Photo Credit : Brooke Sutton/Getty Images
Oh my goodness, what a game. I still can’t believe that actually happened. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams 38–37 in overtime on Thursday Night Football, clinched a playoff berth, and now control their own destiny for the NFC’s number one seed in the playoffs in one of the greatest games you’ll ever see. Get ready for easily my craziest game recap of the season by far.
You already knew the stakes heading into this game. Both the Seahawks and Rams came in gridlocked at 11–3, with the Rams having won the previous meeting and holding the tiebreaker. That meant a win for Los Angeles would all but ensure their second straight NFC West title. The biggest storyline from that first matchup was that Sam Darnold threw four interceptions, and the Seahawks’ offense had been super inconsistent over the last little while. The Darnold haters were starting to get loud again.
You could tell there was something extra on the line for Seattle, not just the playoff and standings implications, but pride as well.
After the Seahawks stopped the Rams on fourth-and-one, they went down on their first possession and scored in just five plays, highlighted by a 46-yard screen pass to Kenneth Walker, who was finally used in the receiving game. But then the offense stalled for the rest of the first half.
With the Rams leading 13–7, Seattle finally started moving the ball late in the second quarter. Darnold hit Cooper Kupp on a slant route for a huge gain, but Kupp fumbled and the Rams recovered. A massive momentum killer, as that drive seemed destined to end in seven points for Seattle.
The Seahawks got the ball to start the second half, and once again it was Walker who gave the team a spark, scampering down the sideline for a 55-yard touchdown. The Rams responded by driving down the field and kicking a field goal.
Then, on Seattle’s next drive, Darnold threw a pick to Josh Wallace, who was taken down at the one-yard line, and Blake Corum punched it in for the score. You could feel the air get sucked out of the building as the Darnold haters got louder and louder.
After the Rams forced a Seahawks punt, they went 85 yards down the field and Puka Nacua scored a touchdown to make it 30–14, what felt like the dagger. Seattle wasn’t able to move the ball outside of their two touchdown drives, and even though it was technically a two-score game, it felt like much more than that.
But then Seattle showed some urgency. They drove into the red zone, where Darnold threw a back-breaking interception to defensive tackle Kobie Turner. At that point, the Darnold hate was at an all-time high in Seattle, and all the talk about him not being able to win a big game was looming large.
The Seahawks’ defense forced a three-and-out, and the Rams punted for the first time all night. This is where everything changed.
Rashid Shaheed had come up huge for the Seahawks in the fourth quarter last week, but he hadn’t touched the ball all game until this point. So what did he do on his first touch? Take it 58 yards to the end zone for a punt return touchdown. Cooper Kupp caught the two-point conversion, and suddenly the Seahawks were back in the game.
In my opinion, the Rams’ next drive changed everything. Seattle’s defense forced another three-and-out, but the Rams only took 45 seconds off the clock. Suddenly, the Seahawks had the ball with a chance to tie the game.
Seattle went right back to Shaheed, this time on an end-around that he took for 31 yards. On the next play, Darnold found AJ Barner wide open for a 26-yard touchdown. Just like that, it was a two-point game.
On the two-point conversion, Seattle tried to run a quick screen to Zach Charbonnet. The ball hit off Jared Verse’s helmet and fell incomplete, so Seattle was still down two. Or so we thought.
Replay showed that Darnold’s pass actually went backward, and Charbonnet picked the ball up as it rolled into the end zone. The call was overturned, and the Seahawks miraculously tied the game. An absolutely insane turn of events.
Both teams exchanged punts on their next two possessions. The Rams had a chance to take the lead with just over two minutes left, but kicker Harrison Mevis missed from 48 yards out. Unfortunately, Seattle couldn’t capitalize, and the game headed to overtime.
The Rams got the ball first, and it looked like Ernest Jones picked off Matthew Stafford near midfield, but the ball hit the ground. A few plays later, Stafford hit Nacua for a 41-yard touchdown to give the Rams the lead.
That set the stage for Darnold. It was touchdown or bust.
Could Darnold deliver in the biggest game of the season, or would it be the same story from the first three quarters?
In overtime, Darnold was throwing dime after dime. Seattle moved the ball effectively, highlighted by an incredible 21-yard completion to Kupp. The Seahawks marched down the field and reached the Rams’ four-yard line, where Darnold threw a strike to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the touchdown.
Now came the decision to go for the tie, or go for the win?
To me, it was clear, you go for the win.
After both teams called timeout, the game came down to one final snap. Darnold bought time, and it looked like nobody was open until Eric Saubert, who was blocking on the play, leaked out and was left completely alone. Darnold hit him for the game-winner.
The Seahawks won one of the craziest and most improbable games you’ll ever see, knocking off the Rams 38–37 in an absolute thriller. I don’t think I’m over it yet, it was truly amazing.
Seattle entered the game 0–172 when trailing by 15 or more points in the fourth quarter. You can now make that 1–172.
The Rams became the first team to lose a game with over 500 yards of offense, zero turnovers, and forcing at least three turnovers. Despite the loss, the Rams’ offense was incredible. Matthew Stafford threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns. With Davante Adams out, just like I predicted, Puka Nacua was the focal point of the passing game, finishing with 12 catches for 225 yards and two touchdowns.
For the Seahawks, Kenneth Walker led the ground game with 11 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown. After being shut out in the first half, Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished with eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, setting the Seahawks’ single-season record for receptions previously held by Tyler Lockett (101 in 2020). Smith-Njigba now has 104, with two games still to play.
The Seahawks’ defense didn’t play great, they didn’t record a sack or a turnover, and safeties Nick Emmanwori and Coby Bryant exited the game with injuries, as did cornerback Tariq Woolen.
But at the end of the day, the Seahawks found a way to win, and that’s what matters.
Only time will tell, but this was one of if not the biggest regular-season wins in franchise history. Especially given Seattle’s history against the Rams, who have had the Seahawks’ number even dating back to the Legion of Boom days. This was Seattle’s first win against a healthy Rams team since 2020 and their first win over Matthew Stafford as a Ram.
I also mentioned how this was a massive pride win. It came against a great team, in primetime. Over the last two seasons, the Seahawks had chances to show the league who they were on a national stage and got embarrassed both times—Thanksgiving 2023 against the San Francisco 49ers, and on Sunday Night Football in 2024 against the Green Bay Packers. Both losses also came at home.
This game looked like it was headed in that same direction, but the Seahawks flipped the script.
They still have a lot of work to do, needing wins against the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers to secure the NFC West and the number one seed. But this was a huge win and one that won’t be forgotten.
