Rams lean on four picks to edge Seattle and take

Midnight Mode, certainly.

On the day the Rams donned black uniforms for the first and only time this season, the offense largely went darkish.

Red-hot quarterback Matthew Stafford cooled. Star receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua struggled to constantly make the clutch performs that they often make look routine.

But security Kamren Kinchens and the Rams’ protection managed to keep the Seattle Seahawks at bay — just barely.

Kinchens intercepted two passes, and cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Darious Williams also picked off passes as the Rams held off the Seahawks for a 21-19 victory Sunday before 75,323 at SoFi Stadium that was not secured until Seattle’s Jason Myers missed a 61-yard area purpose as time expired.

Stafford tossed landing passes to Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson, and Kyren Williams rushed for a landing as the Rams improved to 8-2, prolonged their successful streak to 5 video games and assumed sole possession of first place in the NFC West.

The Rams can thank Kinchens, a second-year security who has six profession interceptions, including four against the Seahawks. His interceptions set up Williams’ landing in the first quarter and Parkinson’s in the fourth.

The Rams went into the sport having scored at least 34 factors in each of their last three video games. But that manufacturing was absent against a Seahawks staff that fell to 7-3 and had its four-game successful streak end.

Stafford elevated his league-leading whole of landing passes to 27 and didn’t have a go intercepted for the seventh consecutive recreation. But the Seventeenth-year professional was not as sharp as he had been during a stretch that put him in the dialog for NFL most helpful participant. Stafford accomplished 15 of 28 passes for 130 yards.

Stafford loved a banner day in contrast to Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.

The Rams’ entrance pressured Darnold into a number of poor choices, and Kinchens, Durant and Williams made him pay. Darnold accomplished 29 of 44 passes for 279 yards with four interceptions.

Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was on tempo to set an NFL file for yards receiving in a season, caught 9 passes for 105 yards. But he didn’t rating.

Cooper Kupp, the previous Rams star making his return to SoFi Stadium, didn’t have a catch in the first three quarters but had three during a late scoring drive that trimmed the Rams’ lead to two factors.

The Rams led 14-9 at halftime on Williams’ one-yard landing run and Stafford’s one-yard landing go to Adams.

It was a satisfying state of affairs for the Rams, whose first drive ended at the Seahawks’ eight-yard line when Stafford’s fourth-down go to tight end Tyler Higbee fell incomplete.

Kinchens’ 31-yard interception return, however, set up Williams’ landing. And after Myers kicked the first of three first-half area objectives for the Seahawks, Stafford led a long drive that ended with Adams’ 1,000th profession reception and his tenth landing catch of the season. However, it was his only catch of the sport.

Rams security Kamren Kinchens celebrates with teammates after intercepting a go in the second half against Seattle on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Rams had an alternative to seize control early in the third quarter when Durant returned an interception to the Seahawks’ 35-yard line. But one play later, Nacua misplaced a fumble after making a catch.

Myers’ fourth area purpose pulled the Seahawks to within 14-12 halfway through the third. But Kinchens intercepted another go late in the quarter, setting up Stafford’s six-yard landing go to Parkinson for a 21-12 lead.

Still, the Rams struggled to put away the Seahawks. Kenneth Walker III’s one-yard landing run in the fourth quarter pulled the Seahawks to within 21-19 with 2:23 left.

After Ethan Evans’ punt pinned them at the one-yard line, the Seahawks obtained the ball back with 1:40 left and drove 56 yards in 9 performs.

But Myers couldn’t match his career-best 61-yard area purpose against the Rams in 2020. This time it went extensive proper.

The Rams play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) next Sunday evening at SoFi Stadium.