SPORTS cargoshippingtimes 11/17/2025 0 Comments

The Rams are relying on four picks to overtake Seattle and take first in the NFC West

Midnight mode, indeed.

On a day when the Rams wore black uniforms for the only time this season, the offense went dark in a big way.

Red-hot quarterback Matthew Stafford went cold. Star receivers DeVante Adams and Poca Naqua struggled to consistently make the clutch plays they often looked routine for.

But safety Camryn Kinchens and the Rams defense managed to keep the Seattle Seahawks at bay — just barely.

Kinchins intercepted two passes, and cornerbacks Kobe Durant and Darius Williams also picked off passes as the Rams held off the Seahawks for a 21-19 victory Sunday at Sophie Stadium that wasn’t secured until Seattle’s Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal as time expired.

“I’m proud of our football team,” coach Sean McVay said. “We don’t apologize for finding different ways to win.”

No need to apologize. Despite some struggles on Sunday, the Rams are living up to expectations as a Super Bowl contender.

Stafford continues to play without major mistakes, the defensive front continues to pressure the quarterback on offense, and the kicking game issues are resolved.

And now the secondary, considered a potential liability before the season, is stepping up.

Stafford threw a touchdown pass to Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson, and Caryn Williams rushed for a touchdown as the Rams improved to 8-2, extended their winning streak to five games and took sole possession of first place in the NFC West.

Rams coach Sean McVay tries to get his players going before Sunday's 21-19 win over the Seahawks at Sophie Stadium.

“We found a way to win against a really good football team without playing a whole lot of football,” Stafford said. “Then I’ll take it.”

So will Adams, whose single catch marked his 1,000th career and his league-leading 10th touchdown reception this season.

He said of the offense’s performance: “It wasn’t the worst of all time, but by our standards it’s certainly not there.

“But, I mean, it makes you feel even better that you can play like crap … and still come away with a win against a really good team.”

The Rams can thank Kinchens, a second-year safety who has six career interceptions, including four against the Seahawks. His interceptions set up Williams’ one-yard touchdown in the first quarter and Parkinson’s six-yard score in the fourth.

Rams safety Camryn Kinchens celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass.

“Man, they want to throw the ball,” a smiling Kenchin said in describing his win over the Seahawks. “People who want to take this field down or give us a shot – big mistake.”

Or, as Durant put it: “What we do every day, man — throw the ball away.”

The Rams went into the game having scored at least 34 points in their last three games. But that production was absent against a Seahawks team that fell to 7-3 and had its four-game winning streak snapped.

Stafford increased his league-leading total touchdown passes to 27 and didn’t have a pass for the seventh consecutive game. But the 17-year pro hasn’t been as fast as he’s been in a long stretch that put him in the conversation for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.

“I’m obviously happy we got the win,” said Stafford, who completed 15 of 28 passes for 130 yards. “Don’t take it out on me, but at the same time I know I can be better.”

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a pass to tight end Colby Parkinson.

Stafford enjoyed a banner day compared to Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.

The Rams’ front didn’t sack Darnold, but it forced him into poor decisions, and Kinchens, Durant and Williams made him pay. Darnold completed 29 of 44 passes for 279 yards with four interceptions.

Seahawks receiver Jackson Smith-Njagba, who was on pace to set the NFL record for receiving yards in a season, caught nine passes for 105 yards. But he did not score.

Cooper Cope, the former Rams star returning to Sophie Stadium, didn’t have a catch in the first three quarters but had three during a late scoring drive that cut the Rams’ lead to two points.

With 1 minute, 41 seconds left, Rams punter Ethan Evans punted the ball 50 yards to the Seahawks one-yard line. The Seahawks drove from midfield, but Myers couldn’t match his career-best 61-yard field goal against the Rams in 2020.

This time it went wide right, a shout from the crowd, a sigh of relief from Ram and a hall of joy celebration.

“It’s a lot of fun out there,” McVeigh said.

With others, it seems to come.