After closing the gap to 31-27, the Los Angeles Rams offense failed to generate anything in the entirety of the fourth quarter against Seattle, losing their ticket to the Super Bowl. Despite yet another productive night from Puka Nacua, the wide receiver pointed the finger at himself.

“I thought about the first third down,” Nacua said. “I couldn’t come down with it. A short opportunity that we had at the red zone, on a safety. And just not being on the same page as Matthew, there are opportunities that I missed.” He went on to say, “All those moments kind of flash by your head, and I apologize to the defense for putting them down in those situations.”

That’s a tough self-assessment to hear, especially given how productive he was. Nacua finished with nine catches for 165 yards and a touchdown, breaking past Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen just two plays after Woolen’s taunting penalty. He was the most dangerous player on the field for long stretches.

Puka Nacua recorded his third playoff game with at least 100 receiving yards. According to ESPN, that ties him with Tom Fears for the second-most such games in Rams postseason history, trailing only Isaac Bruce. That’s only in his third season, by the way. He also moved into second all-time in receiving yards through a player’s first three seasons, passing Randy Moss.

Still, the Rams never found rhythm on the downs that matter most. Third down was a problem all night. They converted just once, finishing 1-for-8. And the final sequence was the final nail in the coffin. Matthew Stafford completed his last pass to Nacua, but Nacua couldn’t get out of bounds. The clock expired.

Even then, it’s hard to hang this loss on Stafford or Puka Nacua. Stafford went 22-of-35, a 62.9 percent completion rate, for 374 yards, three touchdowns, and zero turnovers. The Rams piled up 479 total yards, the second-most Seattle allowed all season. That’s usually enough to win a playoff game.

If there’s a single moment that tilted things, it came earlier. Special teams. Xavier Smith botched a punt early in the second half, setting up a Seahawks TD and pushing the lead to 24–13. From there, everything felt uphill for them. You’re more frustrated than hurt after losing like this. RB Kyren Williams feels the same way.

Kyren Williams airs out his frustration

The Los Angeles Rams were as good as anyone in football this season. They averaged 30.5 points per game, best in the league, and piled up 403.5 yards per game, second only to one other team. And yet, they’re not going to the Super Bowl.

“It sucks it has to end this way,” Kyren Williams said. “The season was a long season, it wasn’t easy and we continued to keep fighting.”

It does suck. And maybe the hardest part is what this means for Matthew Stafford. At 37, he played one of the best seasons of his career, throwing for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns, both tops in the league. He is the MVP favorite for a reason. After the way he carried this offense week after week, it felt like he deserved another shot at the biggest stage.

Top Stories

Mike Vrabel Threatens to Bench Locker Room for Super Bowl After Patriots Win vs Broncos

NFL Announces Punishment Decision for Josh Allen’s Bills Following Divisional Round Loss

Sean Payton’s Stern Statement on Jarrett Stidham’s Mistake After Assigning Blame for Broncos’ Loss

Jarrett Stidham Breaks Silence on Broncos Mistake After Controversial Incident vs Patriots

Adverse Conditions Force Travis Kelce-Patrick Mahomes’ Business Partnership to Close on Saturday

Sunday only sharpened that feeling. He became the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for 370-plus yards, toss three or more touchdowns, average at least 10 yards per attempt, avoid turnovers, take no more than one sack, and still walk off the field on the wrong side of the scoreboard. That’s how unlucky he was.

What happens next is the question. Stafford’s future isn’t guaranteed, and nothing about next season is promised. But if this year proved anything, it’s that there’s still plenty left in his arm and his game. Walking away now would feel premature. Whether he sees it that way is another matter.

As for the Rams, the frustration is real, but some of it is self-inflicted. They stumbled late in the year and let the top seed in the NFC slip away to Seattle. That meant no home-field advantage, and in January, that matters. A lot. Still, they outperformed most expectations. This wasn’t supposed to be a team this close to the Super Bowl.

Stafford spent the offseason dealing with back issues, and there were legitimate questions about how the season would unfold and whether there was a contingency plan. Instead, the Rams reached the conference title game and, at times, looked like the best team in football.

Now they’re left with questions. About Stafford. About what comes next. About how quickly this window can close. Looking ahead is the only option, but predicting where this goes is next to impossible.