Matthew Stafford put together one of his best performances of the season, but it still wasn’t enough to lift the Los Angeles Rams past the Seattle Seahawks. Despite throwing for a massive 457 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, the Rams fell 38–37 in an overtime thriller on Thursday night.

Seattle pulled off an impressive rally, erasing a 16-point deficit late in the game. Quarterback Sam Darnold led the charge as the Seahawks exploded in the fourth quarter after trailing 30–14, ultimately completing the comeback to secure the win.

While the Seahawks’ resilience stole the spotlight, attention has also shifted to a controversial moment involving Stafford. The NFL has announced it will review a play from the closing minutes of regulation that could result in disciplinary action.
Stafford has been one of the league’s most productive quarterbacks this season and is firmly in the MVP conversation.

Through 15 starts, the veteran has completed 65.7% of his passes, thrown an NFL-best 40 touchdown passes, and limited himself to just five interceptions. However, even his season-high passing total on Thursday couldn’t prevent the Rams from slipping to 11–4, allowing Seattle—now 12–3—to move into first place in the NFC West with only two games remaining.

The play under scrutiny occurred with under three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Stafford connected with tight end Terrance Ferguson on a 27-yard completion, but Ferguson was immediately met with a forceful hit from Seahawks safety Ty Okada. Officials penalized Okada for unnecessary roughness, assessing a 15-yard penalty following the collision.

League officials are now reviewing the play due to what appeared to be helmet-to-helmet contact. If confirmed, Okada could be fined, with the outcome expected to be revealed in the NFL’s upcoming gameday accountability report.

.Helmet-related violations have been a recent point of emphasis for the league. In Week 14 alone, 12 unnecessary roughness penalties resulted in fines, including three for improper helmet use.

The largest fine from that group was issued to Cowboys running back Hunter Luepke, who was penalized $8,537.
Looking ahead, the Rams will return to the field next Monday, Dec. 29, when they host the Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, Seattle will aim to build on its momentum in a Sunday matchup against the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 28.