The Los Angeles Rams fell just short of the Super Bowl following a 31-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship. Los Angeles played much better than they did in Chicago, and Matthew Stafford
put together an MVP-like performance, yet it just wasn’t meant to be this season.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from the Rams’ second loss in Seattle in the span of a month.
The Good
Matthew Stafford was the MVP again in Seattle
Seattle may have had the best defense in the league, but Matthew Stafford was their kryptonite this season.
In three games against the Seahawks, Stafford has thrown for 961 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. Despite that, the Rams only won one of those games, as the team lost both matchups in the Emerald City
Stafford also made more history, just obviously not the kind you want to be associated with.
He was the best part of this game for Los Angeles.
Stafford routinely made big plays to keep his team in it, and it still wasn’t enough. That’s what happens when your supporting cast lets you down once again. Someone must’ve had some Detroit flashbacks in this one.
The Bad
The fourth down
You know which one.
Seattle, up 31-27, was forced to punt almost five minutes into the fourth quarter. Los Angeles drove 84 yards in 14 plays to potentially take the go-ahead touchdown. On fourth-and-4 from the Hawks’ six-yard line, rather than kick a short field goal to cut the lead down to one, Sean McVay opted to go for it.
The result was a Stafford incompletion to rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson.
Disagree with me all you want, but kicking the field goal there would’ve been the correct call. No scoring had occurred in the frame, and the Rams would’ve taken less pressure off the offense by not needing to drive the length of the field near the end had Seattle been unable to ice the game.
L.A. needed to take what they could get points-wise and then get into field goal range late, which they nearly had the opportunity to pull off after forcing the Seahawks to punt with 31 seconds remaining.
In a similar situation in the AFC Championship, Sean Payton went for it on fourth down in a game that ended 10-7. Instead of going up 10-0 with his backup quarterback, the Broncos wound up regretting it later on in a game where points came at a premium.
Much like a QB shouldn’t have to go for it all on third and short, the Rams didn’t need to get all the points on that fourth down call. It would’ve been sweet if they did, as it was apparent L.A. could move the ball on Seattle’s defense. Still a major missed opportunity that seemingly sealed the game for McVay’s squad.
Defense (or lack thereof) on JSN
I don’t know what the Rams’ defense was doing on Jaxson Smith-Njigba in the first half, and it seemed like they didn’t know either.
By halftime, JSN was already well over the century mark and had hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to put Seattle up by four with 20 seconds left in the half.
That drive in particular was maddening as the Ohio State product had made three receptions and was targeted one other time. The guy is a big play waiting to happen, and the defense let him run right by them time and time again.
It’s not like Chris Shula and company knew this would be a surprise. He had already caught 17 passes for 201 yards in the previous two meetings.
Give the secondary at least (some) credit, as they held JSN to 38 yards on three receptions after halftime, yet by then, it was too little, too late.
There’s only so much you can do against a player of his caliber, but the defense didn’t even look interested in containing him in the first half.
Davante Adams’ championship game curse
Poor Davante Adams.
The championship game curse followed Adams to the City of Angels. Adams has played in five NFC Championships, including four with the Packers.
Unfortunately, he has never advanced beyond the conference championship round, making some depressing NFL post-merger history in the process.
The Ugly
Special teams (gasp!)
Was I right, or was I right? Dammit, I was right.
Following the Wild Card Round win over the Panthers, I wrote that special teams would cost the Rams eventually. Sure enough, it happened again. Gee, it’s almost like I’m psychic or something.
After L.A. forced a punt to begin the third quarter, returner Xavier Smith muffed it at Seattle’s 17-yard line.
The Seahawks punched it in one play later. That was the one play that ultimately caused Seattle to pull away.
In a game with such a razor-thin margin, one mistake was going to doom someone, and sadly it just had to be the Rams.
Why this team cannot invest in a unit that was a glaring problem all season is baffling to me. If this end to the season won’t change things, then I don’t know what will. However, I think the front office is fine with the status quo on special teams, hence why things never change.
Another NFC West rival in the Super Bowl
I don’t know what’s worse: seeing the Seahawks in the Super Bowl or the 49ers. Just kidding, we all know the only correct answer is the Whiners.
Seeing yet another NFC West rival make an appearance in the big game is perhaps one of the ugliest things that can possibly happen to the Rams. Perhaps this iteration of Seahawks-Patriots will end the same way it did the first time.
If it’s any solace for Rams fans, Cooper Kupp will have a chance to earn his second career ring. It’s a damn shame it couldn’t happen in Hollywood. What a story that would’ve been.
