There’s plenty to take away from this loss by the Rams

There’s a lot to unpack. It’s rare for a team as good as the Los Angeles Rams to blow a game the way they just did, giving away a 30-14 lead in the fourth quarter and losing in overtime to their division rivals, 38-37.

Not only was it a heartbreaking loss, but it’s one that carried massive playoff implications. The Rams are no longer leading the West, nor are they in control of the No. 1 seed. They now need help in order to win the division and a first-round bye, which may not come their way.

Here’s what we learned from Los Angeles’ gut-wrenching loss at Lumen Field.

Sean McVay was unusually aggressive

In the first quarter alone, McVay and the Rams went for it on fourth down four times, though one was nullified by a penalty. That would’ve been tied for the most in any game under McVay, and it was only the first quarter. He even went for it on fourth down from the Rams’ own 38-yard line on the opening drive before the Rams failed on another fourth-down attempt later in the drive.

It was good to see McVay keep his foot on the gas in such a big game, even if those calls didn’t always work in their favor.

Konata Mumpfield is the next man up at WR

Xavier Smith caught a 48-yard bomb and Jordan Whittington caught one pass for 19 yards but it was Mumpfield who stepped up in Davante Adams’ place. He played a bunch in one-receiver sets and caught three passes for 40 yards, nearly coming down with a deep pass along the sideline where the defender jarred it loose as he was going to the ground.

It’s unclear how long Adams will be out but Mumpfield looked good as his replacement, seeing eight passes thrown his way in the loss. One thing’s for sure: he’s ahead of Tutu Atwell, who hardly played and was not targeted.

Terrance Ferguson’s stock keeps rising

Ferguson nearly scored two touchdowns last week against the Lions and then in the first quarter on Thursday night, he had a touchdown taken away from him because of a bogus penalty on Justin Dedich. Finally, he caught a break and got into the end zone, a 4-yard score in the second quarter to put the Rams up 13-7.

He was on the field a ton once again, doing a nice job getting open for his quarterback. He hasn’t made many big plays lately but his stock is on the rise as one of the Rams’ primary tight ends.

Rams contained Jaxon Smith-Njigba, until they didn’t

In the first half, Smith-Njigba didn’t have a single catch. In the third quarter, he caught two passes for 32 yards. The Rams had done a great job containing the league’s leading receiver but in the fourth quarter and overtime, he started to show why he’s No. 1 in yardage this season.

He caught six passes for 64 yards and a touchdown in the final quarter and overtime, including the game-winning touchdown with 3:13 left in OT. Emmanuel Forbes Jr. had a strong game against Smith-Njigba once again but the Rams let him get open a few too many times down the stretch.

Rams defense had Sam Darnold seeing ghosts again

Whether it was last season with the Vikings or this year with the Seahawks, Darnold simply cannot figure out the Rams’ defense. He had another rough outing on Thursday night, throwing a pick to Josh Wallace in the third quarter and struggling overall to find open receivers. In the fourth quarter, he threw a second interception to Kobie Turner, of all people, this one coming in the red zone when the Seahawks were down two scores.

He ultimately led the Seahawks to a win in overtime but for about 50 minutes of the game, he looked lost.

Darnold’s struggles have to make Chris Shula and the Rams defense feel good, considering Darnold is not only in their division, but he could be someone they face in the playoffs.

Special teams unit still a major problem

It was a terrible night for the special teams unit. In fact, that group might deserve more blame than anyone for the loss. There was a false start on a field goal (that didn’t matter), a hold on Ronnie Rivers’ long kick return in overtime, a 48-yard miss by Harrison Mevis and the costliest mistake of all: a punt return touchdown allowed.

Chase Blackburn should be skating on thin ice after this game because his group had an abysmal performance in the biggest matchup of the season, contributing directly to the Rams’ blown lead in the fourth quarter.

Rams’ chances of getting a first-round bye are slim now

At 11-4, the Rams still aren’t out of the race for the NFC West title and potentially a No. 1 seed. But their chances of earning either one of those are now very slim. According to The Athletic, their division title odds are now 24% and their first-round bye chances sit at 20%. Had they won the game, they would’ve increased to 95% and 90%, respectively.

They now need the Seahawks to slip up in one of their final two games. The same goes for the 49ers, who have three games remaining. It’s possible the Rams will fall to third in the division if the 49ers win on Monday night, opening the door for San Francisco to win the West and get a first-round bye.