Rams’ defense holds off Seahawks, bullies way into NFC West lead

INGLEWOOD — What if someone told you that in the second, third and fourth quarters of their pivotal game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams managed only 105 yards and five first downs on offense? Would that feel like a winning formula to you?

By any stretch of the imagination, it shouldn’t have been. Between the lack of production and the pressure this put on the Rams’ defense, this should have led to a long night of self-reflection for this team.

Instead, the Rams’ defense answered the bell. Again, and again, and again in a 21-19 Rams’ win.

What did it take to overcome the odds?

Four interceptions, including two by safety Kamren Kinchens. The first by the second-year player negated a turnover by downs in the red zone by the Rams. The last by Darious Williams off a Kinchens pressure ended a Seattle drive that had reached the Rams’ 36.

Three red-zone stops to hold the Seahawks to field goals. Seattle didn’t reach the end zone until the 2:23 mark of the fourth quarter.

A 5-for-14 mark on third down for Seattle, with the Rams finding creative ways to pressure Seahawks QB Sam Darnold to find ways to get off the field despite the time-of-possession disparity of 37:49-22:11, and a total yardage disparity of 414-249.

And then after another failed third down by the Rams’ offense with 1:41 to play, an Ethan Evans punt, downed by Blake Corum at the Seattle 1. With a long field, all Seattle could manage was a 61-yard attempt by Jason Myers that was short and wide left at the buzzer.

To open the game, the Rams were ready to run the ball if the Seahawks insisted on presenting light boxes and five-defensive back looks. With the Rams in 13-personnel in the first quarter, the Seahawks stayed with their nickel base defense and Kyren Williams promptly ripped off a season-high 30-yard run to get the Rams into the red zone.

But with Williams ruled short on a third-down pass, head coach Sean McVay kept his offense on the field. The Seahawks were ready for the play-action rollout and quarterback Matthew Stafford threw the ball at Tyler Higbee’s feet.

But the decision set the tone for how aggressive McVay was prepared to be. After the turnover on downs, pressure caused Darnold to lose track of Kinchens, who intercepted a pass to former Ram Cooper Kupp and returned it to the Seattle 3.

Three straight runs by Blake Corum were unsuccessful, so the Rams turned back to Williams on fourth-and-goal and he delivered the touchdown, staking out a critical early lead between two teams that had played most of the season in front of their opponents.

Williams again was the man when the Rams opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 the next drive, this time for the Seattle 35. He broke his previous season-high from two drives earlier with a 34-yard carry, benefitting from downfield blocking from the Rams’ receiving corps. Adams tried to get the ball across the goal line.

That was to no avail, but the Rams used a 13-personnel run feint to Williams to open Adams up for his 1,000th career catch, a one-yard touchdown on a slant route to make it a 14-3 Rams lead.

But the Rams’ offense went quiet from there, with two first downs and a lost fumble in its next four possessions. The inability to keep a drive going kept the Rams’ defense on the field for 45 of the next 60 plays.

It was a formula that should have worn the Rams’ defense out, especially as the Seahawks started getting some of the explosive plays that they have thrived on this season.

Instead, the Rams’ defense kept answering the bell. Whether it was a pair of open-field, third-down tackles by Cobie Durant or a Kobie Turner pressure to force a third-down throwaway, the Rams kept the Seahawks from taking the lead by any means necessary.