Continuing their free fall from October to November, Seattle Seahawks was unable to hold a 10-point halftime lead due to a litany of self-inflicted errors and lost its fourth straight home game in a 26-20 overtime loss to the Rams from Los Angeles.

Amid a back-and-forth affair, the Seahawks received several strong performances despite falling short on the scoreboard and falling to last place in the NFC West. After watching All-22 film from Sunday’s contest at Lumen Field, here are my top five marks from Week 9.

Overall rating: 88.0 (Running Defense 90, Tackling 92, Coverage 84)

Looking much more comfortable after a second week of practice to acclimate to his new team and scheme, Jones took center stage for a much-improved run defense that gave up fewer than 70 rushing yards and three yards per carry on Sunday. Boasting a strong performance against his former team, he made nine tackles – including three running stops totaling three yards or less – with his most notable play coming at a critical time late in the third quarter. As the Rams advanced to the one-yard line, he fired a cannon through the gap on the A side of the play to blast Kyren Williams into the backfield for a two-yard loss, which eventually led to a short basket and kept them there. out of the end zone.

Showcasing his fluid athleticism, Jones also made a notable positive difference in the Seahawks’ coverage, regularly eliminating crossers falling into his deep hook responsibility. In one instance, Matthew Stafford telegraphed a throw over the middle and the veteran linebacker appeared to have rhythm on his first interception of the season, but he wasn’t quite able to recover the deflected pass and had to settle for of a broken pass. . Allowing two catches on four targets for 20 yards, his play was a breath of fresh air after Sean McVay regularly torched Seattle linebackers in coverage.

Overall rating: 87.0 (Reception 90, Execution Block 76*)

* Weighted for 14 travel-blocking snaps

Sunday’s contest didn’t start well for Smith-Njigba, who bounced a catchable pass over his chest and into the hands of safety Jaylen McCullough for an interception. But from there, the second-year forward bounced back with the breakout play fans were eagerly awaiting, finally making his presence felt as a weapon on the court. After the Seahawks took a 6-3 lead late in the second quarter, Smith connected with it on a 46-yard corner, taking advantage of a free play with a Rams defender jumping offside. Two snaps later, Smith-Njigba got open in the end zone on a cross and hauled in a 24-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 10 before halftime.

In the second half, Smith-Njigba continued to make big plays, although not all of them counted. Opening up the seam midway through the third quarter, Smith hit it for a 40-yard gain on 3rd-and-16, only to hold off tackle Mike Jerrell to clear the explosive catch. After erasing another 38-yard gain on a second catch to Jerrell, he delivered the clutch with a 29-yard reception and hung on while absorbing a big hit on a 14-yard corner for a touchdown, sending the game into overtime. . Finishing with 180 yards on seven catches with two scores, he could have eclipsed 250 yards with more luck.

Overall rating: 85.0 (Running Defense 82, Tackling 86, Coverage 88)

Capitalizing on his long opportunity to start in place of the injured Rayshawn Jenkins, Bryant continues to make his case for remaining in the lineup even when the veteran finally returns from hand surgery. Flying all over the field, even though he had a bad tackle whiff that fortunately didn’t count due to a holding penalty against the Rams, he produced five solo tackles and made his presence in coverage with two crucial pass breakups.

One play after Jones stuffed Williams for a loss, Stafford attempted to throw a pass to tight end Davis Allen in the end zone on third-and-goal. But Bryant was able to get his hand in front of the receiver and deflect the ball in the air, almost allowing teammate Julian Love to dive underneath for an interception and forcing the Rams to score a field goal. Then, after Smith’s second touchdown to Smith-Njigba tied the game, the third-year defender turned into a heat-seeking missile from his center position, crushing Demarcus Robinson and sending the ball on a deep ball that could have resulted in a game-winning field goal attempt by the Rams before the end of regulation.

Overall rating: 84.5 (Run Defense 80, Tackling 88, Pass Rush 86)

On the stat sheet, Williams failed to muster Stafford for a sack on Sunday, but he played a leading role in Seattle’s efforts, limiting Los Angeles to just 13 offensive points in regulation while frequently putting the pressure on the quarterback. In the first half, he accounted for two of the team’s hits against Stafford, including breaking up a double team with a well-executed swim move and delivering a big hit in the pocket to coax an incomplete third-down rusher to the first quarter. He also grounded Stafford on his second-quarter interception by Riq Woolen.

Additionally, Williams left a positive imprint on Seattle’s excellent run defense on Sunday, finishing with three run stops. Before Stafford’s short touchdown to Robinson in the third quarter, he teamed with Byron Murphy II to put Williams at the line of scrimmage for no gain. He later blocked Williams again for a 1-yard gain, holding his own in the trenches against an undermanned Los Angeles offensive line. In addition to four tackles, he generated six pressures on Stafford while playing snaps at nose tackle, 3-tech defensive end and stand-up outside linebacker.

Overall rating: 82.0 (passage 85, precipitation 70*)

*Weighted for six rushing attempts

Some may wonder how Smith still scored so high after throwing two back-breaking interceptions in the red zone in the fourth quarter, including a pick six returned by rookie Kam Kinchens. But in his defense, tight end AJ Barner was taken as the second pick, preventing him from getting where the quarterback expected. It’s safe to say that two of his three picks weren’t his fault, and even with those mistakes, he also made several elite throws while under relentless pressure from the Rams’ front line all day.