The Rams started the game going 0-of-2 in the red zone, settling for field goals.
Third time’s the charm for Los Angeles.
Matthew Stafford connected with Terrance Ferguson for a 3-yard touchdown on second-and-goal, giving the Rams a 13-7 lead with 3:43 left in the first half.
The Rams have been able to move the ball well so far on Thursday night, but had turned the ball over on downs before settling for two field goals on their previous three drives.
This time, though, the Rams got down the field with a consistent running attack led by Blake Corum, with Kyren Williams also converting third-and-2 with a 4-yard carry.
Stafford hit rookie Konata Mumpfield for an 11-yard gain down to the 8. Two plays later, Stafford’s pass went to Ferguson for the rookie’s second career touchdown catch.
Stafford has started the game 12-of-17 for 167 yards with a touchdown.
Seahawks Clips
The Seahawks have gotten on the board first in Thursday’s big matchup between NFC West rivals.
Running back Zach Charbonnet powered his way in for a 4-yard touchdown, giving Seattle a 7-0 lead with 7:09 left in the first quarter.
While Charbonnet had the points, the score was set up by a catch-and-run on a screen by running back Kenneth Walker. On First-and-10 from the Seattle 49, Darnold hit Walker on the left side and the running back had a clear lane ahead of him for a 46-yard gain down to the Los Angeles 5-yard line.
A play later, Charbonnet went up the middle for the touchdown.
The Rams had received the opening kickoff after the Seahawks won the coin toss. L.A. head coach Sean McVay started the game by being ultra-aggressive, going for it twice on fourth-and-1. But while the Rams converted the first attempt from their own 38, they couldn’t get past the Seahawks’ defense from Seattle’s 39-yard line for a turnover on downs.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has put two solid seasons together, with one significant asterisk.
In the biggest games, he hasn’t delivered.
It started last year. Week 18. No. 1 seed on the line. The Vikings could have taken control of the game at Ford Field against the Lions. But Darnold was floating passes and generally missing receivers.
The next week, in the wild-card round against the Rams, it was a total team failure. There were nevertheless whispers prior to the game that, if the Vikings advanced and Darnold struggled again, Daniel Jones could get the start in the divisional round.
The Vikings opted to move on from both Darnold and Jones. For Darnold, it has started well and continued well. But in his most recent big game, against the Rams the first time around, Darnold threw four interceptions in a game the Seahawks nearly won anyway.
Tonight, it’s huge. The winner has the inside track to the division title and the No. 1 seed. And if Darnold, another big one is coming, potentially.
If the 49ers keep winning, it’ll likely be another Week 18, winner-take-all game with Darnold at quarterback for one of the two teams.
The Rams will not have wide receiver Davante Adams for Thursday Night Football.
Adams is among the team’s inactives.
He did not practice all week after aggravating his left hamstring injury in Sunday’s game against the Lions and was listed as doubtful to play.
Adams has 60 receptions for 789 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns this season, his first with the Rams.
The Rams’ other inactives are cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, running back Jarquez Hunter, offensive lineman Beaux Limmer and outside linebacker Nick Hampton.
The Seahawks’ inactives are quarterback Jalen Milroe, left tackle Charles Cross (hamstring), wide receiver Jake Bobo, offensive lineman Mason Richman, offensive guard Bryce Cabeldue, defensive tackle Brandon Pili and outside linebacker Jared Ivey. Milroe will serve as the emergency third quarterback.
The Seahawks announced a few roster moves ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Rams.
Wide receiver Dareke Young has been activated from injured reserve. He has missed the last eight games with a quad injury.
Young had two catches for 28 yards and saw extensive time on special teams in his six appearances. No corresponding move was needed to get Young on the 53-man roster because safety D’Anthony Bell was waived earlier this week.
The Seahawks also elevated running back Cam Akers and offensive lineman Amari Kight from the practice squad. Akers has not played in a game for the Seahawks this season while Kight has made one appearance.
First noticed for his critical comments about game officials, the Puka Nacua livestream appearance from Tuesday night has sparked concern for his performance of a potential touchdown celebration that includes an antisemitic trope.
Privately, some in league circles are decrying the gesture. One source with a team other than the Rams dubbed it “horrible.”
Publicly, no one is saying anything. At least not yet.
The league has said nothing. The Rams have said nothing. Nacua has said nothing. The NFL Players Association has said nothing.
Meanwhile, Prime Video’s coverage of the Week 16 Rams-Seahawks game begins in less than six hours. How will the NFL broadcast partner handle the situation, either during the pregame show or the game broadcast?
It’s hard to imagine the NFL and the team not addressing the situation. Surely, it will be a topic of questions to Nacua and/or coach Sean McVay during postgame press conferences.
And while coverage of the situation has not been robust (ESPN.com, for example, has nothing about it), others are speaking up. Said Rep. Eric Swallwell on Twitter: The Los Angeles Jewish community is on edge after the Bondi Beach massacre. And what does this asshole . . . do? He promises an antisemitic touchdown dance for his Thursday night game. He should apologize or be dropped.”
It’s unclear whether Nacua understood the implication of the gesture at the time he made it. The hosts, who discussed the possibility away from Nacua (and openly wondered whether it would get them “in trouble”), didn’t explain the significance of it to him.
Still, Nacua knows about it now. As does the league, the team, and the union. For how long will they remain silent?
The Rams had some trouble getting to Seattle ahead of Thursday night’s game.
The team’s scheduled flight from Los Angeles on Wednesday was delayed by an equipment issue with the plane. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the team pivoted to another plan that had the team’s players and coaches leaving on one flight with the rest of the traveling party following on a later plane.
In a post to X.com with a time stamp of 11:48 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Tyler Dragon of USA Today reported that the Rams had arrived in Seattle.
We will find out on Thursday night if the change in travel plans had any impact on the Rams’ preparation for the game, but the expected absence of wide receiver Davante Adams may prove to be a more consequential obstacle for the Rams’ bid to take the upper hand in the NFC West.
As it turns out, Rams receiver Puka Nacua’s comments about NFL referees may be the less problematic portion of his recent appearance on a livestream with two people I’d never before heard of, Adin Ross and N3on (not a typo).
We’ve received emails from multiple readers regarding another portion of the video, during which Nacua performs (at the request of one of the hosts) a touchdown dance that included an antisemitic trope. Nacua promised to perform the celebration during a game.
James Dator of SBNation.com explains the situation, with this summary: “At best Nacua was uneducated about Ross and did something extremely stupid on a livestream. At worst he’s a willing participant in perpetuating stereotypes about the Jewish community.”
We requested comment last night from the NFL. The league has not yet responded.
The next question becomes whether Nacua will make good on his vow to perform the dance if he scores a touchdown on Thursday night against the Seahawks. If the Lions’ new booger-flicking celebration (no, I didn’t just have a stroke) is something that will draw scrutiny, Nacua and the Rams probably should get a clear warning from the league and the officials that, if Nacua does it, he’ll be flagged and fined.
The entire mess seems odd coming from Nacua, who had created in three seasons the impression that he’s a soft-spoken, highly-talented, fearless player and, already, one of the best receivers in the league. With that fame comes scrutiny, however. Especially if he’s going to be doing things that invite it.
On that note, and as explained by Cameron DaSilva of USA Today, Nacua initially tried to take the livestreamers into the Rams’ facility. Coach Sean McVay shut it down. DaSilva also mentions that Nacua had taken a page from the Antonio Brown playbook, livestreaming from the locker room after the Week 14 win over the Cardinals — even as Nacua’s teammates were telling him not to do it.
With the Rams playing tonight, the situation takes on heightened significance. And we’ll see whether: (1) the Rams or the NFL have anything to say about the situation before the critical Week 16 showdown with the Seahawks; (2) Nacua will perform the celebration during the game; and (3) McVay and/or Nacua are asked about the livestream and either of the controversies it sparked during post-game media availability.
It’s the last traditional Thursday night game of the season, since next Thursday night is Christmas and Christmas doesn’t feel like any specific day of the week.
And the 2025 Thursday night slate is ending with a bang.
Rams-Seahawks. Both are 11-3. The winner will control its path not just to the NFC West title, but to the No. 1 seed in the conference.
That’s it. It’s that simple. And it will be more simple for the Rams, since they finish with the Falcons and Cardinals. It will be tougher for the Seahawks, who finish with the Panthers and 49ers.
And don’t forget the 49ers. As mentioned yesterday, a Seahawks win gives the 49ers control over their own path to the No. 1 seed. If they beat the Colts, Bears, and Seahawks, tonight’s game becomes irrelevant.
For now, it’s extremely relevant. It’s the biggest game of the regular season so far. With the promise of potentially bigger games to come.
Philip Rivers sells.
The return of the 44-year-old grandpa to the Colts, nearly five years after he last played for the team, moved the needle in Indianapolis.
Via Zack Keefer of TheAthletic.com, the Week 15 game between the Colts and the Seahawks was the most-watched Colts game on CBS in Indianapolis in five years.
And, of course, five years ago, Rivers was the team’s starting quarterback.
It’s no surprise. Rivers’s return sparked fascination for all NFL fans. For Colts fans, who were able to enjoy a near upset of one of the best teams in the league, there was no reason to stop watching the game until the very end.
This week, the Colts host the 49ers on Monday Night Football. The national broadcast gives all football fans a chance, two nights before an old man in red makes his worldwide rounds, to see if an old man in blue can make a Christmas wish come true.
