This situation is not common Thursday night football Brought us this week’s game, but here we are. The Los Angeles Rams will travel to take on the Seattle Seahawks in a game that will not only have major implications for who will ultimately capture the NFC West title, but also who will be the top seed in the playoffs, with home field advantage being the ultimate prize.
The two teams battled to a score of 11-3, and the situation was grim. Functionally, the winner would need to screw up the final two games of the season to not finish as the top seed, while the loser would be on the road in the first round of the playoffs. Let’s take a closer look at this massive game scene.
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The current situation is…
The Rams and Seahawks are tied at 11-3 on the season, with Los Angeles currently holding the tiebreaker advantage after a win over Seattle in Week 11.
That game was a complete dogfight, with the Rams only Ultimately, Sam Darnold ended the afternoon in a 21-19 victory and threw four interceptions in his worst game of the season. What we saw in Game 1 is that the Seahawks have the ability to control Matthew Stafford’s explosive passing game and really have a way to contain Puka Nakua in the secondary and stop him from making those big leaps of YAC offense that are part of the DNA of the Rams offense.
Meanwhile, we’ve seen Los Angeles be one of the few defenses to tackle Darnold this season. He had 11 interceptions in 2025, four of which came on that November afternoon. One of Darnold’s calling cards this season has been overcoming pressure while still making big plays, but the Rams beat him without that pressure. They basically sat two high in the zone and asked him to find the gap, but he struggled.
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It’s the closeness between these teams that makes their games so exciting.
|
rank |
seattle seahawks |
Los Angeles Rams |
|---|---|---|
|
passing yards |
No. 8 |
second place |
|
Code rush |
22nd |
No. 8 |
|
points per game |
fifth place |
second place |
|
Number of yards allowed to pass |
No. 7 |
19th |
|
rushing yards allowed |
third place |
No. 9 |
|
points allowed |
second place |
third place |
|
overall offense |
No. 7 |
second place |
|
overall defense |
third place |
No. 8 |
The Rams have the slight edge on offense, the Seahawks have the slight edge on defense — this is truly a game where the winner can hoist the Lombardi Trophy in the Super Bowl, as both teams find their groove in an inconsistent year.
What happens if the Rams win?
Los Angeles is 12-3 on the season with two games remaining. The remaining games are against the Falcons and Cardinals, who are likely to win two more. Alternatively, we could see the Rams clinching the NFC title before Week 18 and choosing to rest their starters before the playoffs. Essentially, a win gives them a lot of flexibility, and Seattle is the last good opponent on their schedule.
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Crucially, that would also make the Rams 2-0 against Seattle on the year, meaning even if the Seahawks find a way to tie Los Angeles’ record, the Rams would still have the top seed thanks to the tiebreaker.
What happens if the Seahawks win?
This is where things get really interesting. Seattle is coming off a 12-3 record and atop the NFC West, but they have a lot to do in the final weeks of the season. The Seahawks’ final games of the season come against the Panthers and 49ers, both of which are better teams than the Rams’ remaining opponents.
If Seattle wins on Thursday, the Rams win, the Seahawks lose one remaining game, and we’re tied in the NFC West. This is where things get a little crazy. If the Eagles lose to the 49ers in Week 18, the Rams will win the NFC West in the tiebreaker. If the Panthers lose, the Seahawks and Rams will be tied on head-to-head, division record, regular games, league record — allowing both teams to advance fifth The tiebreaker situation will be the winning force.
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As it stands, the Rams have a slight advantage in win intensity, but considering their remaining opponents are all under 0.5o0, that advantage will drop — and a Seahawks win over the Rams would bolster their win intensity. There are too many variables to consider with four different teams’ remaining schedules, but there’s an opportunity to dig deeper into the tiebreaker to address this issue.
Who wins the Rams vs. Seahawks game on Thursday Night Football?
That’s the million-dollar question, and it’s hard to answer. It would be a huge blow if Davante Adams couldn’t play for the Rams. He wasn’t a factor in the first game between these teams, but that’s why it was so close. Adams was Stafford’s favorite target in the end zone and also caused problems for them in the red zone, as teams struggled to adequately cover Nakua and Adams.
Sam Darnold, meanwhile, is unlikely to be as bad as he was the first time these two teams met. This will likely come down to whether Seattle can force key turnovers while letting their defense take care of its business.
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Regardless, we have one of the best games of the year on Thursday night.
