When Sam Darnold threw his second interception on Thursday night, there was no reason to believe the Seattle Seahawks could come back.
The Los Angeles Rams had clearly been the better team. Darnold was looking shaky again in a big game. Seattle has been in the NFL since 1976 and never had a comeback like the one they needed Thursday night, against a team that had a strong claim as the best in the NFL. Amazon Prime Video pointed out that the Seahawks were 0-172 all time when trailing by 15 or more points in the fourth quarter.
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In the biggest game of the NFL season to date, the Seahawks made it 1-172, thanks in part to a gusty decision to go for the 2-point conversion and the win in overtime.
In one of the wildest comebacks in franchise history, the Seahawks turned a 30-14 deficit with a little more than eight minutes left into a 38-37 overtime win that could completely reshape the NFL playoff picture. A punt return helped get the Seahawks back in the game. A crazy 2-point conversion, in which a replay review ruled that what looked like an incomplete pass was actually a fumble recovered by Seattle in the end zone, tied it. A missed field goal by the Rams with a little more than two minutes left kept the Seahawks alive, allowing the game to go to overtime.
In overtime Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua, who each had monster games, hooked up for a 41-yard touchdown in overtime to give the Rams a lead. But the Seahawks kept coming. The Seahawks drove downfield after that, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba scored a touchdown. The Seahawks decided to go for the 2-point conversion and the win. Darnold threw to Eric Saubert, who hadn’t had a catch in the game, and the Seahawks had a wild walk-off victory in the NFL’s game of the year. That won’t be topped.
The Rams were on the verge many times of taking complete control of the NFC West and the NFC’s No. 1 seed. They might not even know how exactly the Seahawks came back to beat them.
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It seemed like an impossible task for the Seahawks, until they pulled it off.
Rams dominate after slow start
The Seahawks got off to a great start. Then the Rams dominated them for most of the rest of the game.
Seattle got a fourth-and-1 stop on the Rams’ first drive of the game, then a 46-yard screen pass to Kenneth Walker III set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Zach Charbonnet. It was a nearly perfect start for Seattle.
But the Rams were ready. The offense was balanced and dominated whether Stafford was throwing it or one of their backs was running it. Stafford was excellent and Puka Nacua had a phenomenal night with several big plays. Their defense contained Darnold, who rarely even tried to throw downfield. The Rams were clearly the best team for most of the game.
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In the third quarter, Darnold made the mistake everyone seemed to be waiting for. The Rams disguised a zone coverage, showing man coverage before the snap, and then Darnold threw it right to Wallace. He returned it 56 yards to the 1-yard line, and Blake Corum scored on the next play. The Rams dominated Darnold in the playoffs last season when he was with the Vikings, picked him off four times in the first meeting with the Seahawks this season, and forced him into a big mistake on Thursday night. He made another in the fourth quarter with the Rams leading 30-14, as defensive lineman Kobie Turner dropped into coverage near the goal line and Darnold threw it right to him under pressure.
It looked like the game was over at that moment. Hopefully you didn’t turn it off and go to bed, because it turned into one of the craziest games of this or any other NFL season.
Seahawks rally back
The Seahawks’ comeback was stunning in its efficiency. In less than two minutes of game action, the Seahawks went from trailing by 16 points to tying the game.
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Rashid Shaheed had a 58-yard punt return touchdown with 8:03 to go in regulation and the Seahawks got the 2-point conversion to cut the Rams’ lead to 30-22. That gave Seattle some life. After a quick Rams three-and-out and a punt, Darnold hit tight end A.J. Barner for a 26-yard touchdown pass. The 2-point conversion got weird. It looked like a clear incompletion but then there was some controversy. The replay showed Darnold threw it backward, not forward, and what looked like an incomplete pass was casually picked up in the end zone by Charbonnet. Because that was actually a fumble on the lateral and a clear recovery, it was a successful conversion and the game was tied with 6:23 to go. It was one of the weirdest 2-point conversions in recent memory.
The Rams stayed cool and got into field-goal range after that. But Rams kicker Harrison Mevis, who hadn’t missed a kick this season, pushed a go-ahead field-goal attempt wide right. The Seahawks had two possessions after that in regulation and the Rams had one, but neither team could score so the game went to overtime.
The Rams almost made the first mistake in overtime. Stafford’s pass to Blake Corum went off his hands and it seemed linebacker Ernest Jones IV intercepted it just before it hit the ground. But a replay showed the ball hit the ground. After that, Stafford hit Nacua on a crossing route and Nacua went into the end zone for the score.
The Seahawks had one more rally left in them though. Darnold led the Seahawks inside the Rams’ 5-yard line. Darnold hit Smith-Njigba for a touchdown. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald had a decision and decided to go for the 2-point conversion and the win. Saubert got underneath and wasn’t covered, and Darnold hit him to get the win.
The Seahawks now control the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Midway through the fourth quarter, that seemed unfathomable.
Live58 updates
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:45 PM PST
Jack Baer
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:54 PM PST
Jack Baer
Sam Darnold hits Eric Saubert and this game is OVER. The Seahawks, once trailing 30-14 in the fourth quarter, win one of the best games of the year.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:51 PM PST
Jack Baer
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:51 PM PST
Jack Baer
Sam Darnold completes the drive with a six-yard TD to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. And now they line up for a 2-point attempt, with the Rams calling timeout.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:49 PM PST
Jack Baer
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:48 PM PST
Jack Baer
Cooper Kupp inflicts toe-tap violence on his old team. A 26-yard catch at the sideline has Seattle in the red zone.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:46 PM PST
Jack Baer
A 17-yard pass and a pass interference penalty has the Seahawks already at the Rams’ 39 yard line.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:43 PM PST
Jack Baer
Matthew Stafford finds Puka Nacua for a 41-yard touchdown pass. Stafford’s up to 457 passing yards and 3 TD, Nacua’s up to 225 receiving yards and 2 TDs tonight, and the Seahawks need a touchdown.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:38 PM PST
Jack Baer
Ernest Jones IV dives for the deflected pass and comes up with a huge interception, but replay shows the ball hitting the ground. Still Rams ball, near midfield.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:36 PM PST
Jack Baer
A deep pass to Puka Nacua falls incomplete, but an illegal contact penalty extends the drive.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:35 PM PST
Jack Baer
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:34 PM PST
Jack Baer
Special teams have not been the Rams’ friend today. A return to the 48 gets called back to the 20 on a holding penalty.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:30 PM PST
Jack Baer
With both teams guaranteed a possession, Seattle will kick off to begin overtime.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:29 PM PST
Jack Baer
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:29 PM PST
Jack Baer
The Seahawks go nowhere with their limited time and this game will come down to overtime.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:26 PM PST
Jack Baer
Matthew Stafford overthrows Puka Nacua on 3rd-and-10 and the Seahawks are getting the ball back. Barring something incredible, overtime nears.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:24 PM PST
Jack Baer
Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori nearly flipped this game with an interception. Instead, he suffers an apparent injury and goes to the medical tent.
Rams at their own 49….
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:22 PM PST
Jack Baer
It has been quite a few days for Puka Nacua. His latest highlight catch gives him 168 yards on the night and brings the Rams to midfield.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:20 PM PST
Jack Baer
A first-down sack kills the Seahawks’ drive early and it’s Rams ball again with less than two minutes left. One timeout left for both teams.
- Thu, December 18, 2025 at 8:16 PM PST
Jack Baer
After an 8-for-8 start to his Rams career, Harrison Mevis goes wide-right on a go-ahead field goal. It’s still tied 30-30, and Seahawks ball at their own 38 at the two-minute warning.
