Rams win wild West game in Seattle as Demarcus Robinson catches second TD in overtime
SEATTLE — Sluggishly streaking in Seattle.
That’s what the Rams did Sunday.
They won their third game in a row, and accomplished it with a less-than-inspiring but wholly effective 26-20 overtime victory over the Seahawks before 68,632 at Lumen Field.
Matthew Stafford’s touchdown pass to receiver Demarcus Robinson ended a game that was devoid of sustained beauty but improved the Rams’ record to 4-4.
Consider:
- Rams star receiver Puka Nacua was ejected for punching a Seahawks player after an interception.
- Officials called 20 penalties, eight against the Rams.
- The Rams gave up two touchdown passes in the final minute of the first half, right tackle Rob Havenstein left the game because of an injury, the Seahawks blocked a punt and the Rams converted only three of 13 third downs.
And they still won.
“What a unique, weird game that was,” coach Sean McVay said.
That could just as well describe the first half of the Rams’ season.
They started 1-4. They were nearly left for dead. And the Rams acknowledged receiving inquiries about trading star receiver Cooper Kupp.
But, as they did in 2023, the Rams emerged from an off week and have played worthy of a playoff-bound team.
Rams edge rusher Jared Verse has transformed into quite a trash talker but so far the rookie has been able to back up most of what he has said.
They defeated the Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings — and did it within a five-day span.
Then they defeated the struggling Seahawks.
A young Rams defense that was maligned early in the season — remember the Detroit Lions steamrollering the unit in overtime in the season opener? — has become a turnover machine.
On Sunday, safety Jaylen McCollough intercepted another pass, giving the undrafted rookie four this season. Rookie safety Kamren Kinchens intercepted two passes, returning the first one 103 yards for a touchdown.
“There was no thought process behind it,” Kinchens said. “As soon as I caught it, I didn’t see anybody in front of me, and it was time to run. I just blanked out and went to running.”
It marked the fourth game in a row the defense scored. The Rams also amassed a season-high seven sacks.
The unit gave the Rams a chance to win the game after the Seahawks took the first possession of overtime and, looking a lot like the Lions in the season opener, drove to Rams’ 16-yard line.
On fourth and one, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald opted to go for it rather than kick a field goal.
“We got kind of excited when they brought that offense out there and they tried to get the big personnel out there in a short yardage situation,” Rams lineman Braden Fiske said. “I think we kind of all embraced it.
“It was like, ‘Yeah, let’s go. You know, run that ball. Bring it.’”
Nose tackle Bobby Brown and rookie linebacker Omar Speights stopped running back Kenneth Walker III for no gain.
But it was not over until Stafford, as he has done dozens of times in his career, engineered a drive to win what had been a confoundingly chaotic game.
“It was a crazy one,” Stafford said.
It was anything but crazy to think that Stafford would end it the way he did.
The Rams needed only a field goal, and rookie Joshua Karty already had kicked two.
But after Stafford fired passes to receivers Tyler Johnson and Tutu Atwell, and Kyren Williams ran for a short gain to the Seahawks’ 39-yard line, Stafford did something he said he had not achieved since his rookie season in 2009. He found a receiver on a high corner route in the end zone for a walk-off victory.
“I wasn’t planning on shooting that one out there pre-snap,” Stafford said.
Robinson, who caught a one-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, made a spectacular one-handed catch to win the game.
“It was either us score … and end the game or not leave it up to the kicker,” said Robinson, who has a career-best five touchdowns this season. “We were just trying to get a touchdown so it could be over with.”
Check out the game summary from the Rams’ win Sunday.
Stafford completed 25 of 44 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception.
If the Chicago Bears had defeated the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the Rams would be in first place in the NFC West. The Cardinals, however, won.
So the Cardinals (5-4), who routed the Rams in Week 2, lead the division with the Rams (4-4), San Francisco 49ers (4-4) and Seahawks (4-5) not far behind.
Next Monday night, the Rams play the Miami Dolphins.
The Rams have shown resolve, resilience and the ability to respond to adversity, McVay said.
“There’s a callus that’s developed,” McVay said, “and man, we’ve had a lot of unique experiences that have occurred through the first eight weeks of the season.
“It’s pretty wild.”
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