Coming into Thursday Night Football’s matchup between the top two teams in the NFC, the anticipation around the Rams and Seahawks Week 16 matchup was at an all-time high. With so much riding on one game, the Rams went into one of the most difficult venues to play in and looked like they might get their second win over the Seahawks of the season. However, what the Seahawks pulled off in the fourth quarter was not only historic, but was some of the most exhilarating football of the season.
With the Rams controlling a majority of the game, the Seahawks were driving trailing 23-14 as Sam Darnold brought his offense into the Red Zone. Just when it looked like the Seahawks might pull it within just a few points, Darnold threw his second interception of the night leading to a 9-play scoring drive by Matt Stafford and the Rams to put them up 30-14 and all but salt the game away, or so they thought.
With the Seattle defense stiffening up, Seahawks punt returner Rasheed Shaheed flipped the momentum back to the 12th man with a 58-yard punt return touchdown with just 8:03 left in the game. The Seahawks would add the two-point conversion making it 30-22.
After another Rams three-and-out, Darnold drove the Seahawks down for yet another touchdown finding AJ Barner over the top for a 26-yard score bringing the deficit to just two. What would follow on the ensuing two-point conversion was certainly the strangest play of the season, maybe of the decade. Darnold tried to find Zach Charbonnet on a bubble-screen out of the backfield, however, it was batted away by a Jared Verse causing an incomplete pass, again, or so they thought. As the dust settled on the play, it became clear the officials did not blow the whistle on the “incompletion”, and for good reason. As the broadcast showed replays of the two-point try, it became clear that Darnold’s pass traveled backwards, meaning even though the ball was tipped, it was still a live play. As the replays continued on, it showed Charbonnet casually picking up the loose ball with one hand a few inches passed the goal line meaning the two-point try was successful leading to a 30-30 tie. As the official announced the overturn on the loud speaker, he was quickly drowned out by the raucous crowd who could feel the comeback brewing.
The Rams Harrison Mevis had an opportunity to ice the game with a 48-yard field goal, but the kick sailed wide adding fuel to an already raging fire. The Game of the Year was headed to overtime.
The Seattle Seahawks had covered up a 4th quarter 16-point deficit in an almost unbelievable fashion, but were still one overtime period away from altering history. See, the Seahawks had an all-time record of 0-172 when trailing by 15+ or more in the 4th quarter, but the job was not done yet.
Seattle won the toss and elected to defer giving the Rams the ball first in overtime. Sam Darnold would facilitate an 8-play, 80-yard drive capped off by a Puka Nacua 41-yard touchdown to give the Rams the 37-31 lead. The Seahawks, again, found themselves trailing knowing they needed a touchdown.
Darnold drove Seattle methodically into the Red Zone, and a Jaxon Smith-Njigba score brought them within one, but it was decision time for Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald. Kick the extra-point or go for two and try to win it right there? The decision was actually pretty simple for Macdonald, the Rams won the first regular season contest, and with both teams sitting at 11-3, he knew a tie would do his team no good. So the offense trotted back out onto the field. Darnold surveyed and rifled the pass underneath to a wide open Eric Sauber to complete the unrealistic comeback.
The Seahawks now control their destiny, sit at 12-3 and are first in the NFC West. The Rams now fall into a congested NFC Wild Card race with their 11-4 record. If a regular season game could ever feel like a playoff game, that’s what we were treated to Thursday night.
Somewhat lost in the mix was the night Nacua caught 12 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown. Stafford finished the night with 457 yards of offense and 3 TD’s, Darnold thre for 271 yards with 2 TD’s and 2 INT’s in the win.
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