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The Seattle Seahawks took over the top spot in the NFC West and the NFC with a thrilling 38-37 overtime win on Thursday night over the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks trailed by 16 points in the fourth quarter and seemed to be completely out of the game until a wild sequence of events began to unfold.
Including one of the most improbable two-point conversions and replay reviews that will ever happen in the NFL.
Seahawks tie game thanks to unbelievable replay review
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Seahawks scored a touchdown to cut the Rams’ lead to 30-28, setting up a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt.
It appeared to be stopped as Sam Darnold’s pass was knocked down and initially ruled incomplete.
But a replay review was initiated and determined that Darnold’s pass was actually going backward when it was knocked down. That made it a live ball, where it bounced into the end zone and was randomly picked up by Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet so he could hand the football to the referee.
That act of kindness ended up making it a clear fumble recovery and a good two-point conversion.
That set the stage for the game to go into overtime.
Sam Darnold silenced the doubters
This was a big thing for him and the Seahawks. For as good as he has been this season, there was still the lingering question of whether or not he would be able to raise his game late in the season and against elite competition. Things were not looking promising in that regard through three-and-a-half quarters as he was again turning the ball over and struggling to make plays.
But after leading the game-tying touchdown drive, he also engineered a game-winning touchdown drive in overtime to answer the Rams’ opening touchdown. He then completed a two-point conversion to secure the win.
It was not pretty. It could have turned ugly on a number of occasions. But Darnold came through when he needed to against a top team in a big moment. That means something.
Rashid Shaheed helped change the game
While Darnold led the game-winning drive, Shaheed played an equally massive role in the comeback. Perhaps even the biggest.
Seattle acquired him at the trade deadline from the New Orleans Saints to add speed to their offense, and he put it all on display on Thursday.
He started the comeback by returning a punt 58 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit from 16 points to eight points.
On Seattle’s ensuing offensive drive, he had a 31-yard run to help put the Seahawks in position for the game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion.
The price they paid at the trade deadline was worth it, because he might have given the Seahawks home-field advantage in the playoffs with this win here. Or at least put them in a position for it.
Rams on wrong end of game-changing call early in game
The two-point conversion play was not the only controversial call the Rams were on the wrong side of. In the first quarter, they had a touchdown taken off the board by an ineligible-player-downfield penalty that did not appear to be an actual penalty.
The Rams had to settle for a field goal on that drive instead of the touchdown. That was a four-point swing. While it is impossible to know what would have happened the rest of the game, or how the rest of the game would have played out, that is a significant call in a major game that could determine home-field advantage.
It also helped waste a brilliant night from Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Puka Nacua. They were unstoppable — just not enough to overcome a lot of randomness.
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