Why the Rams Are Their Own Biggest Obstacle

The Los Angeles Rams lost their fourth game of the season in heartbreaking fashion against their NFC West rival, the Seattle Seahawks, in Week 16 on Thursday Night Football.

The Rams were on the road in a huge NFC West and NFC showdown and came up a point short in what turned into a classic. The Rams came into this game with the No. 1 seed in the NFC and left as the No. 5 seed. They dropped to second in the NFC West and could drop one more spot when Week 16 is over.

The Rams came into this game playing great football, and they showed that for most of the night on Thursday, but then something changed. The Rams were crushing the Seahawks' defense on the ground. They were running the ball well and were getting good yards in most runnings. That opened up the passing game as well. The Rams were aggressive, and that is what got them a 30-14 lead in the second half of the ball game.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks on in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Rams Beat Themselves for their Fourth Loss of the Season

After that lead the Rams started to get conservative with what they were doing on both sides of the ball. They were not as aggressive as they were up to that point. The Seahawks defense did a little better job of stopping the big runs on first and second down, but that did not mean that the Rams had to stop the running attack altogether. Then, when head coach Sean McVay wanted to air it out, the defense of Seattle was getting to Stafford. That is when you double down and hand it off.

One of the biggest plays that turned things around in this one was the punt return that the Seahawks got close to the midway point in the fourth quarter. The Rams' special teams have been good all season in coverage, but that one got away from them. During that time, the Rams also had three straight three-and-outs. That shows the aggressiveness was not there for the team like it was in the first three quarters of the game.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay speaks in a press conference after a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

At the end of the day, it was the Rams own mistakes that cost them this game. All their losses this season have been in similar ways, where the team goes away from what got them to that point and what is working. The Rams will have to regroup and get back to doing what they do best. This is something you gotta look out for when the playoffs start.

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