Field Gulls
There’s no finality in Act 1 of a play. But at least the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams’ annual pageant now has the skeleton of a plot, complete with protagonists, villains and NPCs.
Soon we’ll know which genre the 2025 edition is. It’s usually a tragicomedy, you know this, we know this, and Act 1 did nothing to dispel such a notion. So with the sour result still on my lips, I’ll take solace in knowing the redemption arcs are set up. The revenge motives are laid bare for a month-long intermission before Act 2. If we’re lucky, we get a third act in January. Or unlucky! Frankly, twice a year is more than enough against a team that unlocks special little plays on their special little teams more often than any special little rival should.
My goodness gracious, a bounce nothing short of teleological, at a preposterous time, to quite possibly save a game, or at least drain hope from the visitors and their legion of upstanding fans, who deserved no such persecution. Rams games, everyone.
If I were sitting here spouting gibberish about a Seahawks win in SoFi, it would be because Jason Myers gobsmacked everyone by uncorking a 61-yarder at the literal final tick. (Fantastic job by Rashid Shaheed in real time to preserve that precious second, by the way.) It would also probably be because the punt above went back for a touchback, as it intended, before a higher/lower power stepped in. Or either one of the two key flags — defensive holding on Sam Darnold’s maiden misstep and offensive holding on Kenneth Walker’s later score — went the other way. Or Sean McVay chickened out on one more fourth down. Or. Or. Or.
To be completely thorough, there were coaching and execution missteps in the fourth quarter that also helped swing the result. (We’ll get there.) So the game wasn’t fully decided on the final kick alone. But if Jason Myers is trying a 42-yarder as time expires… well, that’s a different proposition, isn’t it? If the Rams don’t get to start their final touchdown drive on the Seattle 25… who knows if they ever sniff the end zone again.
Mainly though, it’s plain why Seattle is glum and staring up at LA in the standings. No hiding the fact that Darnold’s four turnovers swung the game. The Seahawks were the better team Sunday except for the one aspect they absolutely needed most: ball security from their QB. Seattle probably wins if Darnold throws three picks, definitely wins with two, and comfortably walks away a cool 8-2 if he cleans it up after the first one. He chose none of those doors and went for door 4. You never choose door 4.
And yet, and still, the Seahawks defense again and again stymied the Rams with shear determination, showing themselves exceptional at furnishing the offense chances to retake the lead. Not only did they make a fourth-down stop right off the bat to nullify...
