Los Angeles had plenty to overcome this week, but was able to do it to defeat Seattle at the Coliseum, 36-31.
The game got off to an inauspicious start defensively — particularly against the run. With the help of a pair of Rams personal foul penalties on defense, the Seahawks were able to get on the board with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the contest. Quarterback Russell Wilson connected with tight end Nick Vannett in the middle of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown and an early lead.
Los Angeles put together a nice response drive, moving 86 yards in 10 plays to tie the game.
The Rams got the tight ends involved in the offense, with Goff hitting Tyler Higbee on consecutive plays for a first down at midfield. And then on 2nd-and-goal from the 10, Goff hit Gerald Everett over the middle on what looked like a skinny post for a 10-yard touchdown. Kicker Greg Zuerlein's extra point tied the game at seven.
But the Rams still had trouble stopping the run — and this time it was with rookie Rashaad Penny. The running back took a carry 38 yards to the left and then brought in a touchdown from 18-yards out on the right side of the field to put Seattle back on top, 14-7.
Kicker Greg Zuerlein nailed a 35-yard field goal to give the Rams 10 points, and then defensive tackle Aaron Donald set a franchise record for players at his position.
On 3rd-and-6 from the Seattle 35, Donald burst through the middle for his 12th sack of the season — besting the DT record of 11.5 sacks set in 1995 by D'Marco Farr. Donald had already taken down quarterback Russell Wilson once during the contest, giving him 51.0 career sacks — 10.0 coming at Wilson's expense.
Following Donald's sack, running back Todd Gurley continued a streak of his own by scoring a touchdown in his 13th consecutive game.
Starting with the ball at their own 14, the Rams moved the ball effectively in large part due to Gurley. He took four carries on the possession — none for fewer than nine yards — capping it with a 17-yard pitch to the left. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth had the lead block to get No. 30 into the end zone.
Starting with the ball after halftime, Los Angeles was able to increase its lead on another possession where Gurley pounded the rock — going over 100 yards rushing on the day. The Rams' drive stalled, however, once the team reached the Seattle 25. Goff was sacked on first down, then a false start penalty backed the Rams up to 2nd-and-19. A screen to running back Malcolm Brown couldn't put L.A. past the sticks, and the club settled for a 37-yard field goal by Zuerlein to go up 20-14.
The Rams' defense appeared to get off the field after a third-down incompletion by Wilson over the middle in L.A. territory, but the possession continued after outside linebacker Dante Fowler was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. With new life, the Seahawks offense got in the box with a 23-yard touchdown from Wilson to wideout Tyler Lockett, jumping back ahead with a 21-20 lead.
Down by a point, Los Angeles got into Seattle territory with a couple big plays by a pair of wide receivers. Brandin Cooks caught a leaping 14-yard pass on the left sideline to move the club to the Seattle 49. And then wideout Robert Woods caught a 35-yard pass over the middle on 3rd-and-15 from the L.A. 46.
But it was a tight end who would put the Rams on the board, as Higbee caught a 10-yard pass to the right and went into the box for a touchdown. L.A. elected to go for two, but a Gurley run to the left side failed.
Getting the ball back with 14:52 left in the contest, the Seahawks didn't take much time to go down the field and get in position to score. But on 3rd-and-5 from the L.A. eight, Donald and fellow D-lineman Ndamukong Suh overwhelmed the middle of the pocket to split a sack on Wilson.
Seattle kicker Sebastian Janikowski connected on a 33-yard field goal to cut Los Angeles' lead to two points at 26-24.
With 9:52 left in the contest, the Seahawks attempted a surprise onside kick, but wide receiver Josh Reynolds was ready to field the high, bouncing kickoff at the Seattle 46. While the Rams were able to score a 20-yard field goal to extend their lead, they also may have lost a key player for some time as Kupp went down with a left knee injury on the possession.
Seattle got the ball back down 29-24 with 7:34, but Los Angeles' first takeaway of the game came in a big-time situation to help the club extend its lead.
On 3rd-and-3 from the Seattle 32, Fowler came around the corner on the offense's left to strip-sack Wilson. The ball squirted behind the offense and with many players in hot pursuit, Fowler ended up recovering his own fumble to give L.A. an extra drive starting at the Seattle nine.
Los Angeles took just one play to fully capitalize on the takeaway, as Cooks took a jet sweep from left to right and with good blocking in front of him, scored a nine-yard touchdown. With the extra point, L.A. held a 36-24 lead.
Seattle didn't go down easy, however, moving down the field with a mix of runs and passes to get into scoring territory. And one play after the two-minute warning, Wilson completed a three-yard pass in the right flat to running back Mike Davis to cut Los Angeles' lead to 36-31.
Seattle punter Michael Dickson put a drop kick deep into Los Angeles territory, which punt returner JoJo Natson fielded and returned to the L.A. 25. But the Rams offense couldn't get the job done, going three-and-out.
Starting with the ball on their own 25, Wilson completed an off-schedule pass to Lockett to move Seattle into L.A. territory, then scrambled to the L.A. 35, where Wilson spiked to stop the clock. After a pair of incompletions on 2nd and 3rd down, Wilson was flushed out of the pocket and fired an off-schedule throw incomplete to his left for a turnover on downs.
Goff was able to take a knee and give the Rams a 36-31 victory.
With the win, Los Angeles moves to 9-1 on the season. It's their first time recording back-to-back winning seasons since 2000 and 2001.
