust to and they’re just really good. All their players are strong and physical and they did a nice job of committing to it,” Carroll said. “That allowed us to throw the football like we did.”NOTES: Carroll said it was surprising WR Doug Baldwin was able to play despite a pulled groin muscle. Baldwin had five catches and played 90 percent of the offensive snaps. “I can’t imagine he’s not sore. It was extraordinary that he played. He had a groin pull that was legit and he just managed it, made it through the week. I don’t know anybody that’s played with a pull like that,” Carroll said. … Carroll had no update on the timeline of LB K.J. Wright, who missed his second straight game with a knee injury. … The one injury of significance to come out of Sunday’s game was a sternum injury to fullback Tre Madden. THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Sean McVay led the Los Angeles Rams from the NFL’s depths to the Super Bowl in just two seasons, and he did it without a first-round pick in the first two draft classes of his tenure.The upcoming draft is the Rams’ first chance to add a truly elite talent chosen to the specifications of McVay and Wade Phillips. The coaches are eager to see what they can get.“This will be the first year that we have a first-round pick Cody Barton Seattle Seahawks Jersey ,” McVay said with a grin. “It’ll be fun.”Indeed, the Rams have a first-round pick for the first time in three years, even if it’s only the 31st overall after their 13-3 regular season.The previous time the Rams picked in the opening round, general manager Les Snead moved up to snag Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall choice, making a big splash with the club’s first draft selection since returning home to Los Angeles.Although this pick won’t be quite so splashy, the Rams have the opportunity and the need to draft a potential starter on either the offensive or defensive line.The departures of center John Sullivan, guard Rodger Saffold and nose tackle Ndamukong Suh opened vacancies that haven’t been definitively filled.The Rams don’t have a second-round pick after trading it to Kansas City last season in the deal for Marcus Peters. That means they’ll be tempted to move that first-round pick to gain more draft capital, but McVay would love an impact player from this draft after getting just a few major contributors since his arrival.From the first draft class of his tenure in 2017, the Rams came up with receivers Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds, starting safety John Johnson and linebacker Samson Ebukam. Los Angeles didn’t have a pick until the third round last spring, and fourth-rounder John Franklin-Myers made the biggest impact as a backup defensive end on the Super Bowl squad.Here are more things to ponder about the Rams draft:STOP THE RUNSuh helped the Rams to the Super Bowl in his only season in LA, but the veteran star didn’t always make a significant impact on regular-season games. Suh hasn’t signed with another team, but Snead has said he isn’t likely to return. That means the Rams need a new space-filler up front in Phillips’ 3-4 defense, and this draft is thick with interior defensive line talent. A defensive tackle to play alongside Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers seems like the single most probable selection. Look for such names as Jerry Tillery of Notre Dame and Christian Wilkins of Clemson.O-LINE OPENINGThe Rams used their first two picks last season on offensive linemen, and both are in the running for starting jobs this fall. Third-round pick Joseph Noteboom appeared to play well in limited action as a rookie, while McVay spoke highly of fourth-round center Brian Allen. But several top offensive line prospects should be available if the Rams keep their first-round pick, and the right name could be irresistible.FIRST THINGS FIRSTSnead’s recent history with first-round picks is pretty solid, although he has had plenty of opportunities while taking over a team that went 13 years without a winning season. He drafted Brockers, Donald, Todd Gurley and Goff in a five-year span, but he also reached for receiver Tavon Austin in 2013 and whiffed on left tackle Greg Robinson with the second overall pick in 2014 — although Robinson’s career revival in Cleveland suggests former coach Jeff Fisher’s staff might have blown it there.ON THE EDGEThe Rams could always use another pass rusher, even with Donald returning from a 20½-sack season and Dante Fowler back in the fold alongside newcomer Clay Matthews. Johnson, the 91st overall pick in 2017, is the only defensive player chosen by the Rams in the first three rounds of the past four drafts. With plenty of edge-rushing talent in this draft, don’t be surprised if the Rams grab some early.WHAT THEY DON’T NEEDUnless an elite talent falls through the cracks, the Rams seem unlikely to add a skill position player with their first pick. Aside from the notable loss of late-season addition C.J. Anderson, the NFL’s second-most productive offense last season will return six of its top seven rushers and all of its top eight receivers — including Kupp, who will be back from his season-ending knee injury. Los Angeles even signed Blake Bortles as Goff’s backup.