The City of Angels held its breath in the second half against the Seahawks as Matthew Stafford disappeared from the sideline. The Los Angeles Rams were already battling the Emerald City crew, and watching their QB1 head inside made things louder at Lumen Field. Moreover, with the loss settling in, the injury scare felt real. However, after the game, Stafford addressed the incident and cleared the air himself.

In the post-game, reporters asked him, “What were you being evaluated for in the injury time?”

Stafford answered, “I was not being evaluated for anything.”

Still, the reporters pushed again, asking why Stafford went to the tent in the injury time. That is when he smiled and said, “I had to use the restroom. I just didn’t want to run in.”

However, as funny as the incident sounds right now, the concern was not random. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Stafford took a clean shot to the ribs from a Seahawks defender. Because of that, many inside the 12s thought it was serious. Thankfully for Rams fans, it was not.

Meanwhile, the game itself deserved the spotlight. Stafford and the Rams delivered again. They pushed the pace early. They controlled key stretches. For a while, it felt like the division and conference race tilted their way. Then came the twist. The Seahawks rallied late. Overtime followed. And Seattle escaped with a 38 to 37 win; a gut punch for the Rams.

Still, Stafford played like a man in rhythm. He stayed calm and sharp. More importantly, he stayed aggressive. He kept pressure on the Emerald City defense. Even in a loss, he looked locked in. And for Ram Nation, that matters going forward.

Matthew Stafford’s insane game couldn’t save the Rams

While the moment felt chaotic, Matthew Stafford stayed clean. Once again, he did not throw a single interception. That alone set the tone for Rams House. Moreover, it marked his eighth game this season with three or more touchdowns and zero picks. The Rams quarterback passed for 457 yards while scoring three TDs.

Only three other quarterbacks in league history have done that. Then, when the Emerald City crew tied it at 30 to force overtime, Stafford responded fast. He found Puka Nacua for his 37th touchdown pass of the year. Calm. Sharp. On time.

Meanwhile, the full season picture makes it clearer. Through 14 games, the veteran has completed 66.4 percent of his throws. He has stacked up 4,170 yards and 40 touchdowns. Because of that, PFSN slots him sixth in its QB Impact metric. Even with the Thursday night loss at Lumen Field, the respect has not faded. Stafford still sits in the MVP mix with Drake Maye and Josh Allen.

However, the loss hurt where it counts. Falling to 11 and 4 changed the math fast. The City of Angels took a real hit in the NFC West race. According to PFSN’s Playoff Predictor, the Rams now sit at just a 15.3 percent chance to win the division. Even tougher, their odds to grab the NFC’s top seed dropped to 13 percent.

Now, the control is gone. Even if the Rams win their final two games, help is required. Wins by the Seahawks or the 49ers could shut the door. To make it harder, PFSN’s NFL Strength of Schedule shows Los Angeles facing the 13th hardest finish. San Francisco draws the league’s toughest path. Seattle sits ninth, and the road stays messy. Still, Stafford keeps delivering.