Demarcus Robinson had the standout moment for the Rams on Sunday with a one-handed, 39-yard touchdown catch in overtime, leading to a 26-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
However, Matthew Stafford, who threw the perfect deep pass that Robinson caught despite tight coverage from cornerback Riq Woolen, believes the key moment happened earlier — on the defensive side.
The Seahawks moved the ball to the Rams’ 16-yard line on their first possession of overtime and decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 instead of attempting a field goal.
Bobby Brown III and Omar Speights made a crucial stop on Kenneth Walker III, denying him any gain and giving the Rams’ offense a chance.
“If we don’t get the ball right there, we don’t get a chance,” Stafford said. “The defense did a hell of a job getting us the ball back.”
Even though the Rams only needed a field goal to win, Stafford aimed for a touchdown by throwing to Robinson, who caught the ball in the end zone with one hand and held onto it as he fell. Robinson then celebrated by spiking the ball and was quickly surrounded by his teammates.
Stafford completed 298 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception for the Rams (4-4), who have now won three games in a row after losing four out of five earlier. Robinson recorded six catches for 94 yards and both touchdown receptions.
In related news, Seahawks’ WR DK Metcalf will miss the game against the Rams on Sunday due to a knee sprain. The Seahawks are looking to improve their ground game against the Rams, as they face a crucial matchup in the NFC West.
Geno Smith threw for 363 yards, with three touchdowns and three interceptions for the Seahawks (4-5), who have lost four consecutive home games and five out of six overall, placing them last in the tightly contested NFC West.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a standout performance with seven catches for a career-high 180 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks now have a much-needed bye week to reassess their struggles.
“We’ve got the right guys, we just have to make it come to life,” said first-year Seattle coach Mike Macdonald. “But our backs are against the walls and we’ve got to go.”
The Rams came back from a 13-3 deficit and took a 20-13 lead thanks to Kamren Kinchens’ 103-yard interception return early in the fourth quarter.
However, the Seahawks tied the game when Smith connected with Smith-Njigba for a 14-yard touchdown with just 51 seconds left.
Stafford tried to move the Rams into position for a winning field goal, but the drive ended just before midfield, and Los Angeles punted, leading to overtime.
“What a unique, weird game that was,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “What a job by our group to come away with the win.” Kinchens made two of the Rams’ three interceptions of Smith, both occurring in the red zone during the fourth quarter.
On a first-and-goal from the 6, Smith was pressured and made a poor throw directly to Kinchens, who ran it out of the end zone and went untouched the whole way for the longest pick-6 in franchise history.
A blocked punt gave Seattle another chance deep in Los Angeles territory, but Smith faced pressure again, and Kinchens intercepted his short pass on second-and-goal from the 4.
Robinson stepped up for the Rams after receiver Puka Nacua was ejected in the second quarter for throwing a punch at Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson after an interception by Woolen. After the game, Nacua called it a learning experience.
“Obviously, that’s not something he wants to do, he doesn’t want to not be out there and play with us,” Stafford said. “Sometimes emotion gets the best of us but I’ve got total trust and confidence in his ability to respond and understand those are things we can’t do.”
The Seahawks were without their top receiver, DK Metcalf, due to a right knee sprain, and Smith-Njigba stepped in to take his place. The game started slowly, with both teams punting eight times before the second quarter was halfway through.
The Rams got their first interception when Smith’s pass intended for Smith-Njigba bounced off his hands and was caught by Jaylen McCollough. He leads all NFL rookies this season with four interceptions, making him the first Rams rookie to reach at least four since Janoris Jenkins in 2012.
Smith connected with Tyler Lockett for a 30-yard touchdown, putting the Seahawks ahead 6-3, but Jason Myers missed the extra point. With just 5 seconds left in the first half, Smith-Njigba caught a 24-yard touchdown pass, giving the Seahawks a 13-3 lead.
Stafford threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Robinson on the Rams’ first drive of the second half, narrowing the score to 13-10.
“What an up and down game, right?” Stafford said. “Our defense getting turnovers. We got down there and didn’t score from the 1, we had a punt blocked. It was all over the place. It took a lot of mental fortitude and strength and belief to win that.”
