5 Key Moments That Led to Seahawks' Dejecting Loss to Rams

Seattle fell to into 2-3 following a 26-17 loss to the Rams under the bright lights of Thursday Night Football. Here are five moments that led to Seattle's crushing loss to L.A.

First quarter: Alex Collins stopped for -1 yards on 4th and 2, turnover on downs

The Seahawks orchestrated a drive all the way to the Rams' 29-yard line, well within Jason Myers' field goal range. Facing 3rd and 2, Seattle ran it with DeeJay Dallas and got stuffed, leaving a fourth-and-short situation. Instead of going for a field goal that would've given them a 3-0 lead, Pete Carroll opted to go for it. Rather than putting the ball in their best player's hands, they ran it with Collins, who got nowhere and Seattle turned it over on downs.

Either by a field goal or getting the first down on their way to a touchdown, this was a critical juncture for the Seahawks to draw first blood. Points would prove to be precious in this game and they could've used the three they were poised to get on this drive.

Second quarter: Holding penalty on Duane Brown calls back touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett

There are few things in football more discouraging than a touchdown taken off the board due to a penalty. Initially, it looked like Russell Wilson had hit Tyler Lockett for a touchdown that would have likely put Seattle up 14-3. Instead, the score was nullified by a holding penalty on Duane Brown.

To make matters worse, Jason Myers shanked the field goal attempt after the drive stalled following the penalty. As a result, the Seahawks went from an alleged touchdown to no points at all after a missed kick. Ouch.

Third quarter: 3rd and 10, Matthew Stafford 68-yard pass to DeSean Jackson

For most of the night, the defense held up their end of the bargain as Los Angeles was held out of the end zone completely in the first half. However, things began to unravel in the second half. Facing a 3rd and 10 deep in his own territory, Stafford launched a deep pass to the 34-year-old Jackson, who caught it upon separating himself from the secondary and ran it all the way down to the Seahawks' 12-yard line for a 68-yard play.

It was a backbreaking made possible by a dreadful misplay by Jamal Adams, putting Seattle's 7-3 lead in grave danger. A few plays later, the Rams found the end zone and took a 9-7 lead. The Seahawks would never lead the game again as Jackson's big play ignited more malcontent for their secondary among fans.

Third quarter: Russell Wilson incomplete deep to Tyler Lockett, injures finger

This might be one of the biggest doozies of the season, depending on how injured Wilson truly is. After never missing a single game of his 10-year career, and hardly even missing meaningful snaps during a game in that time span, disaster struck. On a deep pass to Lockett, Wilson was pressured and his throwing hand was struck by Aaron Donald. The ball sailed over Lockett's head incomplete and Wilson's finger appeared severely injured. He would eventually leave the game. This play hurts on two accounts, as Lockett was wide open for a go-ahead touchdown and Seattle's decade-long franchise quarterback's health is in real jeopardy for the first time ever.

Fourth quarter: Geno Smith throws interception

With Seattle clinging to life, they somehow got the ball back with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter and a chance to potentially win the game. The problem was: following the injury to Wilson, Smith was now running the show. The Seahawks were down just six, needing a touchdown to win.

On the first play of the drive, Smith rolled out of the pocket and fired a pass into traffic to be easily intercepted. Lockett was tripped along his route, setting up the game-sealing turnover.