Seahawks lead NFC after comeback OT thriller vs. Rams

SEATTLE — Thursday night Seattle Seahawks win Los Angeles Rams 38-37 in overtime and secure a spot in the playoffs.

Through the first 15 weeks, the Seahawks looked like one of the best teams in the NFL, posting 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 team of destiny. The story was all but written about how Seattle would have a long road in the playoffs when two losses to the Rams essentially ended its hopes of winning the NFC West and earning the top seed in the conference with a first-round bye and the home-field advantage that comes with it.

But the Seahawks now have both at the helm after an absolutely incredible comeback. Seattle erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit after two Sam Darnold interceptions against the same team that stopped four of his passes last month at So-Fi Stadium.

The Seahawks got a special teams touchdown. Rashid Shahid to begin a comeback that continued with Darnold scoring a touchdown late in regulation and another in overtime.

Mike McDonald made it a two-and-win, and Darnold did it by hitting the tight end. Eric Sober in the back of the end zone for a thrilling victory and punched Seattle's ticket to the playoffs.

Before Thursday, the Seahawks were 0-155-0 all-time, trailing by 16-plus points in the fourth quarter, according to ESPN Research.

Here are the most important things both teams need to know for Thursday night:

Most amazing performance: The Seahawks entered Week 16 allowing the second-most points of any defense in the NFL. It's rare to see MacDonald's unit wounded the way it was Thursday night.

The big issue was explosive passing, as Stafford struck early and often, completing seven throws for 25-plus yards. The Rams gained 257 yards in the first half, eight more than they managed through four quarters in a Week 11 win over Seattle. and finished with 581. Even with some longer games, the Seahawks didn't fire Stafford.

But in the end the defense came out big without security. Kobe Bryantnickelback Nick Emmanwory and defender Woodenwho all lost in the fourth quarter.

Trend to watch: The deal with Shahid is paying off big. The speedy receiver made two catches in the Seahawks' field goal win last week, continuing his emergence as the team's secondary option. Jackson Smith-Njigba.

On Thursday night, Shahid returned the ball 58 yards for a touchdown to start Seattle's fourth-quarter rally. It was Shahid's second return touchdown since the Seahawks acquired him from New Orleans before the trade deadline for fourth- and fifth-round picks.. Shahid added a 31-yard carry.

Statistics you need to know: Kenneth Walker III ran 55 yards for a touchdown and also caught the ball 46 yards on a screen play. He is the first Seattle running back to have a 40-yard reception and a 40-yard rush in the same game since Shaun Alexander in 2002 against the Vikings, according to ESPN Research.

The Seahawks' running game has been a slog for most of the season, and running back screens haven't played a big role in the game. Kubiak Clintresentment. But Seattle had to go both ways against the Rams. Walker (100 yards) and Zach Charbonnet (32) combined for 132 yards and each scored a touchdown.

Turning point. The Seahawks' fourth-quarter rally included one of the odd two-point attempts. Darnold's quick hit to Charbonnet was aimed at the line of scrimmage and rolled into the end zone for what appeared to be an incomplete pass. But Charbonnet played heads-up, intercepting the ball near the goal line just in case. The officials reviewed the play and determined that Darnold's pass went backwards, meaning Charbonnet had recovered the fumble. The Seahawks converted two-point attempts on their final three touchdowns. — Brady Henderson

Next game: V Carolina Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Dec. 28)

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The Rams entered the game with a 62% chance of winning the NFC West, but after losing to the Seahawks, those odds dropped to 25%, according to ESPN Analytics.

The Rams fell to fifth place in the NFC after Seattle took first place. Los Angeles' final two games will be against Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football in Week 17 and at home against Arizona Cardinals.

After taking a 30-14 lead into the fourth quarter, the Rams had a 97% chance of winning, according to ESPN Analytics. If Los Angeles had won, it would have had a 91% chance of winning the NFC West.

Instead, the Rams are no longer at the helm of the NFC West.

What to do with QB performance: Even without the wounded Davante Adamswho was inactive after aggravating a left hamstring injury in Week 15, Rams cornerback Matthew Stafford was more effective for most of the game against a Seahawks defense that had a lot of success when these teams played in Week 11. On Thursday night, Stafford completed 29 of 49 passes for 457 yards and three touchdowns, including one in overtime, but it wasn't enough to win. His 457 passing yards were the fifth-most in Rams history and the best since then. Jared Goff there were 517 in week 4 of 2019.

Trend to watch: Puka Nacua has 573 receiving yards in his last three games. This is the best performance in three games since… Josh Gordon the Browns had 649 yards in 2013. With Adams injured, Stafford relied even more heavily on Nacua, whose 225 receiving yards were the most by a Rams player since Isaac Bruce in 1997.

Stat to know: On Thursday, the Rams were the only team in the NFL yet to allow a rush of 30 yards or more, according to ESPN Research. That ended against Seattle on Thursday when Walker rushed for 55 yards in the third quarter. –Sarah Barshop

Next game: V Atlanta Falcons (8:15 p.m. ET, Dec. 29)