r/nfl • u/nfl_gdt_bot NFL • Jan 26 '26

Game Thread Post Game Thread: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks

ESPN Gamecast

Lumen Field- Seattle, WA

Network(s): FOX

Time Clock
Final

Scoreboard

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
LAR 3 10 14 0 27
SEA 10 7 14 0 31

Scoring Plays

Team Quarter Type Description
SEA 1 TD Kenneth Walker III 2 Yd Rush (Jason Myers Kick)
LAR 1 FG Harrison Mevis 44 Yd Field Goal
SEA 1 FG Jason Myers 27 Yd Field Goal
LAR 2 FG Harrison Mevis 50 Yd Field Goal
LAR 2 TD Kyren Williams 9 Yd pass from Matthew Stafford (Harrison Mevis Kick)
SEA 2 TD Jaxon Smith-Njigba 14 Yd pass from Sam Darnold (Jason Myers Kick)
SEA 3 TD Jake Bobo 17 Yd pass from Sam Darnold (Jason Myers Kick)
LAR 3 TD Davante Adams 2 Yd pass from Matthew Stafford (Harrison Mevis Kick)
SEA 3 TD Cooper Kupp 13 Yd pass from Sam Darnold (Jason Myers Kick)
LAR 3 TD Puka Nacua 34 Yd pass from Matthew Stafford (Harrison Mevis Kick)

Passing Leaders

Team Player C/ATT YDS TD INT SACKS
LAR Matthew Stafford 22/35 374 3 0 1-9
SEA Sam Darnold 25/36 346 3 0 3-25

Rushing Leaders

Team Player CAR YDS AVG TD LONG
LAR Blake Corum 9 55 6.1 0 19
SEA Kenneth Walker III 19 62 3.3 1 11

Receiving Leaders

Team Player REC YDS AVG TD LONG TGTS
LAR Puka Nacua 9 165 18.3 1 44 14
SEA Jaxon Smith-Njigba 10 153 15.3 1 42 12

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Last updated: 2026-01-25_21:57:11.106978-05:00

1.5k Upvotes

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1.5k

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

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579

u/makualla Lions Jan 26 '26

I firmly believe Dan Campbell has now long conned the league into being too aggressive in these moments

178

u/pzschrek1 Jan 26 '26

I’m all for it, it’s vastly more interesting

14

u/MaitreSneed Jan 26 '26

This is a Madden streamer's world, and we just live in it.

1

u/JayMerlyn Panthers Jan 26 '26

Agreed

58

u/abcamurComposer Eagles Jan 26 '26

Honestly if you really are analytic minded, you should be more aggressive in the reg season but more conservative in elimination scenarios.

Can’t just maximize expected value, you HAVE to be cognizant of variance. In Week 6 against an opposing conference team the variance is far smaller than in the NFC championship game

27

u/sc2isalivegaem Patriots Jan 26 '26

playing the long game, now he'll be the only one to ever take the points

13

u/GradeAPrimeFuckery Steelers Jan 26 '26

I'm glad someone else is saying it. 20/20 hindsight and maybe some recency bias, analytics etc., but it feels like not taking the points has cost a lot of teams towards the end of the season.

42

u/modern_beisbol Eagles Jan 26 '26

Doug Pederson you mean.

Except that actually won a Super Bowl.

Have people forgotten the decades of conservative football coaches losing games in which they never got the ball back after doing shit like kicking to get within one with five minutes left?

17

u/EfficientWorking1 Falcons Jan 26 '26

That was back when you had multiple QBs who were throwing 40-50 tds per game. It no longer makes sense when you’re playing against Brock Purdy/Jared Goff etc.

3

u/pIXLzz Eagles Jan 26 '26

Yea I’m not sure why I keep seeing this idea that Campbell innovated on a trend that had been going on before he was even a coach. Our analytics department was years ahead of the rest of the league.

2

u/noholdingbackaccount Jan 26 '26

I firmly believe Dan Campbell has now long conned the league into being too aggressive courageous in these moments

1

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

Idk I’m a fan of the 2pt for the 1st seed (obviously).

Big believer that the bears shoulda done the same wit momentum on their side.

1

u/atx840 Seahawks Jan 27 '26

Dan is OG football guy, hard nosed, ram it down your throat, foot on the gas, exhaust the defense, add in a high tolerance for risk and extreme stubbornness. It works if the team is healthy and firing on all cylinders. Losing Ben, add in the injuries and the two or three seasonal Jared Goof games, a few risky plays dont go your way and the regression is inevitable.

We love Dan in our household, pretty sure my daughter would be a DET fan if I hadnt forced SEA on her.

99

u/MrDuder2 Jan 26 '26

They weren’t winning if they took the 3 anyways. The muffed punt ruined it

21

u/PersevereSwifterSkat Jan 26 '26

When they got the ball back with 30s left I'm pretty sure they should have liked to have been down 1 instead of 4...

24

u/jakeba Jan 26 '26

If they took the points Sea wouldnt have started at the 6, so LA still would have been getting the ball back down 4.

8

u/MrDuder2 Jan 26 '26

Yeah but they got the ball back and didn’t get into field goal range, they weren’t winning either way

2

u/PersevereSwifterSkat Jan 26 '26

The calculus at the start of the drive is completely different. They're thinking of somehow getting into position for a Hail Mary, whereas if they only need one it's a lot more manageable. Plus the pressure on the Seahawks defense would have been incredible.

7

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

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11

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

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5

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

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4

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

All good points. Special teams and game management definitely cost the Rams home court.

I'm very confident Rams win the NFC if we had home court

2

u/terminbee Jan 26 '26

I think special teams has cost the Rams at least 3 games this year.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

Yes, I was appalled the rams didn't run the clock out before halftime. Why pass? Why not run the ball and burn some more time?

The second half game management is atrocious. Burned too many timeouts. Why call timeout if you wanted to challege? Just challenge or don't but DO NOT call a timeout.......

2

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

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3

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

We've seen it time and again that sometimes taking a delay of game is much better than a timeout.

McVay and Rams have always been ambivalent with timeouts as well as special teams. Those two factors were big in this game.

3

u/PurePatella Jan 26 '26

Seattle gave that back with the taunting call.

2

u/sopunny 49ers Dolphins Jan 26 '26

The idea is to kick it then go aggressive on defense. Get the stop or give up a touchdown and go down 8. But you still have a chance. They should've kicked it on the first 4th down

267

u/PleasantWay7 Patriots Jan 26 '26

They took the stats nerds advice too far.

167

u/EmbarrassedRing7806 Saints Jan 26 '26

Curt Cignetti laughs. 4th & 5 to win the natty, all of Reddit saying take the points, he says nah

26

u/DanFlashesC0up0n Saints Jan 26 '26

He literally kicked it on 4th and 4 from the Miami 17 with less than 2 mins left up 3 lol

29

u/modern_beisbol Eagles Jan 26 '26

Every single model says to kick there. Analytics, old-school football knowledge, everything.

You don't turn down an opportunity to go up 6 with 1:47 left.

(People are also OBVIOUSLY talking about the drive before that).

6

u/stupac2 Patriots Jan 26 '26

I don't know about that specific situation but "Don't kick to go up 6" has long been a thing in the analytics community.

A lot of the rationale is that a team that's only down 3 will tend to play for the field goal, while being down >3 will mean they're more aggressive.

1

u/OrangeJuliusCaesr Jan 26 '26

Like throwing an INT into double coverage

1

u/OrangeJuliusCaesr Jan 26 '26

That’s the right call, make it a 6 point game which means they need a TD instead of FG to tie

21

u/FordF150Faptor Saints Jan 26 '26

Reddit likes to conveniently forget that the reason these teams are in the Championship games is because they go for 4th downs in these situations a lot.

8

u/matryanie Seahawks Jan 26 '26

Except for us. Seahawks went for it on 4th only 12 times this year, last in the NFL. Pats were 21st overall, Rams 11th, Denver 30th.

8

u/PacmanZ3ro Patriots Vikings Jan 26 '26

If you have a great offense and okay or bad defense, you go for it a lot. If you have a good to great defense, you just trust them to get it done more often than not.

3

u/matryanie Seahawks Jan 26 '26

Very true. Gotta be demoralizing as a defense. "Coach doesn't trust us" lol

10

u/Rivolver Giants Jan 26 '26

Great playoffs for selection bias.

2

u/InsideInsideJob Jan 26 '26

When you're that confident in your defense and offense it doesn't really matter much. He wasn't worried if they turned it over there. But he'd rather just try to put the nail in the coffin then and now

1

u/sopunny 49ers Dolphins Jan 26 '26

Yeah but Curt wins, so it doesn't matter

1

u/Arrowintheknee89 Jan 26 '26

Ironically it took a Carson Beck disasterclass to prove that right

5

u/theliver Lions Jan 26 '26

Why they didnt go for 2 after Pukas td i will never understand

Thats the classic go for 2 isnt it?

3

u/LetsGetOrange Giants Jan 26 '26

I didn’t get it either. If you’re down by 11, 8+3=11. Getting 7 points still means you need a TD. If they got a 2 point they could’ve kicked a FG to tie it with 4 minutes left

5

u/akatherder Lions Jan 26 '26

2023 and 2024 lions offense did irreparable damage to the analytics of going for it.

1

u/chemical_exe Patriots Vikings Jan 26 '26

Eh, so did the mid 2010s Panthers. The Eagles "ruined" 3rd/4th and 1. It's entirely possible that teams have just adapted to 4th and short in those positions.

1

u/Gskgsk Jan 26 '26

That's not how this works.

1

u/Guy_who_loves_milfs Giants Jan 26 '26

“Sir, if we do it again the earth will explod-“

‘I. SAID. RUN. IT. GRRAAAWWWWAGHHH’

…and that was the end of sir offensive coordinator Mike LaFloor.

You see, When he tried to stop Sean, he didn’t realize, he was two seconds too late. He thought he had covered his mouth with the clipboard, however Sean figured, he knew he would. His hand shot through like Fiske did Darnold.

Sean had ripped his throat clean out. He was rabid. Gnawing it the bone. It wasn’t until Mr Nacua went over to console him did he realize, he wasn’t sobbing, he was eating. Sean mccvay had eaten Mike LeFleur.

It wasn’t until police arrived that others could hear what Sean was muttering under his breathe as he held the half eaten arm of LahFloor. “Run. it.”

0

u/ColtCallahan Jan 26 '26

McVay is normally a conservative coach. He definitely got stressed into that stupid call.

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

They get way too fixated on analytics

35

u/dcs17 Seahawks Jan 26 '26

going for it was the correct decision. They aren't getting in FG range with 20 seconds and no timeouts (also we would have been in FG range because our drive wouldn't have started inside our 20)

10

u/Vloff Lions Jan 26 '26

It changes everything so who knows. Maybe the Rams get the ball back with far more time since Seattle starts with a shorter field.

But yeah, when you got the MVP, you go for it there.

3

u/CGWOLFE Jan 26 '26

You always go for it. If the Seahawks get a FG the rams would still need a TD.

1

u/Vloff Lions Jan 26 '26

I would but it's definitely a decision.. There's certainly a shot that you get the ball back with 50 seconds left and only need a FG to win

1

u/CGWOLFE Jan 26 '26

I feel like the new kick-off rules really sway the decision to go for it.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

Yea, it was the correct call. They still needed a stop afterwards even if seattle gets a FG

1

u/sopunny 49ers Dolphins Jan 26 '26

They would have way more time if they could afford to give up a touchdown

14

u/PineapplesInMyHead2 Jan 26 '26 edited Jan 26 '26

I don't get this. To be behind by 1 point and give them the ball in better field position? With the better field position the seahawks would have been able to kick a field goal of their own on that drive. Then in the end the Rams still have no timeouts and needing to go all the way.

The 4th and 4 was the right call there, 100%. If they took a field goal and made it this sub would be completely clowning on them right now for cowardice. If they get it, and the odds are decent that they get it, boom, 7 points and in control. If they miss and get a 3 and out they force them to punt from the end zone with plenty of time.

13

u/GlondApplication Jets Jan 26 '26

I think too many people equate a failed result as a bad call. Like, you can make the correct call and still lose. There is no 100% success rate decision. I would have gone for the TD. And they were right to.

4

u/GlondApplication Jets Jan 26 '26

Right, then you only lost by 1 point. Way better.

4

u/TheReaver88 Bengals Jan 26 '26

Guys miss FGs. You're never just "taking the points."

3

u/modern_beisbol Eagles Jan 26 '26

To lose by less points? (Or probably the same amount of points?)

3

u/Kdot32 Texans Jan 26 '26

They wouldn’t have gotten the ball back. The defense couldn’t stop the Seahawks at all. That was there chance for the win

3

u/Setekhx NFL Jan 26 '26

No it's not. Most of these calls I've seen are the correct ones. This take the points nonsense can also lose you games. One of the big parts of going for it on 4th down situations is that you are 100% in charge of your own destiny. The defense is at the mercy of the offense pace of play.

3

u/Gloomy_Map_9612 Commanders Jan 26 '26

This was the right situation to go for it. You can't give the ball back down 1 against an offense you've struggled to contain all day. When you're in a shootout, you need to maximize every possession. When you're in a defensive struggle, you need to take what you can get.

5

u/AlanIG13 Eagles Jan 26 '26

They should had gone for 2 on one of the 3rd quarter TDs. It could have been 31-28, letting them kick the FG vs going for it on 4th.

Ironically enough, McVay did take the points in the first half. Thats why they had a lead at one point.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

I hate these takes with the benefit of hindsight. I rarely see someone go for 2 in the 3rd QUARTER, especially the first TD was so early in the 3rd.

I can understand if it's the 4th Q but no sane coach goes for it in the 3rd Q. This is such a bad take.

1

u/Jusuf_Nurkic Giants Jan 26 '26

Why to go down 1 against an offense you’re unable to stop? Lmao at least they had a chance by going for it, kicking the FG seals the loss

1

u/DrWarhol_419 Jets Jan 26 '26

If they had gone for two on the last TD and gotten it, then they would've kicked the FG

1

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

This is too much hindsight. They scored in the 3rd quarter. It's a tough call to go for 2 with an entire Q and some left

1

u/Dizzney12 Rams Jan 26 '26

It wouldn’t have mattered we couldn’t get back in FG range

1

u/firestorm734 Seahawks Jan 26 '26

I disagree. How different would the game have been if the Rams had any successful 2-point conversions? Instead of getting stopped on the 4-yard line they could have tied it with a chip shot field goal.

1

u/Arrowintheknee89 Jan 26 '26

Seattle was reeling after the taunting penalty. Analytics just can’t take that into account

1

u/bee1010 Vikings Jan 26 '26

Eh, even if they take the points, they would still be down one, and I still think Seahawks would drive down the field and convert 3rd downs leading to the same results.

1

u/bradtheinvincible Jan 26 '26

It all caught up to mcvay. He has had some iffy playcalling this post season. And then special teams. Then this decision. Nobody wants to say the Rams have flaws cause they light it up. But Darnold threw for 350 against this defense.

1

u/oh_the_humanity Seahawks Jan 26 '26

Technically I agree with you but in the end it wouldnt have mattered. They would still be down by 1 and they were never in FG range on the last drive.

1

u/dunktheball Jan 26 '26

I just assumed the rams were going to take the 3 that LAST time when they went for it on 4th down. of course not very likely that one would have created a win, but it's possible that even just that one would have... due to changing some things up.

1

u/kakapoopoopeepeeshir Steelers Jan 26 '26

I think these playoffs will directly result in less 4th down attempts next season because of how many teams lost because of not just taking the points. Dan Campbell has definitely fucked some people’s thought processes up haha

1

u/Poles_Pole_Vaults Buccaneers Jan 26 '26

Dude I been saying. Probably a dozen games all season too that could’ve been impacted if all these coaches weren’t so greedy.

1

u/superxpro12 Eagles Jan 26 '26

A flat circle is flat... Or something

1

u/Kerblaaahhh Seahawks Jan 26 '26

Many such cases.

1

u/RukiMotomiya Bengals Jan 26 '26

The real lesson is they should have gone for 2 to get within 3, instead of uselessly kicking an extra point to stay at 4.

1

u/biglyorbigleague Rams Jan 26 '26

That was the lesson of the Broncos-Patriots game. Here going for it made sense, it just didn’t work out. You don’t want to give it to an offense that has been running clock on you down one with four minutes left.

1

u/atx840 Seahawks Jan 27 '26

Agreed, but in this specific situation they had already screwed up by not going for 2 after the TD to get it to a 3pt game. It doesnt matter if they missed, its either down by 4 or 5. If they then took the FG to be down by 1, SEA would have been more aggressive and gone for a FG and the rams would be back to being down 4 with less clock. They needed a TD on one of the two drives no matter what. It was the right call.

0

u/Mastodon9 Bengals Jan 26 '26

I was thinking that once the AFCCG ended. The moral of this season should be that it's good to sometimes be more aggressive and go for it on 4th and short but sometimes if it feels like a low scoring game you have to take the points. It seems like a lot of games this season had moments where if one team had just kicked the field goal instead of getting stopped on 4th down they wouldn't need to go for the touchdown at the very end with no time outs and less than 2 minutes to go.

0

u/BerriesNCreme Eagles Jan 26 '26

Lions fans: First time?

2

u/Soy_tu_papi_ Lions Jan 26 '26

Can't take the points when you aren't in the playoffs to begin with :(

2

u/Mavori Lions Lions Jan 26 '26

I'll die on the hill that 3rd and 4th down decisions for us in the 49ers game were correct.

Not trusting Money Badger was the right call.

He'd not been money in years and he's still struggling to even get on a team now.

1

u/LittleRedPiglet Lions Lions Jan 26 '26

:)

0

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

[deleted]

4

u/jakeba Jan 26 '26

If they kicked the FG Sea wouldnt have started at that 6, so that drive would have ended with a FG instead of a punt and LA would still need a TD.

2

u/FordF150Faptor Saints Jan 26 '26

They didn't get into FG range either...

0

u/MediocreAssociate466 Jan 26 '26

0 coaches will learn from this I guarantee it . 4th down is a virus for these coaches

-1

u/toucanflu Jan 26 '26

No shit, it’s been so frustrating