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Seattle Seahawks takeaways from thrilling OT win vs. Rams

The Seahawks erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Rams 38-37 at home.
Connor Benintendi|
Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field.
Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks’ three losses this season have come by a total of nine points. Each defeat has come after fights to the very end against good teams. Week 16 was a culmination of the mentality the team has embodied all season.

With under 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks trailed by 16 points. Twenty minutes of football later, they walked off the field with a win, 38-37, over the Los Angeles Rams following a game-winning two-point conversion pass from Sam Darnold to tight end Eric Saubert.

Bookending the largest fourth-quarter comeback in franchise history, the Seahawks (12-3) took sole possession of first place in the NFC and earned the right to control their own destiny over the final two weeks of the regular season.

The Rams (11-4) will have to win out and hope the Seahawks lose to the Carolina Panthers or San Francisco 49ers to have a chance of earning the top seed.

Here’s what we learned from a gutsy overtime thriller at Lumen Field.

A poetic finish

In the first matchup in Week 11, the Seahawks committed four turnovers and had a chance to win the game on a field goal. Jason Myers missed a 60-yard attempt, and the Rams got the win at home. 

Five weeks later, following three more Seahawks turnovers, the Rams had a shot to go up three points with 2:11 remaining. LA had already sacrificed its 16-point lead.

Rams kicker Harrison Mevis, who has only been with the team for seven games, entered the game a perfect 5 for 5 on the season. Mevis lined up a 48-yard kick, but missed.

Neither team could get points on the board before the end of regulation, and overtime was set to decide what had already become the wildest game of the 2025 NFL season.

The Seahawks won the toss and elected to give the ball to the Rams, opting to see what they needed instead of giving LA that luxury. An ugly LA drive ended in a wide-open 41-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua — completing the superstar Rams receiver’s career 225-yard night.

At that point, there was just 6:27 left in overtime. By the time Darnold drove the Seahawks down the field and found Smith-Njigba for a touchdown, there were only three minutes left.

Since the Rams won the first matchup, a tie would benefit the Rams in the race for the No. 1 seed. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald didn’t hesitate to go for the win, and his faith was well placed on the connection from Darnold to Saubert.

Darnold makes a statement

Ever since his agonizing blowout loss to the Rams in the 2024 Wild Card round while quarterbacking the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold has been tagged as unable to win the big games and incapable of beating the Rams.

Until the end of the game, it seemed the narrative would carry into the playoffs. Instead, Darnold completely flipped it on its head.

After throwing two back-breaking interceptions — totaling six in two games against the Rams this season — Darnold and the Seahawks seemed down and out while staring at a 30-14 deficit. 

Rashid Shaheed sparked the comeback with a punt return touchdown, instilling faith back in the sideline. Darnold was nearly perfect from there, and he completed all four of his passes on the game-winning touchdown drive in overtime. That’s as big a statement as he can make in the biggest game of the regular season.

Darnold finished 22 of 34 for 270 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was sacked four times.

Yes, the turnovers are an issue. But Darnold flashed his clutch gene, and it may only continue to grow as the postseason rapidly approaches. 

About Shaheed …

What a move at the trade deadline this is becoming.

Shaheed hasn’t been as big of an impact on offense as many had hoped, but he’s the best kick and punt returner the Seahawks have had since Percy Harvin more than a decade ago.

There’s good reason to believe the Seahawks wouldn’t have even made this game interesting if it weren’t for Shaheed. Trailing by 16 with eight minutes to play, Shaheed broke off a 58-yard punt return touchdown, and the Seahawks converted the two-point conversion to cut it to just eight.

Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak kept feeding him on offense, and Shaheed picked up 31 yards on a reverse play on the Seahawks’ next drive. One play later, Darnold found tight end AJ Barner for the would-be game-tying touchdown and ensuing two-point conversion.

Shaheed had a 100-yard kick return touchdown just two weeks earlier against the Atlanta Falcons in a 37-9 win. He’s been the difference-maker the Seahawks hoped he would be, and he may have saved Seattle’s playoff positioning.

Up Next

The Seahawks go on the road to face the Carolina Panthers (7-7) at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28. Depending on how the rest of Week 16 shakes out, there’s a chance Seattle could clinch the top seed in the NFC in Week 17.

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Connor Benintendi
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