INGLEWOOD — The Rams opted to prioritize next week’s game over Sunday’s contest with the Seattle Seahawks. With a playoff spot already earned, it was more important to rest eight offensive starters than it was to try to pick up an 11th win.
But if you just watched Jimmy Garoppolo roll out and find Tyler Johnson for a fourth-quarter touchdown, and saw Garoppolo point at the Seattle sideline while Johnson celebrated in a manner not fit for print, you wouldn’t have known that.
Fighting the good fight or not, the Rams’ comeback attempt on Sunday did not go quite far enough, ending in a 30-25 loss.
“I’m not surprised,” head coach Sean McVay said of the team’s effort. “Guys can answer the bell when their opportunity arises. Today we came up short but there were a lot of good positives to take away.”
With the defeat, the Rams (10-7) slot into the four-seed in the NFC, and will have a rematch with the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
The two-point conversion meant to tie the game after that Johnson TD was unsuccessful, but the Rams had found some momentum. Cobie Durant broke up Seattle’s third-down pass on the ensuing drive, and a double move by rookie receiver Jordan Whittington led his man to fall over. Garoppolo found Whittington for a 50-yard gain, and that set up a 38-yard, go-ahead field goal by Joshua Karty for the Rams’ first lead of the day.
The Rams’ defense, playing a mix of starters and reserves for much of the day, nearly came away with the game-sealing turnover on the next drive.
Defensive tackle Tyler Davis stripped the ball from running back Kenny McIntosh and safety Kamren Kinchens, always conveniently placed, picked it up and returned it deep into Seattle territory. But outside linebacker Keir Thomas, called up from the practice squad prior to the game, was called for an offsides penalty that nullified the play.
Seattle (10-7) marched down the field with little resistance from there, and quarterback Geno Smith found Noah Fant at the goal line. The tight end somehow maintained possession despite a tackle that quite literally flipped him on his head. The two-point conversion was no good, however, and the Rams trailed by five with 3:19 to play.
The Rams were down to their final chance, facing fourth-and-3 from the Seattle 9. But Garoppolo’s throw to Whittington was low and the Rams turned it over on downs.
Garoppolo finished the game 27 for 41 for 334 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on an underthrown ball into heavy coverage. Most of his production came in the screen and short game and he spread the ball around to nine receivers.
“It was one of those games where it took everybody; we knew it was going to,” Garoppolo said. “We were close today, but just short.”
With starters across the board taking a backseat, the Rams got a glimpse of players who could help in future seasons. Whittington flashed his ability with the ball in his hand, both as a pass catcher and with a kickoff return that was a shoestring tackle away from a touchdown. Defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson had his first sack of the season.
Perhaps the most positive development that should carry over into the playoffs was the play of Karty. The rookie kicker was good on all four of his field goal attempts, including from a career-high 58 yards and later from 57.
“Absolutely it’s a confidence builder, just to show my teammates that, hey, I can do it, I belong here,” said Karty, who also set the franchise record for most points scored by a rookie kicker. “Show myself I belong here, I can do it. And then go into the next game when it really matters a lot to our whole organization like, hey, let’s do it.”
But those hoping to see what backup running back Blake Corum had to show were left empty-handed. The third-round pick fractured his forearm in the game, and afterwards McVay ruled him out for the postseason.
But the rest of the Rams will march forward, preparing for a Monday night playoff game. The Vikings are the first 14-win wild card in NFL history, though the Rams are responsible for one of their three losses.
Wins like that give them confidence. So do the 13 one-possession games that they’ve played, winning eight. Sunday wasn’t one of those victories, but even with special teamers stepping in on the two other sides of the ball, the Rams were still alive until the final 18 seconds of the game.
So just as they didn’t care which team they played before this weekend, McVay was still unbothered as they waited to learn their opponent Sunday night.
“We’re not going to be afraid to do anything other than go for it,” McVay said. “I believe in our team. I think it’s one of those deals where we respect all but we fear none.”