Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has thrown six interceptions in his past two games against the Rams. Steph Chambers / Getty Images
Sam Darnold bounced back from two interceptions to lead the Seattle Seahawks to a 38-37 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, clinching a playoff spot and putting Seattle in the driver’s seat for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
After the Rams scored a touchdown on their first possession of OT, Darnold capped a 65-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and then found Eric Saubert for the 2-point conversion to win it.
Matthew Stafford passed for 457 yards, 225 of them to Puka Nacua.
An earlier Seattle 2-point conversion also proved crucial, one of the most bizarre in NFL history. Initially ruled incomplete, Darnold’s pass was later ruled a backward pass on replay review, and the ball was picked up by Zach Charbonnet in the end zone.
Seattle is now 12-3, one game ahead of the Rams and 49ers in the NFC West.
Kings of the NFC for now
Welcome to the top of the NFC, Seattle. This was undoubtedly the biggest win of the Mike Macdonald era, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. At home — the last Lumen Field game on the schedule — against a division rival on national TV with control of the conference on the line. The No. 1 seed in the NFC isn’t locked up, but Seattle is firmly in the driver’s seat with two games remaining (against the Panthers and 49ers). — Michael-Shawn Dugar, Seattle Seahawks writer
Darnold’s greatest moment
Darnold delivered in a big game. Was it perfect? No. Darnold threw two back-breaking interceptions in this one. But with the game on the line, he calmly led Seattle on a 65-yard scoring drive in overtime. Instead of playing for the tie, Seattle trusted Darnold’s arm and his decision-making. Given the stakes, that two-point conversion to Eric Saubert — his only target of the night — may be the biggest throw of Darnold’s career. — Dugar