Seahawks lead NFC after comeback in OT thriller against Rams

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams 38-37 in overtime on Thursday night to clinch a playoff spot.

Through the first 15 weeks, the Seahawks looked like one of the best teams in the NFL while compiling an 11-3 record.

On Thursday night, with so much on the line in one of the biggest regular season games in recent memory, they looked like a team of destiny. The story was all but written about how Seattle would have to go a long way in the playoffs, with two losses to the Rams essentially ending its hopes of winning the NFC West and claiming the conference’s top seed, with the first-round bye and home-field advantage that goes with it.

But the Seahawks are now in control of both after an entirely improbable comeback. Seattle erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit after the game turned into a blowout following two Sam Darnold interceptions against the same team that recovered four of its passes last month at So-Fi Stadium.

The Seahawks got a special teams touchdown from Rashid Shaheed to start their comeback, which continued with Darnold throwing a touchdown late in regulation and another in overtime.

Mike Macdonald scored two points and the victory, and Darnold kept his word, hitting tight end Eric Saubert in the back of the end zone, capping a thrilling victory and punching Seattle’s ticket to the playoffs.

Before Thursday, the Seahawks were 0-155-0 all-time when trailing by more than 16 points in the fourth quarter, according to ESPN Research.

Here are the most important things to know from Thursday night for both teams:

Most surprising performance: The Seahawks entered Week 16 allowing the second-fewest points among all NFL defenses. You rarely see Macdonald’s unit get gashed like it did Thursday night.

Explosive passing plays were the big problem, as Stafford hit them early and often, completing seven throws for over 25 yards. The Rams rushed for 257 yards in the first half, eight more than they managed in four quarters in their Week 11 win over Seattle. and finished with 581. Even with a few longer plays, the Seahawks didn’t sack Stafford.

But in the end, the defense came up strong without safety Coby Bryant, nickelback Nick Emmanwori and cornerback Riq Woolen, all of whom went down in the fourth quarter.

Trend to watch: Shaheed’s business is profitable. The speedy receiver had two catches on the Seahawks’ game-winning field goal last week, continuing his emergence as a secondary option to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

On Thursday night, Shaheed returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown to start Seattle’s fourth-quarter rally. It was Shaheed’s second return touchdown since the Seahawks acquired him before the deadline from New Orleans for fourth- and fifth-round picks.. Shaheed added a 31-yard run.

Stat to know: Kenneth Walker III had a 55-yard run for a touchdown as well as a 46-yard catch on a play screen. He is the first Seattle running back with a 40-yard reception and a 40-yard run in the same game since Shaun Alexander in 2002 against the Vikings, according to ESPN Research.

The Seahawks’ running game has been a chore for much of the season, and running back screens haven’t played a big role in Klint Kubiak’s offense. But Seattle had both against the Rams. Walker (100 yards) and Zach Charbonnet (32) totaled 132 yards rushing and each scored a touchdown.

Turning point. The Seahawks’ fourth-quarter rally included one of the strangest 2-point tries. Darnold’s quick screen to Charbonnet was tipped at the line of scrimmage and rolled into the end zone for what looked like an incomplete pass. But Charbonnet made a head-high play, grabbing the ball on the goal line just in case. Officials reviewed the play and determined Darnold’s pass went backwards, meaning it was a fumble that Charbonnet recovered for a successful try. The Seahawks have converted 2-point tries on their last three touchdowns. -Brady Henderson

Next game: at Carolina Panthers (1 p.m. ET, December 28)

The Rams entered the game with a 62% chance of winning the NFC West, but after their loss to the Seahawks, those odds dropped to 25%, according to ESPN Analytics.

The Rams fell to fifth in the NFC after Seattle took first place. Los Angeles’ final two games are against the Atlanta Falcons on “Monday Night Football” in Week 17 and at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

After the Rams took a 30-14 lead in the fourth quarter, their win probability was 97%, according to ESPN Analytics. If Los Angeles had won, they would have had a 91% chance of winning the NFC West.

Instead, the Rams are no longer in control of the NFC West.

What to think of the QB’s performance: Even without the injured Davante Adams, who was inactive after aggravating his left hamstring injury in Week 15, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was more effective for much of the game against a Seahawks defense that had plenty of success when these teams played in Week 11. On Thursday night, Stafford completed 29 of 49 passes for 457 yards and 3 touchdowns, including one in overtime, but it wasn’t enough for a victory. His 457 passing yards are the fifth-most in a game in Rams history and the most since Jared Goff had 517 in Week 4 of 2019.

Trend to watch: Puka Nacua has 573 receiving yards in his last three games. That’s the most in three games since Josh Gordon had 649 for the Browns in 2013. With Adams injured, Stafford relied even more on Nacua, whose 225 receiving yards are the most receiving yards by a Rams player since Isaac Bruce in 1997.

Stat to know: Entering Thursday, the Rams were the only NFL team yet to allow a run of 30 yards or more, according to ESPN Research. It ended against Seattle on Thursday, when Walker had a 55-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. -Sarah Barshop

Next game: at Atlanta Falcons (8:15 p.m. ET, December 29)