Seahawks, doomed by turnovers and penalties, fall to Rams in OT

SEATTLE – As the Rams celebrated, Seahawks outside linebacker Boye Mafe stood at the 30-yard-line unmoving, staring at the video board in apparent disbelief.

He wasn’t alone in that feeling.

Who could fathom all the twists and turns it took for the Rams to emerge a 26-20 overtime winner over the Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field?

“What a unique, weird game that was,’’ said Rams’ coach Sean McVay after his team emerged victorious on a 39-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford to Demarcus Robinson with 4 minutes, 57 seconds left in overtime.

His assessment was hard to argue after a game that featured a number of “did that just happen?” plays as well as combined 20 penalties and a handful of mishaps by each team.

“Flags were flying all over today, again,’’ said safety Julian Love after the Seahawks committed 12 for 95 yards.

Only four plays before the Rams’ game-winner, the Seahawks stood at the L.A. 16, facing a fourth-and-1.

If they had gotten that 1 yard, it might have gotten the team’s biggest win of the year so far.

Instead, a Kenneth Walker III run went nowhere, the Rams quickly responded, and the stunning turnabout resulted in the Seahawks’ fifth loss in six games, dropping them to 4-5 – a losing record for the first time under rookie coach Mike Macdonald. They fell to last place in the NFC West, and gave them a fourth straight loss at Lumen Field, the longest one-season home losing streak for the Seahawks since 2008.

The result left quarterback Geno Smith apologizing to teammates and fans after he threw three interceptions in a game for the first time since 2014, and Macdonald delivering a postgame opening statement preaching that things will get better.

“We’ve got guys that fought,’’ Macdonald said. “But we have to go to work and make this right, because right now we’re doing too many things that it’s not winning football, it’s not complementary. And just the same mentality we’ve had every week, we’ve got to keep that going. And we’re going to find the solution at some point.”

The Seahawks have a long two weeks to try to find those answers, heading into their bye before playing at San Francisco on Nov. 17. That game may be a must-win with the Seahawks falling from 3-0 to 4-5 over the past six weeks.

“We just have to collectively look at who we have and try to play to the best of our abilities based on personnel,’’ Love said. “I think we’re obviously going to look inward in this bye week and just attack this thing.”

After the three previous losses in which the Seahawks fell behind early, Macdonald said the team made an emphasis to start quicker.

Part of that included simplifying the defense, going with fewer sub packages and trying to minimize some of the things that led to some missed assignments in recent weeks.

“Tighten up the plan, just like we said last week,’’ Macdonald said. “… I thought we played physical and tackled a lot better.’’

Indeed, the Seahawks allowed just one TD drive in regulation and forced five three-and-outs, including the Rams’ last three possessions of regulation.

The offense spent most of the first half unable to get out of its own way, with two more mishandled shotgun snaps from center Connor Williams to Smith resulting in big losses and failed drives.

The Seahawks finally got going late in the first half, scoring twice in the span of 46 seconds – with 51 seconds and five seconds on the clock – each time taking advantage of offside penalties, and subsequent “free plays,’’ to get big gains.

One resulted in a touchdown on a Smith 30-yard pass to Tyler Lockett to give the Seahawks a 6-3 lead.

After a Riq Woolen interception on a play that resulted in the ejection of Rams receiver Puka Nacua for throwing a punch at Tyrel Dodson, the Seahawks used an offsides penalty for a 46-yard Smith pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that set up a Smith 24-yard TD pass to Smith-Njigba. It was all part of the breakout game for the second-year receiver who finished with 180 yards seven catches and gave the Seahawks a 13-3 halftime lead.

The second half was somehow even more of a whirlwind.

The Rams used two long drives to tie it at 13 entering the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks moved 63 yards to L.A.’s six where on a first down, Smith was pressured and as he tried to throw the ball away, instead threw it straight to Rams safety Kamren Kinchens, who wove his way 103 yards for a pick-six – the longest return against the Seahawks in team history.

Shortly after, a blocked punt gave them another shot. On a second-and-goal at the 4 a Smith pass intended for tight end AJ Barner went straight to Kinchens. The Seahawks thought Barner was held by Rams defensive end Braden Fiske, disrupting the timing. Smith and Macdonald said it’s still a play that needs to be avoided.

“We’ve got to make smarter decisions in that way,’’ Macdonald said. “We’ve got to finish drives. We’ve got to take care of the football. You guys see it. We see it. We have to be better if we’re going to win.

The defense held the Rams two more times, and gave them one last shot, The Seahawks converted when it was down to its last play. Smith hit Smith-Njigba for 29 on a fourth down with 1:03 left, and a play later the two hooked up for a 14-yard TD that tied the game with 51 seconds left. A Coby Bryant on Robinson to force an incompletion on third down set up overtime.

The Seahawks won the toss, and used four runs by Walker for 23 yards and a 31-yard pass to Smith-Njigba to get to the 16. A third-and-1 Walker run was stuffed.

They decided to go for it, knowing a field goal meant they needing to stop the Rams at least once to win the game.

The entire stadium seemed to read what was coming : another run to Walker. This one had no shot, a host of Rams quickly greeting him.

“We liked the look,’’ Macdonald said. “We’ve got to be able to get a half yard in two shots. Great football teams convert third and fourth and short, and right now we’re not doing that. There’s math – if you kick the field goal, they’re on four downs all the way to field-goal range – I felt like we had a great opportunity to win it with a touchdown right there. We went for it.’’

The Seahawks’ defense seemed deflated as Stafford hit three straight passes for 79 yards, including the winner to Robinson.

“(Woolen) thought it was a run, so I guess Matthew had a great fake with the running back,’’ Robinson said. “I was able to get on top of him. I beat (him) by like 5 yards, and Matthew saw me coming out of his rollout and he gave me a chance. He put it up.”

Robinson reeled it in with one hand, leaving the Seahawks reeling.

“We’ve got the right guys,’’ Macdonald insisted. “We’ve got the right guys. We just have to make it come to life. But our backs are against the wall and we’ve got to go.”