The Rams are back to resembling a Super Bowl contender.
Just a month ago, they looked like a fringe team. They had lost three consecutive games. The Titans and 49ers bullied them. The Packers outclassed them. Were the Rams on the verge of falling apart?
Their response: Three consecutive victories that have Los Angeles (10-4) atop the NFC West alongside the Cardinals, who hold the tiebreaker edge.
Rams stars have led the turnaround and had another big game Tuesday night to eke out a 20-10 victory against the Seattle Seahawks in the Kroenke Dome.
Overcoming desperate Seattle (5-9) took receiver Cooper Kupp further establishing himself as one of the NFL's great players and more excellence from All-Pro defenders Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.
In the quarterback duel, Matthew Stafford outplayed Russell Wilson, who hasn't regained peak form in his comeback from a thumb injury caused by a Donald pass rush Oct. 7.
Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr., two November additions to the Rams, continued to show increased comfort with their new team.
The Rams were fortunate, too.
In the fourth quarter, they benefited greatly from two officiating mistakes that were glaring.
With the score 10-10 at the start of the quarter, a Seahawks cornerback was flagged for defensive holding on third-and-12.
Former NFL officiating supervisor Dean Blandino of Fox Sports said no flag was warranted. Even Rams radio broadcasters called it a break for L.A.
Minus the flag, the incompletion would've led the Rams to punt from their 10-yard line.
Stafford and Co. turned the reprieve into a touchdown drive and a 17-10 lead.
The Seahawks were still within seven points when their offense reached midfield inside of four minutes.
Wilson's rainbow pass on fourth-and-6 seemed likely to put Seattle near L.A.'s 30 because Rams linebacker Ernest Jones slammed into DeeJay Dallas before the ball reached the running back, who was behind Jones.
Jones, sprinting in pursuit, never turned to find the underthrown ball.
No flags flew.
Seahawks fans fumed, while Saints fans shook their heads in New Orleans in recalling the interference flag that never flew in the 2018 NFC Championship Game.
"Clearly," Blandino intoned, "the (linebacker) hit the (running back's) arm before the ball got there."
The Rams outplayed the Seahawks for much of the first half, but scored only three points off four drives into Seattle territory.
Kupp was the game's top performer, making difficult catches, astute reads and returning from a hard landing in which he took a clean hit while off the ground.
Stafford threw a few difficult passes for key completions, and Sony Michel, tight and decisive in his runs, both off handoffs and short-pass receptions, continued his recent ascent.
The Seahawks may want to give thought to their ability to counter Sean McVay's program.
Since taking over the Rams at age 30 — on the same day Dean Spanos announced he was moving the Chargers to Los Angeles — McVay has led L.A. to an 8-3 record against coach Pete Carroll's team.
Of course, Seattle isn't the only franchise that's trying to keep up with McVay. For the fourth time in his five-year tenure, the Rams will finish with at least 10 victories. Under McVay, they've won 68 percent of their games.
