SEATTLE — Short week, strange and bad trip.
It started with Rams star receiver Puka Nacua ripping NFL referees and making an antisemetic gesture on a livestream.
It ended with an epic fourth-quarter collapse.
And a potentially catastrophic fall from the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The Rams’ 38-37 overtime defeat by the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night at Lumen Field continued a cascade of ill-timed news for coach Sean McVay and a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender.
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Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in their 38-37 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Thursday night.
The Rams’ record fell to 11-4. The Seahawks displaced them atop the NFC West. And the road to home-field advantage for the playoffs now includes some major roadblocks.
Thank the Rams’ defense and special teams. The defense forced three turnovers, but the Rams gave up a punt return for a touchdown and blew a 16-point fourth-quarter lead.
Thank Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, whose short touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and two-point conversion pass to tight end Eric Saubert finished the Rams.
And, as the Rams not-so-subtly hinted, thank the officials.
“This one’s a tough one right there,” McVay said of the loss. “Never seen anything like some of the things that occurred.”
McVay was referencing a two-point conversion attempt by the Seahawks in the fourth quarter, which was initially ruled an incomplete pass that left the Rams with a 30-28 lead.
But as the teams lined up for the ensuing kickoff, the referee announced that Darnold’s pass was behind the line of scrimmage, and that after it tipped off Rams edge rusher Jared Verse it was a fumble that Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet recovered in the end zone, giving the Seahawks two points and a 30-30 tie.
“Very interesting,” McVay said. “Didn’t get a clear explanation of everything that went on.”
Said Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford: “There was plenty of football after that, chances to make plays and all that.”
The Rams had a chance to go ahead with just more than two minutes left, but Harrison Mevis — who had made all eight of his field-goal attempts, including three against the Seahawks — missed from 48 yards and the game eventually went into overtime.
Stafford and Nacua connected for a 41-yard touchdown pass to give the Rams the lead. But Darnold’s four-yard touchdown pass to Smith-Njigba pulled the Seahawks to within a point.
And Darnold finished the Rams with the pass to Saubert.
“We were able to take control of the momentum,” said Rams defensive lineman Kobie Turner, who intercepted a pass and had 1½ sacks, “and momentum is a crazy thing and sometimes when it flips, it flips.”
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes during the second half against the Seahawks on Thursday night.
(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
The loss tarnished another exceptional performance by Stafford. Despite the absence of star receiver Davante Adams, he completed 29 of 49 passes for 457 yards and three touchdowns. Nacua caught 12 passes for a career-high 225 yards and two touchdowns.
Nacua entered the game mired in controversy. The third-year pro apologized for the gesture in an Instagram post Thursday, and the Rams and NFL released statements denouncing the gesture.
Nacua’s situation “wasn’t a distraction at all,” McVay said.
But Nacua said McVay was “disappointed in some of the actions that just distracted my teammates and that’s something that I know I’ll learn from, and I don’t want to be a distraction in any week, especially in a short week, so we had talked about that and he’s right there behind me.”
Several other Rams players had solid performances.
Rookie receiver Konata Mumpfield caught three passes for 40 yards and rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson had three catches for 33 yards, including a touchdown.
Safety Kam Curl forced a fumble by former Rams receiver Cooper Kupp and second-year defensive back Josh Wallace got his first career interception.
But the Rams still could not hold off the Seahawks, who avenged a 21-19 November defeat by the Rams.
“They were saying stuff,” Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones, who played his first three NFL seasons with the Rams, said when asked if the Rams were trash talking. “Yeah, they were saying stuff.
“I won’t repeat what they were saying because it’s not really good, but they were talking.”
The Seahawks (12-3) took over first place in the division and the No. 1 seed. The Rams fell to No. 5 and could fall to No. 6 depending on how the rest of the week’s games play out. The San Francisco 49ers (10-4) remain in the mix.
The Rams, who clinched a playoff spot with their victory Sunday over the Detroit Lions, conclude the season with a Monday night game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta and a home game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Seahawks finish with road games at Carolina and San Francisco.
The 49ers play the Colts at Indianapolis and then home games against the Chicago Bears and the Seahawks.
“We’re in the big dance — that’s what counts, that’s what matters,” Turner said. “I don’t care where we’re at. I don’t care if it’s freezing cold, snow, rain or I don’t care if we’re back at home at SoFi.
“Wherever we play, I’m counting on my guys.”
Now, more than ever for the Rams, every game counts.
