Special teams was the name of the game on Thursday night. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Rams’ special teams cost them a huge win.
They had already beaten the Seattle Seahawks once, but they couldn’t get the sweep. Because the Seahawks had kept pace overall, this loss, despite it being a split in the season series, has now put the Rams into the wild-card conversation and not the NFC West title or the number one seed.
Special teams leads Seahawks to stunning win over Los Angeles Rams
In what amounted to a one-point overtime loss on a walk-off two-point conversion, the Los Angeles Rams missed a field goal that would’ve given them the lead right before the two-minute warning. They also allowed the Seattle Seahawks to score on a long punt return touchdown that totally flipped the game.
They still had chances to win the game, but those two plays loom incredibly large.
The Rams are making less than 75% of their kicks beyond 40 yards. That is not a terribly long range for modern NFL kickers. 60-yard field goals are pretty common these days. Unfortunately, the Rams do not have a kicker they can really trust to even go beyond 40. That reared its ugly head on Thursday night.
The Rams watched the Seahawks erase a 16-point deficit with two touchdowns and two two-point conversions. It was a stunning collapse. However, there were still three minutes and change left to win the game, sweep their rivals, and establish themselves firmly as the best team in the NFC and maybe the NFL.
Matthew Stafford, who had one of the best games he’s played ever, drove the Rams down to the Seahawks’ 29 before the drive stalled.
Harrison Mevis, known as the “Thicker Kicker,” came out and missed the ensuing attempt with 2:11 on the clock. Mevis had made three extra points and three field goals by that point.
Al Michaels, on the call for Amazon, pointed out that he hadn’t missed before Mevis missed it just wide to the right.
Mike Macdonald didn’t play for the tie
In the comeback win, the Seattle Seahawks became the only team to ever score and win on a two-point conversion in overtime. The new rules mean that both teams get one possession, and the leading team after that happens wins the game. The Los Angeles Rams got the ball first, which is not the ideal scenario anymore. They scored and kicked the extra point.
The Seahawks then marched on a nine-play, 65-yard drive to win. Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his darling season with a clutch touchdown catch, and Eric Saubert hauled in the winning conversion. It is a huge risk to even attempt the two-point conversion there. A tie, or at least the game continuing, does not hurt as badly as a loss. But a tie also doesn’t help as much as a win, and it would’ve made the playoff picture very murky.
But Mike Macdonald never considered going for the tie. It’s become the trend for teams in overtime to score and go for the win with the two, but they haven’t remotely been successful. Via ESPN, the coach said, “It was something we talked about throughout the season and particularly for this game because of the playoff situation. You know, you play for the tie and lock up a playoff seat, but I just felt great about our play, and I trusted our guys.”
The middle two-point conversion, the one that tied the game at 30, was controversial. A deflected pass was ruled incomplete, but running back Zach Charbonnet picked it up and scooted into the end zone. After review, it was deemed a backward pass. That meant it was a fumble. And despite some confusion on the rules, players can advance a fumble like that on a conversion. Because Charbonnet did, the score was knotted at 30.
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