Epic collapses often involve a concoction of extraordinary situations.
The Los Angeles Rams had several in Thursday night's 38-37 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Brutal special teams blunders, compounded by an offense that sputtered late and a defense that couldn't stop the bleeding, combined for a blown 16-point fourth-quarter lead.
The singular play that stands out was a Seahawks two-point conversion midway through the fourth quarter that allowed Seattle to tie the game 30-30. A Sam Darnold quick screen bounded off Rams pass rusher Jared Verse and popped into the air at the goal line before falling to the turf. It initially appeared to be an incomplete pass and was ruled a missed attempt. However, as teams lined up for the kickoff, officials reviewed the play and determined Darnold's pass actually went backward, making it a fumble, and Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet, who picked up the ball in the end zone, was awarded the two points.
Instead of the Rams clinging to a two-point lead, it was tied, eventually leading to overtime.
The Rams questioned the call after the contest.
"Very interesting," coach Sean McVay said, via ESPN. "Didn't get a clear explanation of everything that went on just because of some of the timing of it.
"I've never seen anything or never been a part of anything like that. And I've grown up around this game. I'm not making excuses. We don't do that. I don't believe in that. It doesn't move us forward, but we do want clarity and an understanding of the things that we can do to minimize that when we rejected the two-point conversion."
Matthew Stafford, who became the fifth player in NFL history with 450-plus pass yards, 3-plus pass TDs and 0 INTs in a loss (Jared Goff, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Cassel), wondered how a fumble can be advanced in that situation.
"I just want to know that rule," Stafford said, per the L.A. Daily News. "Because I thought on plays like that -- two-minute plays or two-point plays, inside of two minutes and stuff -- I didn't think you were allowed to advance a fumble."
The play wasn't the main driver of the Rams' collapse, but it highlighted what can go wrong when an opponent is given life.
After dominating the first three quarters, generating 30 points, 405 yards and zero punts, the offense went cold, going three-and-out three straight series to open the door for Seattle. The defense, which forced three turnovers, allowed Darnold to move the ball in the final frame and overtime. And the special teams, which have been an issue all season, were brutal, giving up a punt return and missing a go-ahead fourth-quarter field goal, among other miscues.
Coaches often harp about it being a four-quarter game. The Rams didn't show up in the final frame, and it cost them control of the NFC.
L.A. fell to 11-4, behind Seattle in the NFC West. The Rams' chances of winning the division sit at 27%, per Next Gen Stats, with games remaining against the Falcons and Cardinals. Entering the game with the top spot in the conference, they now have just a 21% shot at taking the No. 1 seed, while Seattle's odds have boosted to 51% to earn the bye. The 49ers, who face the Seahawks in Week 18, have a 19 percent shot at taking the top spot by winning out.
The Rams already clinched a playoff berth, but the collapse could make their road to a Super Bowl much tougher.
"We just went down swinging," defensive lineman Kobie Turner said. "We beat them once, they beat us once. We'll see them again. At the end of the day, we're in the big dance, that's what counts, that's what matters. I don't care where we're at, I don't care if it's freezing cold, snow, rain, or I don't care if we're back at home, SoFi. I'm counting on my guys."
