Swanson: It’s not all bad for Rams in loss to Seahawks
Tyler Lockett, #16, driver against Rams Nick Scott, #33, during first quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks DeeJay Dallas, #31, gets pulled down by Rams defenders during second quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Tariq Woolen, #27, celebrates his interception during second quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Santa wears Rams colors to the Rams vs Seattle NFL game at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Cam Akers, #3, dives for yardage as Seahawks Shelby Harris, #93, gets a hand on him during first quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams QB John Wolford, #13, is sacked by Seahawks Uchenna Nwosu, #10, during second quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Mike Hoecht, #97, sacks Seahawks QB Geno Smith, and holds Charles Cross, #67 at bay during second quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Noah Fant, #87, pulls in a TD pass during first quarter action as Rams Nick Scott, #33, looks on during first quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Brandon Powell, #19, drives for yardage as Seahawks Cody Barton, #57, makes the tackle during second quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Tariq Woolen, #27, celebrates his interception during second quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams John Wolford, #13, passes off to Cam Akers, #3, during first quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Kenneth Walker III, #9, runs for yardage against the Rams during first quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Tariq Woolen, #27, intercepts this pass intended for Rams Kyren Williams, #23, during second quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Cam Akers, #3, is greeted by Coleman Shelton, #65, after a first quarter TD at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cooper Kupp signs autographs for fans before the Rams vs Seattle NFL game at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams QB Matthew Stafford before the Rams vs Seattle NFL game at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Kim Kardashian watches teams warm up before the Rams vs Seattle NFL game at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Bobby Wagner, #45, celebrates his interception at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Santa wears Rams colors to the Rams vs Seattle NFL game at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Teez Tabor, #39, Cody Barton, #57, and Justin Coleman, #28, celebrate their win over the Rams at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Joey Blount, #35, and Cody Barton, #57, celebrate their win over the Rams at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Tariq Woolen, #27, and Stone Forsythe, #8, break up a pass intended for Rams Ben Skowronek, #18, late in the 4th quarter at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Will Dissly, #89, goes high over Rams defenders during fourth quarter acton at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Cam Akers, #3, celebrates a TD with Tutu Atwell, #15, during 4th quarter acton at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks DK Metcalf, #14, celebrates the winning TD late in the 4th quarter at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams QB John Wolford, #13, is sacked by Seahawks Darrell Taylor, #52, during 4th quarter at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Joey Blount, #35, and Cody Barton, #57, celebrate their win over the Rams at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Bobby Wagner, #45, intercepted this pass intended for Seahawks Tony Jones, #32, during 3rd quarter acton at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll greets Geno Smith, #7, after a winning drive in the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks fans celebrate a win over the Rams at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Nick Scott, #33, reels in Seahawks Tyler Lockett, #16, during 4th quarter action at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Seahawks Tyler Lockett, #16, drives for yardage as Rams Nick Scott, #33, makes the tackle during 3rd quarter acton at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Bobby Wagner, #45, intercepted this pass intended for Seahawks Tony Jones, #32, during 3rd quarter acton at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Bobby Wagner, #45, intercepted this pass intended for Seahawks Tony Jones, #32, during 3rd quarter acton at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Van Jefferson, #12, is tackled by Seahawks Tariq Woolen, #27, during 3rd quarter acton at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams Cam Akers, #3, scores a TD during 4th quarter acton at SoFi Stadium Sunday, December 4, 2022. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 27-23. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
INGLEWOOD – Imagine showing up at SoFi Stadium to see the Rams take on Seattle on Sunday in a good mood, and thinking that if you kept your eyes peeled for some positives, something good had to happen in this lost season of theirs, right?
Even if they were going to lose their sixth consecutive game. Even as they guaranteed Sean McVay his first losing season with the franchise. Even with the playoffs a distant dream. There had to be a sliver of a bright spot somewhere, if you just looked hard enough.
Didn’t need microscope to find it after all, because there were good things happening, obviously and in full view, all over the field.
Bobby Wagner, the Rams’ resident “baller” on the defense, as McVay called him, was brilliant against his former team. The one-time Ontario Colony High School star made them pay for releasing him this past offseason to the tune of two sacks, an interception and seven total tackles – three of them for loss.
The Rams finally gave Cam Akers the rock on a regular basis and the 23-year-old running back who was split from the team for a spell earlier this year, went to work. He rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns (doubling his season total entering the game) on a season-high 17 carries.
They were just about forced, by attrition as much as inspiration, to get Tutu Atwell and Brandon Powell involved, and the diminutive receivers had some fun, combining for six catches for 87 yards and 68 yards on the ground in seven carries.
The Rams even found a good chunk of change under the cushion seat, in the form of Michael Hoecht, the versatile, Canadian-born, undrafted defensive lineman-turned-outside linebacker out of Brown. A 6-foot-4, 310-pounder, he followed a career-high six tackles last week with two sacks and a forced fumble Sunday.
Another notable positive takeaway: McVay didn’t get hit in the face by any of his players. (Last week, you remember, he took an inadvertent shoulder pad to the jaw from Roger Carter, the tight end who was rushing past him to check into the game).
Still, this extreme version of addition by subtraction the Rams are doing didn’t add up to anything beside another loss, and a tough one.
With 36 seconds left, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith connected with wide receiver DK Metcalf for the go-ahead touchdown, lifting a motivated Seattle team that needed a victory to keep pace in the playoff race to a 27-23 victory.
In the end, Bobby’s big game + Atwell and Powell’s scintillating play + a satiated Akers + a surprising Ivy Leaguer + a coach who wasn’t seeing stars = just one more tally in the loss column.
The Rams are now 3-9, about a million miles from where they thought they’d be in their title defense.
And although they scored their most points since Week 6 on Sunday, it was a modest 23-point plateau they failed to reach just five times last season, when they were healthy and winding up to deliver a Super Bowl to Los Angeles.
For all of Wagner’s vengeful exploits, Smith racked up a career-high 367 passing yards to go with three touchdowns on 28-for-39 passing.
And McVay said after the loss that Matthew Stafford is dealing with a spinal cord contusion, making all but certain the injury-riddled squad – which played Sunday without All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald (high ankle sprain) – will be without its star quarterback for the rest of the season too.
But still, McVay also seemed heartened by all the relative, relevant progress, even though it’s hard to know who among Sunday’s contributors will be part of the Rams’ operation next season.
He certainly was appreciative of those guys’ determination to keep their heads up amidst this disorienting nosedive.
And he found a positive too, he said, one not apparent to the naked eye.
“This forces you to reflect,” he said. “Are you really, foundationally secure in the things that that really matter? Or do you let some of the outside-in narratives affect your being? Or let some of these results affect the way that you approach things?
“To say that there hasn’t been rough moments where some of that doubts occurred, I’d be lying to you guys. But I do know this: These moments watching the way that these guys play, the way the guys coach, that to me gets me back to the right perspective where you say, ‘You keep slugging, you keep swinging.’
“I’ve heard it said before, ‘Calm seas don’t make good sailors.’ And know this: We’re growing, I’m not going to allow this to be anything but a growth opportunity. You’re going to continue to see us compete to the best of our ability, regardless of the circumstances.”
