Two key plays apart: Sean McVay reveals how Rams outplayed Seahawks in overtime

**Rams head coach Sean McVay reveals how Los Angeles beat Seattle in overtime** **Seattle** -- Quarterbacks Geno Smith and Matthew Stafford were on the losing end for much of Sunday's game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in a tough battle reminiscent of two exhausted opponents battling on the ground moving forward.

For both Stafford and Smith, it certainly wasn't a game to reminisce about, stylistically speaking. Smith in particular had a bad day.

He threw three balls, got sacked multiple times and, surprisingly, apologized to Seattle in a public postgame interview.

The opposing team was struggling as well and shouldered a lot of the blame.

Still, Smith managed to get his team to a 20-20 tie at the end of regulation and nearly forced overtime, making a 20-26 loss even more likely.

Stafford was the driving force behind the overtime win, completing 25 of 44 passes with one interception and a couple of near misses.

But when Seattle missed a fourth-and-1 attempt from the Rams' 16-yard line with 7:25 left in overtime, Stafford had to decide whether to go for the tying score or settle for a field goal.

With help from McVay, the Rams did everything they could to get a point, not just three.

Key plays on the drive included Stafford's 24-yard pass to Tyler Johnson early in the game, and most notably a 39-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson with just over five minutes left in overtime.

I asked McVay to separate the two plays, but to McVay's surprise, Seattle used Cover-0 on the final touchdown, not letting the defense go deep.

"They've made defensive plays that you often see in these situations before.

" On the first play, McVay explained that Seattle's defense forced the inside linebackers into coverage, which is exactly what the Rams expected.

Stafford threw the ball over the defender to Johnson, who had to be low enough to throw.

McVay praised Stafford's accuracy in passing the ball.

That aggressive play, McVay added, created the perfect atmosphere for the drive and helped the team avoid a loss.

Shortly after, Stafford hit Tutu Atwell to bring the Rams within field goal range of 39 yards.
With the ball in the second overtime, a field goal would have decided the game.

McVay also praised receiver Cooper Kupp for creating space on the touchdown, allowing Stafford to evade the defender. Stafford's awareness allowed him to read the Seattle defense and find Robinson in good position.

The actual pass was noteworthy: Stafford's strong throw across his body went 49 yards.

"It was a perfect pass," McVay said. "It made a huge difference. We have areas to improve on, but they are easier to overcome with the result we achieved today."