Game Recap: Seahawks Fall Short in Crushing OT Loss to Rams

A mistake-laden Seattle Seahawks offensive performance led to a gut-wrenching 26-20 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Lumen Field.

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (15) catches a game-winning touchdown pass against Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) during overtime at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson pulled in a one-handed, 39-yard touchdown reception from Matthew Stafford in overtime and the Seattle Seahawks dropped their fourth straight game at Lumen Field, 26-20, on Sunday.

The Seahawks had their opportunities to win the game in regulation, but two red zone interceptions by Geno Smith — one of which was returned for six points — two more failed shotgun snaps that stalled drives and a litany of penalties put the offense’s sloppy play on full display.

As a result, Seattle lost its fifth game in six outings after beginning 3-0. Seattle was in first place in the NFC West prior to Week 8. After Week 9, they are last in the division as the only team sitting below .500 (4-5).

“It’s frustrating, but I think, it’s not like we’re playing clean football and losing games. We’re not playing good. We have some areas to address," veteran Seahawks safety Julian Love said postgame. "We had a 3-0 start, but we’re kind of not dwelling on that. We’re trying to take it a game at a time."

Even though the Seahawks’ defense played well, holding Los Angeles to 68 rushing yards and 3 of 13 on third-down conversions, it wasn’t enough. Smith’s three turnovers were game-changing and squandered opportunities for Seattle to take control of the contest.

The Rams came out of halftime and scored 17 unanswered points, helped by those turnovers, and Seattle barely did enough to force an extra period of play. Again, with opportunities to win, the ball bounced back to the Rams, and they capitalized.

Now, the Seahawks head into their bye week with plenty of issues to iron out that are primarily rooted in the team’s inability to avoid self-inflicted mistakes.

The first half was defined by a slow start for Seattle’s offense that was aided by stout defense. Then, once the game clock ticked under a minute remaining in the second quarter, the offense came to life.

Smith threw two touchdown passes 43 seconds apart, first to Tyler Lockett and then to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished with a career-high seven catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

"I hate losing. [It's] whatever, I'd rather win, one hundred percent," Smith-Njigba said after the game. "My confidence level, it's always been the same. I've known that I could break out and have an amazing game whenever, but it's the wins that counts."

The second of two scores was set up by Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen pulling down his second interception of the season on a jump ball over Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua. Nacua, playing his first game since Week 1 after coming back from injured reserve, was ejected after the play for throwing a punch at Seattle linebacker Tyrel Dodson, who went to block him following the pick.

Seattle went to the locker room leading 13-3, even if it wasn’t pretty.

But the Rams didn’t roll over. Stafford and the Los Angeles offense put together an 11-play, 75-yard drive that torched 6:32 of the third-quarter clock. Rams running back Kyren Williams had 28 rushing yards on the drive after having 15 the entire first half.

Stafford, aided by a red zone pass interference call on Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe, connected with wide receiver Demarcus Robinson for a 1-yard touchdown to cap off the drive.

Both teams combined for seven penalties in the third quarter, including a massive third-down roughing the passer penalty that extended the Rams’ next drive and eventually allowed Los Angeles to tie the game at 13-13.

One play after Seahawks wide receiver Cody White made his first regular-season reception since Nov. 28, 2022, Smith rolled out to his left and had his arm hit by Rams linebacker Byron Young as he threw — directing the pass to the waiting arms of safety Kamren Kinchens, who returned the ball 103 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest interception return score in Rams history.

"I was trying to throw it out of bounds in the back of the end zone. A guy hit my arm. There's no excuses to be made," Smith said of the play postgame. "I can throw that away, get it out sooner, be faster in my decision-making. Trying to make a play down there, held it a second too long and it didn't turn out well.

White, who was called up from the practice squad for the game, wasn’t done yet. He blocked Ty Zentner’s punt on the Rams’ next possession, setting up the Seahawks offense at Los Angeles’ 19-yard line.

After progressing 15 yards, Smith threw his third pick of the game while targeting rookie tight end AJ Barner who was in motion before the snap and got caught in traffic behind the line of scrimmage. Smith still threw it, and Kinchens was waiting for it once again.

Still, both teams traded punts as Seattle’s defense stood tall. Then, with less than two minutes to play, Smith looked the part of the quarterback the Seahawks have bought in on the last three seasons.

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) catches a touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Consecutive completions late in the drive, both to Smith-Njigba, were as good of throws as Smith has made in his Seattle career. He showed pinpoint accuracy on a touchdown throw between two Rams defenders that the former first-round wide receiver pulled in from 14 yards out, and Myers’ kick tied the game at 20-20 with 51 seconds remaining in regulation.

Seattle got the ball first in overtime. The Seahawks drove from their own 30-yard line to the Rams’ 16 before the offense melted down once again. With two chances to gain one yard and extend the drive, running back Kenneth Walker III was stuffed on back-to-back snaps.

"That was the play call we liked. We liked the look," Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said of their 4th and 1 failure. "We've got to be able to get a half-yard in two shots. Great football teams convert third and fourth and short, and right now we're not doing that."

The Rams, Stafford and Robinson won it on their next drive.

The skid continues

The Seahawks have 11 turnovers in their five losses this season. Four of those losses have come at home, and seven of those giveaways have been Smith interceptions.

Offensive issues run even deeper than that for Seattle, though, as rudimentary football operations such as the center-to-quarterback exchange have plagued this team in the last two games. The Seahawks cannot live and die by the final minute of each half if they hope to win NFL games.

Seattle has so much inconsistency on that side of the ball that even the defense’s best performances aren’t enough to save the team from its own self-inflicted wounds.

"I want to start off by apologizing to my teammates, really, and to the city, to the organization," Smith said. "They put a lot of trust in me with my decision-making, and when they put the ball in my hands, when my teammates play the way they played today and to give us a shot to win the game, I've got to make sure we do ... I'm going to step it up."

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) waits for a timeout to end against the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

A much-needed bye

Seattle would have benefitted from a bye week in Week 5. Now, the Seahawks need this week to potentially save their season. The team has dealt with injuries, setbacks and schematic issues that have not been able to be smoothed out in a week.

If a much more calculated, disciplined football team doesn’t emerge on the other side of the bye week, this won’t be a team that is playing in mid-January or beyond. The players and coaching staff understand that.

"Right now we have an idea of the symptoms, but what's going on underneath process-wise on why we're not playing complementary football in 60 minutes. That's what we're going to be attacking this week and we'll come back to work and move forward," Macdonald said. "We've got the right guys. We just have to make it come to life. But our backs are against the wall and we've got to go."

Up Next

The Seahawks won’t play again until a Week 11 bout with the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 17. Seattle lost to the Niners, 36-24, in Week 6 at home. The next game will be on the road against their bitter NFC West rivals.

San Francisco (4-4) had its bye week in Week 9 after beating the Dallas Cowboys 30-24 on Oct. 27.

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