Thursday night’s contest between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams matchup was one for the ages, after a missed field goal by Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein ensured that the game would end with a 30-29 score and handed the Seahawks a crucial NFC West victory.
There were a lot of positives to take away from the win, but a couple of things raised a few eyebrows. Let’s take a look:
THE GOOD
Quarterback Russell Wilson: Wilson shined against the Rams, throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns as well as rushing for 32 yards on the ground.
The first of his touchdown passes, a jaw-dropping throw to the side of the end zone that was somehow brought in by a diving Tyler Lockett, only had a 6.3% catch probability.
That play set the tone for the Seahawks for the rest of the night – Wilson never looked panicked in the pocket, placing utmost trust in his o-line and his receivers to get the job done.
Running back Chris Carson: Carson answered doubts about his ability to handle RB1 duties with a tough, gritty performance, rumbling his way to 118 yards on 27 carries and bowling defenders over with relative ease; he also caught the winning touchdown pass from Wilson in the fourth quarter.
“He came through,” coach Pete Carroll said after the game. “So physical, such a determined player.”
Tight end Will Dissly: Dissly continues to be one of Wilson’s top targets, acting as the Seahawks’ leading receiver on Thursday night with 81 yards on four receptions and earning a grade of 85.9 from Pro Football Focus (PFF).
The second-year tight end has put together an astonishing comeback campaign after his rookie season was cut short with a patellar tendon injury in Week 4.
In 2019, he has racked up 262 yards and four touchdowns on 23 receptions.
THE BAD
The pass defense: Seattle allowed 395 total yards through the air, and the Rams had two players that eclipsed 100 yards – tight end Gerald Everett (7-11, 136 yards) and receiver Cooper Kupp (9-17, 117 yards, 1 TD).
In all, seven different Rams players caught passes from Jared Goff, and six of them had catches of 10 yards or more. The Seahawks were lucky to pull this one off, in that regard – if not for Tedric Thompson’s gorgeous interception with 2:12 left in the game, the Rams could have very well found their way to a go-ahead score.
THE UGLY
The officiating: Yes, that roughing the passer call went the Seahawks’ way, and yes, it set up the game-winning touchdown drive. However, there is no denying that the call was controversial, to say the least – Clay Matthews appeared to lead with his shoulder and hit Russell Wilson on the side of his left shoulder.
The Rams were not the only ones feeling cheated by the referees, however – Seattle was baffled by a no-call on Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein, who jumped before the snap on a play that gave Los Angeles 30 yards. In a contest that was decided by just one point, every call counted, and fans will undoubtedly be arguing about the outcome of the game for some time.
