Jason Myers kicked four field goals, including a 32-yarder with 4:34 remaining in overtime, as the Seattle Seahawks kept their playoff hopes alive with a 19-16 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon.
The Seahawks (9-8) later earned the final NFC wild-card bid after the Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers 20-16. Seattle will face the San Francisco 49ers for the third time this season on Saturday in a wild-card round matchup between the No. 2 and No. 7 seeds.
The injury-plagued Rams (5-12) capped the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion.
The Seahawks had a chance to win on the final play of regulation, but Myers’ 46-yard field goal attempt hit the right goal post.
Quandre Diggs’ overtime interception led to the Seahawks’ winning drive, which started at their own 36-yard line.
Geno Smith connected with Tyler Lockett for a 17-yard completion into Rams territory and Kenneth Walker III gained 20 yards on a rush around the right end to get Seattle into field-goal range.
Walker rushed for 114 yards on 29 carries, becoming the second rookie in franchise history to rush for 1,000 yards, joining Curt Warner in 1983.
Smith completed 19 of 31 passes for 213 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, both by Jalen Ramsey. Smith finished the regular season with 4,282 yards passing, surpassing Russell Wilson’s team record of 4,219 set in 2016.
The Rams’ Cam Akers rushed for 104 yards on 21 attempts and Baker Mayfield was 13-of-26 passing for 147 yards and one TD. Matt Gay kicked three field goals for L.A.
With the score tied at 6-6, Rams receiver Tutu Atwell took a pitch from Mayfield and went around the left end to score on an 11-yard run with 39 seconds left in the first half.
The Seahawks finally found the end zone on their first drive of the second half, with Smith throwing a 36-yard scoring strike to Lockett.
The Rams regained the lead on Gay’s 38-yard field goal, making it 16-13.
Myers kicked a 22-yarder with 2:19 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the score.
–Field Level Media
