Seahawks host Rams in key NFC West matchup

Los Angeles Rams (3-4) at Seattle (4-4)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, Fox

BetMGM NFL Odds: Rams by 1 1/2 points

Series record: Seahawks lead 27-26

Last meeting: Rams beat Seahawks 17-16 on Nov. 19, 2023 in Inglewood, Calif.

Last week: Rams beat Minnesota 30-20; Seahawks lost to Buffalo 31-10.

Against the spread: Rams 2-5, Seahawks 2-5-1

Rams offense: overall (20), rushing (26), passing (14), scoring (23)

Rams defense: overall (21), rushing (23), passing (16), scoring (22)

Seahawks offense: overall (T9), rushing (29), passing (1), scoring (13)

Seahawks defense: overall (22), rushing (29), passing (T13), scoring (T19)

Turnover differential: Rams even, Seahawks minus-4

WR Puka Nacua returned against the Vikings after missing five games because of a knee injury and had seven receptions and 106 yards. The one-two punch of Nacua and Cooper Kupp helped the Rams offense have its highest-scoring game of the season, putting Los Angeles back in the mix for the NFC West. However, Nacua left practice Thursday after aggravating the ailment, putting his availability to play in question.

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba should be the focus of the passing game for the season straight week with DK Metcalf still hurt. He was the top target against Buffalo with six catches for 69 yards in Metcalf's absence. Outside of a Week 2 win over New England when he posted 12 grabs for 117 yards, setting career highs in both categories, it's been a frustrating sophomore season for Smith-Njigba. He has the potential to breakout against an iffy Rams secondary.

Rams RB Kyren Williams vs. Seahawks run defense. Williams has eight rushing scores and two more as a receiver. The Rams as an offense have 15 total touchdowns through seven games, so keeping Williams in check has to be a priority for the Seahawks. Through eight games, the Seahawks rank 29th in the NFL with 148.4 rushing yards per game allowed. They showed promise by allowing just 39 yards in the second half against the Falcons, but allowed 164 rushing yards last week against the Bills, with James Cook gaining 111 yards on 17 carries.

Metcalf is out for the second straight game because of an MCL sprain. … WR Laviska Shenault (knee) and CB Devon Witherspoon (foot) are good to go after sitting out Wednesday’s practice. … LB Ernest Jones was a late addition to the injury report because of a neck injury and is questionable to face his former team. ... Rams punter Ethan Evans (illness) won't play, meaning either Ty Zentner or Ryan Sanborn will be called up from the practice squad. Evans also is the holder on field goals and extra points, so there could be carryover to other areas of special teams. ... Swing OT Joe Noteboom (ankle) will miss his seventh straight game despite practicing all week. It looks like he could come off injured reserve next week.

The Rams and Seahawks played for the first time on Halloween 1976. The Rams won, 45-6. … Los Angeles has won five of the past seven matchups, including each of the past two. … The Seahawks beat the Rams 10 consecutive times between 2005 and 2009. … Seattle is 6-11 against the Rams since the team moved back to Los Angeles from St. Louis. … The Seahawks won both games against the Rams in the 2022 season, but dropped both matchups in 2023. … In the previous meeting on Nov. 19, 2023, in Los Angeles, Jason Myers' 55-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right with late in the 17-16 loss. … The Rams and Seahawks have played twice in the postseason: in the wild-card round in the 2004 and 2020 seasons. The Rams won both games.

The Seahawks need four more wins to reach 400. … Jones made 15 tackles last week in his Seahawks debut, matching his career high he set last year with the Rams. … P Michael Dickson set a franchise record last week with an average of 61.25 yards per punt against Buffalo. … CB Josh Jobe intercepted Bills QB Josh Allen last week, snapping Allen’s streak of 301 pass attempts without a pick. … QB Geno Smith needs one more 300-yard game to tie Matt Hasselbeck for second for most 300-yard games in a single-season in franchise history with four. … Smith also needs 45 attempts to pass Rick Mirer for fifth on Seattle’s passing attempts list with 1,524, and ranks in fifth in franchise history in completions, passing yards (10,838) and passing touchdowns (63). … RB Kenneth Walker III needs two touchdowns to pass Chris Carson for sixth on Seattle’s rushing touchdowns list with 25. … WR Tyler Lockett needs one 100-yard game to tie Darrell Jackson for second in franchise history with 19, and needs three touchdowns to pass Marshawn Lynch for third on Seattle’s touchdowns list with 67. … Metcalf needs 142 receiving yards to pass Largent for the most in a player’s first six seasons in franchise history with 6,042. … Metcalf also needs one receiving touchdown to pass Largent for the most in a player’s first six seasons in franchise history with 47 and ranks first in franchise history for the most receptions in a player’s first six seasons with 407. … Williams didn’t score a rushing touchdown for the Rams against Minnesota, ending a streak of nine regular-season games going back to last season. He did catch a touchdown, giving Williams a score from scrimmage in 10 consecutive games. … Rams rookie OLB Jared Verse had 1 1/2 sacks of the Vikings' Sam Darnold for his first career multi-sack game. Verse ranks second in the league in pressure rate (22.3%), trailing only Houston’s Danielle Hunter (22.4%) among all defenders with at least 150 pass rush snaps according to NFL Next Gen Stats. … Rookie ILB Omar Speights made his first career start and had four tackles. … Los Angeles has tightened up in the red zone, allowing two touchdowns in six trips over its past two games. … QB Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes against Minnesota. It was his 16th game with four or more scoring throws in 213 appearances.

Williams has scored at least 15 fantasy points each of the past six weeks. As one of the most productive backs in the league, Williams could be in for a big game against a Seahawks defense that has struggled to stop the run.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp (9) is seen over Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) after he made a catch during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) lays on the ground after being sacked for a safety by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young (0) (not pictured) during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday rejected an emergency appeal from Republicans that could have led to thousands of provisional ballots not being counted in Pennsylvania.

The justices left in place a state Supreme Court ruling that elections officials must count provisional ballots cast by voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected.

As of Thursday, about 9,000 ballots out of more than 1.6 million returned have arrived at elections offices around Pennsylvania lacking a secrecy envelope, a signature or a date, according to state records.

Pennsylvania is the biggest presidential election battleground this year, with 19 electoral votes. Former President Donald Trump won the state in 2016, then lost it in 2020.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Voters in a bellwether suburban Philadelphia county courted heavily by the presidential candidates had their last chance Friday to apply for a mail-in ballot, as a county clear across the state gave voters who didn't receive their mail-in ballot another chance to get one.

A judge in Erie County, in Pennsylvania's northwestern corner, ruled Friday in a lawsuit brought by the Democratic Party that about 15,000 people who applied for a mail ballot but didn't receive it may go to the county elections office and get a replacement through Monday.

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot has passed in Pennsylvania, the biggest presidential battleground this year and a state that has hosted far more visits by Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris than any other.

The judge's ruling means that Erie County's elections office will be open every day through Monday for voters to go in, cancel the mail-in ballot they didn't receive in the mail, and get another one over the counter, said Cliff Levine, a lawyer for the state Democratic Party.

In suburban Philadelphia's Bucks County, a court set a deadline of 5 p.m. for voters there to apply for and receive a mail-in ballot.

Lines outside the county's elections office in Doylestown were long throughout the day — snaking down the sidewalk — with the process taking about two hours by Friday afternoon.

Nakesha McGuirk, 44, a Democrat from Bensalem, sized up the line and said: “I did not expect the line to be this long. But I’m going to stick it out.”

She faces a long work commute next week and worried about her ability to make it to the polls on Election Day. “I figured that rather than run into the risk of not getting home in time to go and vote, that it would be better to just do it this way early,” said McGuirk, a Harris supporter.

Republican voter Patrick Lonieski, a Trump supporter from Buckingham, also found it more convenient with his work schedule to vote Friday in a county he called “pivotal” to the outcome.

“I just want to make sure I get my ballot in and it’s counted,” said Lonieski, 62, who was joined by his 18-year-old son, voting for the first time.

The line steadily dwindled as 5 p.m. approached. One last straggler broke into a run to make it by the deadline as elections workers cheerfully counted down the seconds. “Let’s go! Hurry up! You can do it!” a bystander yelled. People broke into applause as she walked through the door — just in time.

A Bucks County judge had ordered the three-day extension in response to a Trump campaign lawsuit alleging that voters faced disenfranchisement when they were turned away by county application-processing offices that had struggled to keep up with demand, leading to frustration and anger among voters.

The Trump campaign lawsuit said people who were in line by Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline to apply in person for a mail ballot should have been allowed to get a ballot, even after the deadline. However, Bucks County’s election office denied voters that right and ordered them to leave, the lawsuit said.

Bucks County Judge Jeffrey Trauger ruled that the Board of Elections violated the state election code and ordered an extension through Friday.

Unlike other states, Pennsylvania doesn't have true early in-person voting. Voters can apply early for mail ballots online or in person at county election buildings.

Doing so in person can take about 12 minutes and requires applying for a mail ballot, waiting for a bar-coded envelope to be printed and then, if voters wish, they can cast the ballot on the spot. Or they can put it in a drop box or a mailbox. Election offices must receive the ballots by 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

No excuse mail-in voting is relatively new to Pennsylvania. The Legislature passed an expansion of the practice in 2019. In 2020, Trump — without any evidence to back the claim — said mail-in voting was rife with fraud, which discouraged many Republicans from voting by mail. That's changed this year, with Trump and billionaire business mogul Elon Musk endorsing the practice and calling on supporters to vote early by mail.

Pennsylvania went narrowly for Trump in 2016 before swinging to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Bucks County backed Democrat Hillary Clinton by a single point in 2016 before Biden widened the Democratic lead to five points in 2020.

Associated Press reporter Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

Voters line up outside the Bucks County Administration Building during early voting in the general election, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, in Doylestown, Pa. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)

Voters line up outside the Bucks County Administration Building during early voting in the general election, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, in Doylestown, Pa. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)

People wait in line outside the Bucks County government building to apply for an on-demand mail ballot on the last day to request one in Doylestown, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Catalini)

People wait in line outside the Bucks County government building to apply for an on-demand mail ballot on the last day to request one in Doylestown, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Catalini)

People wait in line outside the Bucks County government building to apply for an on-demand mail ballot on the last day to request one in Doylestown, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Catalini)