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theramswire.usatoday.com] Studs and duds from Rams' overtime loss to Seahawks in Week 18
Cameron DaSilva
January 8, 2023 6:29 pm PT
Finally, the 2022 season has come to an end for the Los Angeles Rams, who endured the worst campaign ever by a defending Super Bowl champion. They finished things off with a 19-16 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, falling in overtime at Lumen Field.
The Rams had several chances to win this game and put their rivals away, but they were shut out in the fourth quarter and overtime, blowing a 16-13 lead to Seattle.
It wasn’t all bad in the final game of 2022, with a few players standing out for their strong performances against the Seahawks. Here are our final studs and duds of the season.
Stud: Jalen Ramsey
What better way to start the game than picking off Geno Smith on the very first play? That’s exactly what Ramsey did on Sunday, undercutting a route by DK Metcalf and coming up with the pick before returning it 28 yards to the Seahawks’ 11-yard line. In the third quarter, Ramsey came down with his second interception, leaping for that one on a throw that was also intended for DK Metcalf. In the fourth quarter with the Seahawks knocking on the door of the end zone, Ramsey chased down Kenneth Walker to prevent a go-ahead touchdown.
Stud: Cam Akers
Akers has legitimately been one of the best running backs in the NFL over the last four weeks. He topped 100 yards rushing for the third week in a row, gaining 104 yards against the Seahawks on Sunday. He also caught three passes for 24 yards, once again contributing as a receiver, too. Maybe he just wasn’t all the way back from his Achilles injury until midway through this year because he’s looked like a different running back recently.
Stud: Taylor Rapp
Rapp came under a lot of criticism for his play this season, but at least he went out on a high note. He made two really good plays in this one, both in coverage. He hit Tyler Lockett along the sideline to prevent a completion for a big gain, and later on in the fourth quarter, he made a strong tackle on Deejay Dallas for a 4-yard loss on a third-down screen pass. His biggest play of the day was a tackle in the hole on Walker on third down with the Seahawks trying to score a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Stud: Bobby Wagner
Wagner returned to Seattle on Sunday, his first game at Lumen Field as an opponent. His performance wasn’t a letdown, either. He racked up seven tackles, had one QB hit and made a tackle for a loss, patrolling the middle of the field against his former team. It wasn’t the standout showing he had against them in Week 13, but Wagner was everywhere.
Dud: Baker Mayfield
It’s hard to completely blame Mayfield for this performance because the protection was poor, but he didn’t show very good pocket presence regardless. He sometimes felt pressure that wasn’t there, and other times, he failed to sense defenders bearing down on him. His costliest mistake was a badly underthrown ball to Van Jefferson in overtime, which was easily picked off by Quandre Diggs, setting up the Seahawks’ winning field goal. He struggled to make even the simple throws, which cost the Rams in the second half.
Dud: Entire offensive line
Mayfield was under constant duress in this game as the offensive line couldn’t hold up against the Seahawks’ defensive front. He was sacked five times by Seattle and there were several other plays where Mayfield had to escape the pocket just to avoid a sack. It didn’t help that Ty Nsekhe went down with a wrist injury, or that the line is banged up in general, but this was a particularly poor performance by the front five.
Dud: Troy Hill
Hill was on the wrong end of a few key plays by the Seahawks in this one. He was in coverage on a third-down conversion in the first quarter and allowed a 36-yard touchdown to Tyler Lockett, failing to stay with the receiver on a deep post in the third quarter. One positive play he made was breaking up a pass intended for Metcalf in the end zone, preventing what would’ve been a touchdown. It still wasn’t a great way for Hill to end a subpar season, and it could very well be Hill’s last game in a Rams uniform.
