NFL: Darnold reflects on ‘crazy’ Seahawks win over Rams in crucial NFC battle

Sam Darnold summed it up simply as he addressed reporters at Lumen Field late on Thursday night, moments after helping the Seattle Seahawks clinch a place in the NFL playoffs with one of the most dramatic wins in the club’s history.

“That was crazy,” the quarterback said.

Given what had just unfolded, the disbelief in Darnold’s voice was understandable. Seattle had produced an extraordinary comeback to beat NFC West rivals the Los Angeles Rams 38-37 in overtime, overturning a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit in a game that looked all but gone.

With both teams arriving at 11-3 and first place in the division at stake, Seattle appeared to be heading for defeat after two Darnold interceptions helped the Rams open up a commanding lead.

Los Angeles were on course for a season sweep that would have effectively ended Seattle’s hopes of winning the division.

Instead, the Seahawks mounted a stunning rally. Three touchdowns followed, all accompanied by successful two-point conversions, the final one coming in overtime when Darnold found tight end Eric Saubert at the back of the end zone to seal the win and spark wild celebrations inside the stadium.

The result gives Seattle a one-game cushion at the top of the NFC West with two matches remaining and puts them firmly in control of their playoff destiny, including the race for the conference’s top seed.

Despite the outcome, Darnold was candid about the performance, acknowledging his mistakes in a game where Seattle’s defence endured an uncharacteristically difficult night, conceding 581 yards.

“I didn’t think we played our best football,” Darnold said. “I certainly didn’t play my best football. We’ve got a lot of work to do there, but at the end of the day, we won.

“That team in that locker room, all the guys in that locker room, we work so hard for moments like this. We’re going to continue to push and get better, but those guys in the locker room deserve a win like that against a really good team.”

The Rams had appeared to have Darnold’s number once again. They had ended his Pro Bowl season with Minnesota in the wild-card round last January and intercepted him four times earlier this season in a narrow win at SoFi Stadium.

On Thursday, Darnold threw two interceptions across three second-half possessions, one of which helped Los Angeles extend their lead to 30-14 midway through the fourth quarter.

Seattle’s comeback began when Rashid Shaheed returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown. Darnold then threw a 26-yard score to AJ Barner to force overtime before matching a Matthew Stafford touchdown drive in the extra period. He connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the touchdown and then Saubert on the decisive two-point play.

Darnold completed four of five passes for 47 yards on the decisive drive, with Saubert emerging as his final read.

Seattle had never previously won a game when trailing by 16 or more points in the fourth quarter, entering the night with an 0-155-0 record in those situations.

Darnold followed up his late game-winning drive against Indianapolis last weekend with another influential display, finishing 22-of-34 for 270 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.