Rams Fall, Seahawks Lead NFC: Game Recap

In an electrifying exchange, Seahawks came back and won in overtime at home

SEATTLE — On Thursday night, the Seahawks beat the Rams 38-37 in overtime, securing their place in the playoffs.

Through the first 15 weeks, the Seahawks were one of the best teams in the NFL, with an 11-3 record.

On Thursday night, with so much at stake in one of the biggest regular-season games in recent memory, they looked like a predestined team. It was already assumed that Seattle would have a difficult path in the playoffs, since two losses to the Rams would have practically ended their hopes of winning the NFC West and obtaining the first position in the conference, with the first round bye and the home field advantage that entails.

But now the Seahawks have control of both after a completely improbable comeback. Seattle rallied from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter after the game was a blowout following two interceptions of Sam Darnold against the same team that intercepted him four times last month at SoFi Stadium.

The Seahawks got a special teams touchdown from Rashid Shaheed to start their comeback, which continued with Darnold throwing a touchdown at the end of regulation and another in overtime.

Mike Macdonald opted for the game-winning two-point conversion, and Darnold delivered, connecting with tight end Eric Saubert in the end zone, capping a thrilling victory and sealing Seattle’s playoff berth.

Before tonight, the Seahawks had an all-time record of 0-155-0 when trailing by 16 or more points in the fourth inning, according to ESPN Research.

Most surprising performance: The Seahawks entered Week 16 allowing the second-fewest points of any defense in the NFL. Rarely do you see Macdonald’s unit get outplayed the way it was Thursday night.

Explosive passing plays were the main problem, as Stafford ran them early and often, completing seven passes of 25-plus yards. The Rams had 257 yards in the first half, eight more than they had in the four quarters of their win over Seattle in Week 11, and finished with 581. Even with some longer development plays, the Seahawks failed to sack Stafford. But in the end, the defense excelled despite the absences of safety Coby Bryant, nickelback Nick Emmanwori and cornerback Riq Woolen, who were injured in the fourth quarter.

Trend to follow: Shaheed’s transfer is paying off big. The speedy receiver made two catches on the Seahawks’ game-winning play last week, establishing himself as an important secondary option behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

On Thursday night, he returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown, fueling Seattle’s fourth-quarter comeback. It was Shaheed’s second touchdown return since the Seahawks acquired him from New Orleans before the trade deadline in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round draft picks. Shaheed had 89 total yards in two plays against the Rams.

Given to destacar: Kenneth Walker III had a 55-yard touchdown run, plus a 46-yard reception on a short pass play. He is the first Seattle running back with a 40-yard reception and a 40-yard run in the same game since Shaun Alexander in 2002 against the Vikings, according to ESPN Research.

The Seahawks’ running game has been inconsistent for much of the season, and short passes to running backs have not been a big part of Klint Kubiak’s offense. But Seattle used both strategies against the Rams. Walker (100 yards) and Zach Charbonnet (32) combined for 132 yards rushing, and each scored a touchdown.

Turning point: The Seahawks’ fourth-quarter comeback included one of the strangest two-point conversions ever seen. Darnold’s short pass to Charbonnet was deflected at the line of scrimmage and rolled into the end zone, appearing to be an incomplete pass. But Charbonnet reacted quickly, running toward the ball and grabbing it at the goal line for good measure. The officials reviewed the play and determined that Darnold’s pass was backwards, meaning it was a fumble that Charbonnet recovered for a successful conversion. — Brady Henderson

Next party: against the Carolina Panthers (December 28)

Analysis of quarterback performance: Even without Davante Adams, who was inactive due to a left hamstring injury that aggravated in Week 15, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was more effective for much of the game against a Seahawks defense that had had a lot of success when these teams met in Week 11. On Thursday night, Stafford completed 29 of 49 passes for 457 yards and three touchdowns, including one in overtime, but It was not enough for victory. The 457 yards are the fifth-most in a game in Rams history and the most since Jared Goff had 517 in Week 4 of 2019.

Trend to follow: Puka Nacua has 573 passing yards in his last three games. It’s the most in a three-game span since Josh Gordon had 649 with the Browns in 2013. With Adams injured, Stafford relied even more on Nacua, whose 225 passing yards are the most by a Rams player since Isaac Bruce in 1997.

Given to destacar: Before Thursday, the Rams were the only NFL team that had yet to allow a run of 30 yards or more, according to ESPN Research. That streak ended against Seattle when Seahawks running back Walker scored a 55-yard touchdown in the third quarter. — Sarah Barshop

Next party: against the Atlanta Falcons (December 29)