FINAL: Rams Upset Seahawks 30-13 After Big Second Half
The Seattle Seahawks will open up their season at Lumen Field on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams in an early NFC West battle.
Sunday starts a new campaign, and the Seahawks, not the Rams, have real hopes of returning to play for a championship. The Rams are coming off their worst season with coach Sean McVay at the helm, a 5-12 year where everything went wrong.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford still calls LA home, as does defensive standout Aaron Donald, but the team as a whole is very different from the one that won the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY
“Every team is new. We happen to have a lot of young guys on our team, a lot of rookies that have come in and done a heck of a job and earned roles on our football team,” Stafford said. “They are going to be big parts of our season and that’s exciting.”
But Seattle's season was very different. The Seahawks began last year with thoughts of being near the bottom of the league after trading away their franchise quarterback in a blockbuster deal, but leaving them with no bonafide signal caller to count on. No one talked about Geno Smith being able to carry the team to the playoffs. But that's exactly what happened as Smith had a career season and earned a new contract and the label "starting quarterback" for the foreseeable future.
Follow along below for live updates and highlights of Sunday's season opener between Seattle and L.A.
The Rams won the toss and deferred to the second half, which means Seattle will get the ball first.
First Quarter
The Seahawks' first drive featured a good mix of run and pass as Geno Smith completed four of his six passes for 32 yards, while Kenneth Walker ran for 15 yards on five attempts before Jason Meyers tacked on the first points of the game with a 36-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL SEAHAWKS
Seahawks 3, Rams 0
Change of Possession
The Rams' first drive was a long one as they kept the Seattle defense on the field for over nine minutes as they drove 74 yards in 14 plays before Kyren Williams punched the ball into the endzone on a one-yard run.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS
Rams 7, Seahawks 3
Change of Possession
Second Quarter
Seattle responds with a long drive of their own as they move down the field with ease, driving 75 yards in 12 plays as Smith found Metcalf in the back of the endzone to retake the lead.
The Seahawks continued to mix things up between run and pass but predominantly worked through the air on that drive as Smith completed seven of nine passes for 50 yards
TOUCHDOWN SEAHAWKS
Seahawks 10, Rams 7
Change of Possession
A face mask and delay of game penalty backed the Rams into a third-and-28 where Stafford found Puka Nacua for a gain of 12 yards before punting.
Change of Possession
A promising drive for the Seahawks stalls out in Rams territory as Smith's pass intended for Jaxon Smith-Njigba fell incomplete on third-and-one, bringing on Jason Meyers for a 42-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL SEAHAWKS
Seahawks 13, Rams 7
Change of Possession
After the Rams advanced into Seattle territory after a 21-yard completion to Brycen Hopkins, the L.A. drive stalled out before the Seahawks special teams unit was able to block the 57-yard field goal attempt from Brett Maher.
Change of Possession
The Seahawks could not take advantage of the short field after the blocked kick as a Smith pass on third-down fell incomplete before Meyers' 39-yard field goal hit the right upright to deny Seattle points.
Change of Possession
Stafford found TuTu Atwell for an 11-yard completion before connecting with Nacua for 20 yards, then a quick hook and ladder play to Williams picks up two yards. Maher's 56-yard field goal drifts wide right.
Third Quarter
The Rams take the lead as Williams punches the ball into the endzone on a seven-yard run. The touchdown run was set up by a 44-yard pass to Atwell, which put the Rams deep in Seattle territory.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS
Rams 14, Seahawks 13
Change of Possession
The Seahawks offense suffers their first three-and-out of the new season as they couldn't convert a third-and-five.
Change of Possession
The Seahawks' defense held the Rams to a 38-yard field goal as Stafford's third-down pass was incomplete.
FIELD GOAL RAMS
Rams 17, Seahawks 13
Change of Possession
Seattle did get a first down this go around, but not much after that, as they couldn't convert on a third-and-four.
Change of Possession
Fourth Quarter
The Rams added to their lead with a one-yard touchdown run for Cam Akers as they decided to go for it on fourth and goal.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS
Rams 24, Seahawks 13
Change of Possession
Smith had just one completion to Smith-Njigba for a gain of two yards before two straight incompletions forced a punt as the Seahawks went three-and-out.
Change of Possession
The Rams settled for a 54-yard field goal from Brett Maher after Stafford's third-down deep-ball intended for Nacua was just incomplete. Stafford led the Rams on a nine-play, 40-yard drive before adding to their lead with a field goal.
FIELD GOAL RAMS
Rams 27, Seahawks 13
Change of Possession
A costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Metcalf backed the Seahawks into a second-and-17, before two consecutive sacks from Kobie Turner and Aaron Donald forced another Seattle punt.
Change of Possession
The Rams ran the clock down to 15 seconds before being forced to kick a 45-yard field goal on fourth and seven to salt the game away.
FIELD GOAL RAMS
FINAL: Rams 30, Seahawks 13
