Epic crashes often involve a concoction of unusual circumstances.
The Los Angeles Rams had several in a 38-37 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night. Brutal mistakes by special teams, as well as an offense that sprung late and a defense that couldn’t stop the bleeding, combined for a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter.
The single play that stands out was a two-point conversion by the Seahawks midway through the fourth quarter that allowed Seattle to tie the game at 30-30. A quick screen by Sam Darnold was deflected by Rams pass rusher Jared Verse and shot into the air at the goal line before falling to the turf. Initially it appeared to be an incomplete pass and was ruled a failed attempt. However, as the teams lined up for the kickoff, officials reviewed the play and determined that Sam Darnold’s pass was actually reversed, making it a punt, and Seahawks quarterback Zach Charbonnet, who caught the ball in the end zone, was awarded the two points.
Instead of the Rams holding on to a 2-point lead, it was tied and eventually led to overtime.
The Rams questioned the call after the contest.
“Very interesting,” coach Sean McVay said, via ESPN. “Didn’t get a clear explanation of everything that was going on just because of some timing.
“I’ve never seen anything or never been a part of anything like that. And I’ve grown up around this game. I’m not excusing it. We don’t do it. I don’t believe in it. It doesn’t move us forward, but we want clarity and an understanding of what we can do to minimize that when we rejected the 2-point conversion.”
Matthew Stafford, who became the fifth player in NFL history with 450-plus passing yards, 3-plus passing TDs and 0 INTs in a loss (Jared Goff, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Cassel), wondered how to move forward with fuku in that position.
“I just want to know this rule,” Stafford told the LA Daily News. “Because I thought about plays like that — a two-minute play or a two-point play, under two minutes and stuff like that — I didn’t think you were allowed to advance.
The play wasn’t the main driver of the Rams’ collapse, but it did highlight what can go wrong when an opponent gets life.
After dominating the first three quarters, producing 30 points, 405 yards and no points, the offense went cold, going 3-and-out for three consecutive drives to open the door for Seattle. The defense, which forced three punts, allowed Darnold to move the ball in the final frame and overtime. And the special teams, which have been a problem all season, were atrocious, giving up a punt and missing a field goal in the fourth quarter, among other mistakes.
Coaches often lament that it’s a quarter game. The Rams didn’t perform in the final frame and it cost them control of the NFC.
LA fell to 11-4, behind Seattle in the NFC West. The Rams have a 27% chance to win the division, according to Next Generation Stats, with games remaining against the Falcons and Cardinals. Entering the game with the top seed in the conference, they now have just a 21% shot to clinch the No. 1, but Seattle’s odds have increased to 51% to earn. The 49ers, who face the Seahawks in Week 18, have a 19% chance to clinch the top seed by winning out.
The Rams already clinched a playoff spot, but the collapse could make their path to the Super Bowl that much more difficult.
“We just went down swinging,” defensive lineman Kobie Turners said. “We beat them once, they beat us once. We’ll see them again. At the end of the day, we’re in the big dance, that’s what matters, that’s what matters. I don’t care where we are, I don’t care if it’s freezing, snowing, raining, or I don’t care if we’re back at my house, SoFi.