NFL games aren’t always won or lost on one play, but the Los Angeles Rams sure would love to have back that controversial second two-point conversion from the Seattle Seahawks that tied the game at 30-30 late in the fourth quarter.
Following a late score by the Seahawks to draw within two points of the Rams’ lead, Jared Verse batted down a passing attempt from Sam Darnold, seemingly ending the two-point conversion attempt. Upon further review, though, referees concluded Darnold’s pass was actually thrown backward and therefore a fumble that Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet wisely picked in the end zone for the conversion.
The play will be scrutinized for a long time, but Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner said that he and the team made a mistake not picking up the football despite believing the play was over. He mentioned that type of heads-up play is often discussed and practiced by the team, but they failed to execute.
“It’s crazy, we talk about that all the time — we have these meetings, situational masters, always ending up with the ball,” Turner said after the game. “And that was just such a big-time play. I mean, I think of even me, I should have been there to pick up the ball. But I saw Verse hit it, then I saw Kam almost catch a pick … so I went to go and celebrate Verse.”
Turner added that one play isn’t why the Rams lost the game. He noted that the team had other opportunities on defense to stop Seattle and didn’t, which resulted in the one-point overtime loss.
It’s a crushing blow to the Rams’ hopes of securing the No. 1 playoff seed. While L.A. clinched a postseason berth in Week 15, the Rams have an uphill battle for the NFC West title and a first-round bye after losing to the Seahawks. Seattle and L.A. are tied in head-to-head matchups, and the tiebreakers will come down to how the rest of the season unfolds.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Kobie Turner blames himself for not picking up ball after 2-point try
Reporting by Tyler Greenawalt, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
