Rams lean on four picks to edge Seattle and take first in NFC West
Midnight mode, indeed.
On the day the Rams donned black uniforms for the only time this season, the offense went largely dark.
Red-hot quarterback Matthew Stafford has cooled off. Star receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua have struggled to consistently make the clutch plays they often make seem routine.
But safety Kamren Kinchens and the Rams defense managed to keep the Seattle Seahawks at bay – just barely.
Kinchens intercepted two passes, and cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Darious Williams also caught passes as the Rams held off the Seahawks for a 21-19 victory Sunday at SoFi Stadium that wasn’t assured until Seattle’s Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal as time expired.
“I’m proud of our football team,” coach Sean McVay said. “We’re not going to apologize for finding different ways to win.”
No apology necessary. Despite some struggles on Sunday, the Rams are living up to expectations as Super Bowl contenders.
Stafford continues to play without major mistakes, the defensive front continues to pressure the quarterbacks into making mistakes, and the running game issues appear to be resolved.
And now the secondary, considered a potential handicap before the season, is intensifying.
Stafford threw touchdown passes to Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson, and Kyren Williams rushed for a touchdown as the Rams improved to 8-2, extended their winning streak to five games and took sole possession of first place in the NFC West.
Rams coach Sean McVay tries to get his players fired up ahead of Sunday’s 21-19 win over the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“We found a way to win without playing perfect football against a really good football team,” Stafford said. “Then I’ll take it.”
So will Adams, whose lone catch marked the 1,000th of his career and his league-leading 10th touchdown this season.
“It wasn’t like it was the worst ever,” he said of the offense’s performance, “but by our standards, it definitely wasn’t there.
“But, I mean, it makes you feel even better knowing that you can play like crap…and still get a win against a really good team.”
The Rams can thank Kinchens, a second-year defender who has six career interceptions, including four against the Seahawks. His interceptions set up Williams’ one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and Parkinson’s six-yard score in the fourth.
Rams safety Kamren Kinchens celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass in the second half against Seattle on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“Man, they want to throw the ball,” Kinchens said with a laugh to explain his success against the Seahawks. “People who want to somehow put the pitch on the field or give us a chance – big mistake.”
Or, as Durant puts it: “Preaching what we do every day, man – take the ball away. »
The Rams entered the game having scored at least 34 points in each of their last three games. But that production was absent against a Seahawks team that fell to 7-3 and ended its four-game winning streak.
Stafford increased his league-best touchdown pass total to 27 and did not intercept a pass for the seventh straight game. But the 17th-year pro wasn’t as sharp as he had been during a stretch that put him in the conversation for the NFL’s most valuable player.
“I’m obviously happy to get the win,” said Stafford, who completed 15 of 28 passes for 130 yards. “Don’t get me wrong here, but at the same time I know I can be better too.”
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws a pass to tight end Colby Parkinson in the first half Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Stafford had a banner day compared to Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.
The Rams’ forward didn’t sack Darnold, but it caused him to make bad decisions, and Kinchens, Durant and Williams made him pay. Darnold completed 29 of 44 passes for 279 yards with four interceptions.
Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was on pace to set an NFL record for receiving yards in a season, caught nine passes for 105 yards. But he didn’t score.
Cooper Kupp, the former Rams star returning to SoFi Stadium, didn’t make a catch in the first three quarters, but had three on a late field goal that cut the Rams’ lead to two points.
With 1 minute, 41 seconds left, Rams punter Ethan Evans punted the ball 50 yards to the Seahawks one-yard line. The Seahawks got past midfield, but Myers couldn’t match his career-best 61-yard field goal against the Rams in 2020.
This time it went wide right, generating a roar from the crowd, a sigh of relief from the Rams and a joyous celebration in the locker room.
“It’s a lot of fun in there,” McVay said.
And apparently, more is to come.
Rams defensive end Braden Fiske (55) and linebacker Byron Young (0) pressure Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in the fourth quarter.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
