5 Key Turning Points in Seahawks' Season-Ending Victory

The Seattle Seahawks earned their 10th victory of the 2024 season on Sunday. How did they beat the Rams in Los Angeles?

Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) is congratulated by tight end Noah Fant (87) after a touchdown in the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Seahawks defeated the Rams 30-25 in what was the season finale for Seattle. That earned the Seahawks their 10th win, a benchmark they had not reached in four seasons.

How did the Seahawks come away victorious against the Rams in Los Angeles? Here are the five key moments.

6:51 1st Quarter: Geno Smith finds Noah Fant for 32-yard connection

At times this season, the Seahawks lacked explosive plays on offense. Facing a 2nd and 7 midway through the first quarter in a scoreless game, Smith connected with his tight end Noah Fant for a 32-yard gain. That put the Seahawks inside the Rams' 10-yard line and in position to take the lead with a touchdown.

12:48 2nd Quarter: Geno Smith connects with DK Metcalf for 20-yard touchdown

The Seahawks were up 7-3 and looked to increase their lead to multiple scores. The drive threatened to stall when the Seahawks faced a 3rd and 6 from the Rams' 20. Smith faced immediate pressure but wiggled free. He fired the ball into the end zone and into Metcalf's waiting arms. That touchdown gave Seattle a 14-3 lead.

Per Seahawks PR, that put Metcalf in some elite company. Seattle's big-time receiver joined Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history with 50 receptions, 900 yards and five touchdowns in each of their first six seasons.

Yet another reminder as to why the Seahawks should keep Geno Smith and DK Metcalf in 2025 pic.twitter.com/DaTOwklyHn

— Kole Musgrove (@KoleMusgrove23) January 5, 2025

7:42 3rd Quarter: Jaxon Smith-Njigba laterals to Zach Charbonnet for 32 yards

Seattle desperately needed points on this drive with the Seahawks' lead cut to 17-16. It nearly stalled before it really got started, as they faced a 3rd and 10 from their own 30. Geno Smith tossed to Smith-Njigba well short of the first down marker. Had he tried to run for it, Smith likely would have been tackled short. Instead, the Seahawks performed a rare stunt, with Smith-Njigba lateraling the ball to Zach Charbonnet down the sideline for a key 32-yard gain. This gave Seattle a first down after it was 3rd and 10 and set them up for a touchdown drive to increase the lead to eight.

3:19 4th Quarter: Noah Fant finally gets a touchdown

Noah Fant had not scored a touchdown in a Seahawks uniform since Christmas Eve 2022. The Seahawks were trailing 25-24 late, after leading for most of the game. On the Rams' 16, with a fresh set of downs, Ryan Grubb and the offense looked to be aggressive. Smith fired a bullet down the middle to a leaping Noah Fant. Fant brought the catch in and was up-ended right at the goal line for the go-ahead touchdown. That marked the first touchdown for Fant in over two calendar years and it came at a crucial time for the Seahawks.

0:21 4th Quarter: Rams turn the ball over on downs

With the Seahawks leading 30-25 after the Fant touchdown, the Rams needed to respond with a touchdown. L.A. ended up driving 61 yards to inside the Seattle 10. If the Rams scored a touchdown, the Seahawks would likely lose. The Seattle defense forced a 4th and 3 from the nine. Rams backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo spiked the ball short of the intended receiver, turning the ball over on downs. The Seahawks could just kneel it out for the victory after that.

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