Seahawks clinch NFC West with win over the Rams

Published 1:30 am Thursday, December 15, 2016

SEATTLE — Though cornerback Richard Sherman might disagree, playing on Thursday night seems to suit the Seattle Seahawks.

In a game they very much needed to win to regain late-season confidence and momentum, the Seahawks handled the suddenly hapless Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, coming away with a 24-3 decision on a cold but thankfully dry night at CenturyLink Field.

Sherman called out the NFL on Tuesday, labeling Thursday night games a “poopfest” because of the shortened week. But this game, or at least this slumping opponent, was the perfect tonic for a Seattle team coming off recent road stinkers vs. Tampa Bay and Green Bay, the latter just last Sunday.

“I had no doubt we were going to come back and do what we do,” Seahawks center Justin Britt said. “There’s always things we can do better, but a W is a W and we’re glad to have it.”

Clad in new-look uniforms — neon green jerseys, pants, socks and shoes, in keeping with the NFL’s “Color Rush” concept for Thursday night games — Seattle improved its season record to 9-4-1. The outcome moves the Seahawks into a virtual tie with Detroit (9-4) for the second-best record in the NFC behind conference leader Dallas (11-2).

The reward for finishing first or second in the conference is a first-round playoff bye and a second-round home game, so the stakes for Seattle in the regular season’s remaining weeks are significant. The schedule is also favorable, with the Seahawks closing at home against Arizona on Dec. 24 and at San Francisco on Jan. 1.

Detroit, meanwhile, visits the New York Giants on Sunday, then travels to Dallas on Dec. 26, a Monday night game. The Lions wrap up at home Jan. 1 against Green Bay.

For the Seahawks, the win also clinched the team’s third NFC West title in the past four seasons and the eighth since 2002 when the NFL realigned to its current eight-division structure.

“To be the NFC West champion is a big deal,” Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson said. “Any time you get to the playoffs, you’ve got to be grateful for that. It’s something we cherish. It’s a great, great thing and we’re going to try to continue to get better.”

“It’s great to win the division,” added defensive end Cliff Avril, “but our goals are a lot higher than that. Obviously that’s the first step to get where we want to go, but we’ve also got to keep winning games so we can get to the playoffs on a roll.”

Though the Seahawks were hardly stellar in this one, they were simply too much for the reeling Rams, who fired head coach Jeff Fisher on Monday and named special-teams coordinator John Fassel interim head coach. After a scoreless first quarter, Seattle got a touchdown and a field goal in the second quarter, and then solo TDs in both the third and fourth quarters to break the game open.

Wilson bounced back from a five-interception game against Green Bay by completing 19 of 26 pass attempts for 229 yards and three touchdowns, including a 57-yard strike to the end zone to wide receiver Tyler Lockett. The only real blemish to his outing was an interception on his final pass in the game’s late moments.

Going forward, Wilson said, “there’s a lot more to do. We have to prepare for next week. We’re playing Arizona at home again in a great environment, and we have to prepare at the highest level. There’s a lot more we want to do (this season).”

It was a tough night for Los Angeles rookie quarterback Jarred Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He was 13-for-25 in passing, but for just 135 yards, and he was sacked four times. His night ended early when he took a vicious hit from Sherman on a scramble run midway through the fourth quarter, and a dazed Goff was escorted to the sideline. Backup Case Keenum played the final few minutes.

That preceded perhaps the game’s wackiest play. On a fourth-and-11 from the Seattle 18, punter Jon Ryan took the snap and dashed straight upfield, running through a huge hole in the middle of the Los Angeles line. Unfortunately for Ryan, he lost control of the ball as he crossed midfield, and just as he regained control out of midair he took a big helmet-to-helmet hit from Rams special-teams player Troy Hill.

Ryan lay motionless on the field for a time, wobbled with help to the sideline, and was later taken to the hospital with an apparent concussion. “He was pretty loopy,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.

Sherman got in a shouting match on the sideline with Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and had to be pulled away by other members of the coaching staff and teammate Kam Chancellor.

“It was nothing,” Carroll said. “It was just guys being fired up. … I’m not worried about it one bit.”