Seahawks look tired in crucial loss to L.A.
Seattle fails to score offensive TD for first time in two years, falls out of top spot in NFC West
LOS ANGELES — The hope is that this was a one-game blip. The loss was a byproduct of the schedule, as much as anything else, for a Seattle team that had an emotional and hard-fought victory against the Vikings just six days ago. Having to then travel to Los Angeles, they looked tired and slow throughout against a revived Rams team.
Any other explanation is far more concerning for the way the Rams manhandled the Seahawks from start to finish Sunday night in a 28-12 win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The defeat dropped Seattle to the No. 5 position in the NFC and a game behind the 49ers in the NFC West. It was the first time Seattle didn’t score an offensive touchdown since a 17-9 loss at Green Bay to open the 2017 season.
Seattle had a lot to play for — San Francisco’s last-play victory over the Saints earlier in the day meant Seattle had to win to stay in first place in the NFC West.
But because the Saints lost, it also meant the Seahawks could move into the top spot in the NFC. A win also meant the Seahawks would clinch a playoff berth for the eighth time since Pete Carroll became coach in 2010.
And when the Seahawks took the opening kickoff and drove for a field goal and a quick 3-0 lead, it all seemed possible.
But the Rams responded by rather effortlessly marching 75 yards in eight plays to take a 7-3 lead and set the tone for the rest of the night on a day that began with rain in Los Angeles but turned as pleasant as can be by kickoff.
And save for a couple of errant passes by Jared Goff that gave Seattle life in the third quarter, the Rams simply dominated from there.
The Rams scored on drives of 75, 85, 72 and 95 yards in taking a 28-9 lead early in the fourth quarter, and it was their fourth victory in the past five games against the Seahawks.
It also was a rare faceplant for Seattle in prime time — the Seahawks are 29-6-1 in night games under Carroll and the defeat snapped a seven-game winning streak in prime time games.
More important, Seattle fell to 10-3 with the loss and now might have to win out to take the NFC West — the Seahawks’ hole card is that they host the 49ers to end the regular season Dec. 29.
But the loss to the Rams removed any margin of error for Seattle, with the 49ers at 11-2.
San Francisco plays at home against Atlanta and the Rams the next two weeks before travelling to Seattle while the Seahawks make the long trek next week to Charlotte to play the Panthers before ending the year with home games against Arizona and the 49ers.
The loss Sunday night also was Seattle’s first on the road this season after starting 6-0 for the first time in franchise history.
The game got out of sorts from the start as the Seahawks were dominated in just about every fashion imaginable in the first half, outgained 240146. Goff’s 10-yard touchdown pass to former Eastern Washington star Cooper Kupp made it 21-3 with 51 seconds left in the first half and seemed about as effortless as any TD has been against Seattle all season.
The rout seemed on when the Rams took the opening kickoff of the second half and moved easily to the Seattle 43 on its next possession before a penalty for a block in the back moved them back.
On the next play, Goff overshot an open Robert Woods and threw the ball straight to Seattle safety Quandre Diggs, who had an easy-as-can-be 55-yard march into the end zone to make it 21-9. Jason Myers, though, missed the extra point.
The Rams again moved into Seattle territory on their next drive. But on third-and-five at the 37, Goff tried to hit Brandin
Cooks deep and again threw an errant pass that went to Diggs, who caught it at the 3.
Seattle, though, couldn’t move it, going three-and-out.
After the punt, the Rams moved to the Seattle 19. On third down, Kupp missed an open Tyler Higbee for a touchdown and on the next play, Rasheem Green blocked
Greg Zuerlein’s 37-yard fieldgoal attempt.
Seattle took over at its 27 with what felt like one last real chance to make it a game.
But the Seahawks couldn’t, forced to punt after getting two first downs, and that was pretty much that.
Todd Gurley added a 7-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter that made it 28-9 and the rest of the quarter was basically garbage time, a rarity for Seattle.
The Seahawks added a field goal by Myers, but the final minutes were an L.A. coronation for the Rams, who were beaten on the same field by the Ravens 45-6 just two Sundays ago.