INGLEWOOD—The Seahawks lost in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday, seeing the Rams erase an early two-score deficit to take the lead late, then hang on for a 17-16 win after Jason Myers missed a 55-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation, a miss that ended a streak of 15 consecutive made field goals, including two from 50-plus yards on Sunday.
Here are five rapid reactions to Sunday's loss, which dropped Seattle's record to 6-4:
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1. The Seahawks couldn't finish strong against the Rams for the second time this season.
The Seahawks led the Rams 13-7 at halftime on Sunday after building a 13-0 lead, and if that score feels familiar, that's because it was also the halftime score when these teams played in Week 1.
And while Sunday's game didn't spiral out of control like the Week 1 game in which the Rams outscored Seattle 23-0, the Seahawks were still unable to close out a halftime lead, with the Rams chipping away before eventually taking the lead for the first time in the final two minutes of the game.
There were a lot of mitigating factors, to be sure, most notably the loss of quarterback Geno Smith to an elbow injury in the third quarter, not to mention a couple of very costly penalty calls on Seattle's defense down the stretch. But regardless of how it occurred, it was still a tough loss for the Seahawks, who felt like they were in control of the game early while building a 13-0 lead.
2. It was a game that came with a couple of injuries to key players.
The Seahawks finished the game with two key offensive players leaving the game due to injury, quarterback Geno Smith and running back Kenneth Walker III.
Walker's day ended early due to an oblique injury, leading to Zach Charbonnet carrying the load most of the way, with DeeJay Dallas also getting some touches out of the backfield. Smith, meanwhile, exited the game in the fourth quarter with a right elbow injury after taking a hard hit from Aaron Donald.
Smith was able to come back in the game for a final drive in the fourth quarter, nearly leading another game-winning drive, so hopefully his injury is not serious.
3. Penalties were a huge factor in the game.
Sunday's game featured a combined 22 penalties enforced for 222 yards, 12 for 130 for Seattle, and 9 for 92 for the Rams, and down the stretch, some of those proved very costly. One the Seahawks disagreed with vehemently was a fourth-quarter third-down pass interference call on Devon Witherspoon in the end zone, a call that set up a Rams touchdown. On L.A.'s next possession, Riq Woolen was called for illegal hands to the face away from the play on a third-and-15, giving the Rams a first down they'd eventually convert into the go-ahead field goal.
4. Tyler Lockett, Bobby Wagner and DK Metcalf all hit historic milestones.
DK Metcalf had another big game on Sunday, catching five passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, a score that was the 38th of his NFL career. With that touchdown, Metcalf moved past Steve Largent and Joey Galloway for the most receiving touchdowns in a player's first five seasons in franchise history.
Lockett, meanwhile, added five catches for 51 yards, allowing him to move into second place in franchise history in both receiving yards and receptions. Lockett, who last season moved into second place for receiving touchdowns, now trails only Hall of Famer Steve Largent in all three categories.
On the other side of the ball, Bobby Wagner finished with 10 tackles, giving him 105 this season. He now has at least 100 tackles in all 12 seasons of his NFL career, making him just the third player, along with London Fletcher and Derrick Brooks to record 12 straight 100-tackle seasons.
5. Despite the loss, the defense showed a lot of progress from Week 1.
While the Seahawks defense will wish it could have come up with one more stop—or get flagged for a couple fewer penalties—that unit did still show it has improved considerably since facing the Rams in the opener.Â
After the Rams gained 426 yards in Week 1, going 11 for 17 on third down, they were held to 267 yards and a 2 for 9 conversion rate this time around. Matthew Stafford, who in Week 1 threw for 334 yards, was 17 of 31 for 190 yards with a score and an interception this time around. Again, it wasn't quite enough for Seattle's defense, particularly not with the offense unable to get much going in the second half, but its something to build on going forward.
Check out some of the best action shots from Week 11 at the Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 19, 2023. Game action photos are presented by Washington's Lottery.