On paper, it seemed as if fans were going to be in store for a immense “Thursday Evening Soccer” matchup.
While “immense” might maybe maybe maybe no longer be the stunning contrivance to picture it, the game used to be absolutely an entertaining — and distinctive — one.
The Los Angeles Rams overcame a slack initiate up — and survived a come-comeback led by Seattle backup quarterback Geno Smith after Russell Wilson went down with a finger wretchedness — to beat the Seahawks 26-17 at Lumen Field.
A slack, mistake-filled initiate up
No decrease than for the predominant 30 minutes of the night, the game didn’t are living as much as expectations.
Each and every teams went into the locker room with a mixed 10 points and quite a lot of opportunities no longer illustrious on the sphere — alongside with a overlooked field aim and an quit-zone interception. Neither crew transformed on a third down in the predominant half, going a mixed 0-of-7.
Now, that’s no longer to affirm it used to be all pass. Quandre Diggs had a wild interception after Matthew Stafford used to be apparently trying to throw a ball away into the help of the quit zone. Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Troy Reeder teamed up for an interception honest correct four performs later, too.
It wasn’t till Wilson, after a virtually 50-yard pass interference call attach aside them in sigh, came upon D.Ok. Metcalf for a 19-yard rep that either crew used to be on the board.
The Rams ended the half with a field aim, and most efficient entered down four after Seattle overlooked a 35-yarder of its gain.
Geno Smith replaces Wilson after finger wretchedness
Issues got extremely attention-grabbing in the 2nd half — as a result of a distinctive finger wretchedness that resulted in Smith’s first motion of the season.
Wilson’s throwing hand collided with Rams defensive quit Aaron Donald’s hand in the third quarter honest correct after he eliminated the ball, which despatched his center finger reduction and out of sigh.
He tried to return on the next pressure, but Seattle went three-and-out. In the smash, the Seahawks change into to Smith as a substitute.
That call, whereas they were down nine, nearly worked out.
Smith went a ideal 5-of-5 for 72 yards on his opening pressure and came upon Metcalf for a 23-yard landing.
That momentum shift, nevertheless, did now not final prolonged.
Stafford and the Rams wanted honest correct six performs to gain the quit zone themselves to retake retain an eye on of the game in what felt like an prompt.
Smith brought the Seahawks reduction down the sphere fleet, though they’d to resolve for a field aim to blueprint it a one-rep sport. He got one final shot after the Seahawks protection came up with a really perfect discontinuance to give Smith honest correct extra than two minutes to gain the quit zone and snatch the get.
Smith’s immense night, though, came to an quit on the very subsequent play. He threw an interception stunning to Rams safety Carve Scott after Tyler Lockett fell down (or used to be knocked down) — which resulted in a clinching 47-yard field aim for the Rams.
Stafford performed 25-of-37 for 365 yards with a landing and an interception, and Henderson led the Rams with 82 rushing yards and a TD on 17 carries. Robert Woods, though he didn’t gain the quit zone, had 150 receiving yards on 12 receptions.
Smith ended the night with 131 yards on 10-of-16 throwing in his fourth-quarter mosey. Metcalf had 98 yards and two TDs on honest correct five receptions. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll acknowledged after the game that Wilson used to be taken out of the game because he honest correct couldn’t support the soccer. He acknowledged that it’s like “a badly sprained finger,” but that they need additional overview to uncover how extreme it is, via CBS Sports activities’ Jonathan Jones.
The Rams now sit 4-1 in the NFC West, in the help of most efficient the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks are honest correct 2-3 on the season — though that is seemingly no longer their finest arena for the time being. If Wilson’s wretchedness lingers over the next few weeks, they might maybe maybe maybe well desire a greater mumble on their hands.
