The Los Angeles Rams’ season comes to an end in the NFC Championship Game as they fell to the Seattle Seahawks, 31-27. Stafford and the offense had their chances, but it was the defense and special teams that fell short. Many of the issues that made the Rams a flawed team reared their ugly heads. Let’s get into our 10 takeaways.
1. Pass rush didn’t do enough
The Rams built their defense with the idea that their pass rush could make the secondary better than it was. After intercepting Sam Darnold seven times in the previous three games and sacking him 16 times, they didn’t do enough on Sunday. The Rams got into third and longs multiple times and the pass rush disappeared. Several times the Seahawks converted in those situations.
This isn’t necessarily a knock on the Rams pass rush. The front office put all of the eggs into that basket and it cost them. For the Rams defense to work at its full potential, the pass rush needed to get home and they didn’t. Sam Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Darnold was sacked just three times and didn’t turn the ball over. For the Rams to win, they needed to get to Darnold and everything was simply too easy for him.
2. McVay and Stafford bounced back
There was no doubt that Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay both had bad performances against the Chicago Bears in the Divisional Round. There were some questions about both heading into Sunday, but both showed up in a positive way. Sean McVay’s game plan against Mike Macdonald worked. The Rams got back into 13 personnel and found success running the ball. It is fair to question whether or not McVay should have gone for two, but he did a lot of good things in this game.
From a quarterback perspective, the Rams are not in this game without Matthew Stafford. Against any other team, the Seahawks run away with this game. Every time that the Seahawks scored, the Rams and Stafford answered. Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams quarterback gave them a chance to win, but the two other units came up short.
3. Defense didn’t do its part
For the fifth time in the last nine games, the Rams defense gave up more than 30 points. Darnold had almost 150 yards before the end of the first quarter and the defense struggled getting a stop. With five minutes to play, the Rams needed one stop from the defense and they couldn’t get it before it was too late. The defense gave up four touchdowns in five trips to the red zone.
It simply wasn’t good enough. The defense struggled tackling in space and the Seahawks went 7-for-13 on third down. Several of those conversions came on 3rd-and-long. It’s hard to blame Chris Shula because the talent in the secondary simply wasn’t good enough. However, the defense simply didn’t do their part. After how they finished in Week 16, it was fair to expect this unit to play better.
4. End of half sequence was costly
There was a point in which the Rams seemed to be in control of the game. They led 13-10 and had the ball with 1:33 to play. This isn’t to say that they should have just run the clock out, but the following sequence proved to be costly. Instead of sustaining a drive or ensuring the Seahawks didn’t have time, the Rams took 39 seconds off the clock. Additionally, in a high-stakes moment, Ronnie Rivers was in the game.
Instead of extending their lead, the Rams punted back to the Seahawks. Seattle went 74 yards in 34 seconds to take the lead. The Rams should have gone into the half with the lead or tied at the bare minimum. Instead, they were trailing with the Seahawks set to get the ball at the start of the half. This sequence ended up being a costly one.
5. Xavier Smith lost Rams the game
Despite everything that happened at the end of the first half, the Rams defense got a three-and-out to start the second half. The offense was set to get the ball back with a chance to take the lead. Prior to the game, Tutu Atwell was a healthy scratch for special teams reasons. After muffing a punt early in the game, Xavier Smith muffed a second punt and wasn’t as lucky this time. The Seahawks recovered and scored a touchdown on the next play.
This is the play that lost the Rams the game. For the rest of the game, Kyren Williams returned punts while Tutu Atwell remained a healthy scratch. Special teams was a problem all season and a lack of focus from Smith ended up being a huge swing.
6. Rams failed Matthew Stafford
Back in 2021, the Rams finally gave Stafford a team that he could lead to the Super Bowl. This season, Stafford played well enough to get to a Super Bowl and the Rams let him down. At 37 years old, these seasons aren’t a guarantee and the front office didn’t make the push that they should have. In the two losses to the Seahawks, Stafford threw for 831 yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions and lost. The Rams may not have failed Stafford in the same way that the Detroit Lions did, but they still failed him.
At the end of the day, these Stafford seasons aren’t a guarantee at this point of his career. The Rams had a quarterback playing at an MVP level and failed to give him a defense that could hold up their end of the bargain. Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks is pretty simple. The Rams failed Stafford. Matthew Stafford is the first quarterback ever to throw for 350 or more yards, three or more touchdowns, have zero turnovers, and lose a playoff game.
7. Season on the line goes to Mumpfield and Ferguson?
The Rams had the ball at the Seahawks’ six-yard line facing 3rd-and-4. Stafford was flushed from the pocket and targeted Konata Mumpfield. On 4th-and-4, Stafford went to Terrance Ferguson in the back of the end zone who was well-covered by Devon Witherspoon. Both passes fell incomplete. It seems odd that with the season on the line, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams didn’t see a target.
With five minutes left, it’s possible that the Rams thought that they would get another shot. However, given the leverage of the situation, Adams or Nacua should have gotten at least one target. Mumpfield was a seventh-round pick and Ferguson wasn’t seen as good enough by the coaching staff until Week 10. With the season on the line, it was odd that a target didn’t go to Nacua or Adams.
8. Season-long issues cost Rams
Throughout the offseason it was clear that the Rams needed a cornerback. The front office said that a 32-year-old, a first-round bust, and 30-year-old cornerback who showed no interest in tackling were enough. Time and time again throughout the season before the trade deadline, it was an issue. With an extra first round pick in a weaker draft class at the top, the Rams stood pat. The biggest move they made was a day three pick swap for Roger McCreary.
Outside of the secondary, it was once again special teams coming back to bite the Rams. The defense came up with a rare stop to start the second half. Instead of getting the ball back, Xavier Smith muffed the return. These were the issues all season long. What if the Rams had kept Britain Covey over Smith? What if the Rams had traded for Jalen Ramsey or Sauce Gardner? These were the issues throughout the season and it cost them when it mattered most.
9. This may have been the best chance with Stafford
When the Detroit Lions lost the NFC Championship Game in 2023, head coach Dan Campbell said, “This may have been our only shot.” This isn’t necessarily saying that the Rams are the Lions, but Campbell was right in the sentiment of his statement. This very likely could have been the Rams’ final shot with Matthew Stafford. It’s very difficult to get to Championship Sunday and it’s not a guarantee to get back. Matthew Stafford threw for 52 touchdowns and played at an MVP level. Puka Nacua played at an Offensive Player of the Year level. These seasons are rare. It takes a lot to get to this point of the season.
It’s very easy to say that the Rams can just run it back next year. However, Stafford and Davante Adams will be another year older. There’s no guarantee that the Rams are as healthy as they were all season. Again, the Rams were 14 yards away from hosting the NFC Championship Game last year and just needed to beat Sam Darnold this season. These are two major ‘what if’ years.
10. Can still be proud of this team
The way that the 2025 season finished was certainly disappointing. However, it’s hard not to appreciate and be proud of what this team did this season. This was one of the more fun Rams teams to watch outside of 2021. Stafford played at a MVP level after concerns about his back in August. That doesn’t mention Nacua’s season and Davante Adams leading the NFL in touchdown receptions. It’s been a long year and a Super Bowl would have meant a lot. However, it just wasn’t meant to be.
Again, it’s a testament to what it takes to win a Super Bowl. A lot of things have to go right. That doesn’t mean that this season was a failure or it didn’t matter. This is a team that won’t be forgotten for a while. It hurts now, but this team never stopped fighting. There’s a lot to be proud of because of the potential that this team had and that’s why this one hurts.
