Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks Match Player Stats (Jan 05, 2025) | Complete Analysis

The Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks match player stats from January 5, 2025 reveal exactly why a seemingly dominant Rams offense still fell short in the 30-25 Seattle victory. When an NFL team outgains their opponent by nearly 70 yards and controls the ball longer, they typically win. Yet this Week 18 showdown at SoFi Stadium defied conventional wisdom.

Game Context: Why This NFL Week 18 Matchup Mattered

The final regular season weekend of the 2024-25 NFL campaign saw these NFC West rivals clash with vastly different motivations:

• Seattle needed this win to secure a 10-7 record and their 12th winning season in 13 years
• Los Angeles had already locked up a playoff berth and strategically rested key starters
• First season under coach Mike Macdonald for Seattle showed promising results
• Rams were evaluating backup talent ahead of their upcoming playoff campaign

The January 5th contest featured multiple momentum swings: Seattle led 7-3 after the first quarter and 17-13 at halftime. Los Angeles briefly grabbed a 25-24 advantage in the fourth quarter before Seattle scored what proved to be the winning touchdown with just 3:19 remaining on the clock.

Seahawks Offensive Production: Efficiency Over Volume

Geno Smith’s Performance: Surgical Precision

The veteran quarterback’s stat line from Pro-Football-Reference showcases a masterclass in quarterback efficiency:

• 20 completions on 27 attempts (74.1% completion rate)
• 223 passing yards (8.26 yards per attempt)
• 4 touchdowns distributed to four different receivers
• 0 interceptions
• 137.8 passer rating
• 2 rushes for 14 yards
• Sacked twice for -13 yards

Smith’s 74.1% completion percentage significantly outpaced his 2024 season average of 65.8%, while his 4 TD passes doubled his per-game average. His turnover-free performance proved crucial in a tight contest where ball security made the difference.

Seattle Ground Attack: Balance and Burst

The Seahawks rushing numbers provided the ideal complement to Smith’s aerial assault:

• Team total: 24 carries, 126 yards (5.2 yards per carry)
• Zach Charbonnet: 14 carries, 59 yards (4.2 YPC)
• Kenny McIntosh: 7 carries, 49 yards (7.0 YPC)
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 1 carry, 4 yards

This rushing efficiency forced the Rams defense to respect the run, opening passing lanes for Smith throughout the contest. The 5.2 team YPC marked their third-best rushing performance of the season.

Receiving Contributions: Democratic Distribution

What jumps out about Seattle’s passing game was the remarkably balanced distribution across multiple targets:

• Noah Fant: 5 catches, 63 yards, 1 TD (game-winner with 3:19 left)
• DK Metcalf: 3 catches, 53 yards, 1 TD
• AJ Barner: 5 catches, 34 yards, 1 TD
• Tyler Locke: 2 catches, 28 yards
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 4 catches, 9 yards
• Jake Bobo: 1 catch, 4 yards, 1 TD

Four different receivers finding the end zone highlights Smith’s ability to read defenses and take what’s available rather than forcing the ball. This balance proved nearly impossible for the Rams secondary to contain in critical situations.

Rams Backup Brigade: Impressive Numbers Despite Defeat

Jimmy Garoppolo’s Rams Debut: Volume with Mixed Results

Making his first start for Los Angeles in place of the resting Matthew Stafford, Garoppolo posted substantial numbers with one critical mistake:

• 27 completions on 41 attempts (65.9% completion rate)
• 334 passing yards (8.1 yards per attempt)
• 2 touchdowns
• 1 interception (proved costly in one-score game)
• 97.0 passer rating
• Sacked 3 times for -15 yards

The CBSSports GameTracker shows that while Garoppolo accumulated more passing yards than Smith, his lower completion percentage and turnover ultimately helped seal the Rams’ fate. His 334 passing yards were impressive for a backup quarterback seeing his first extended action of the season.

Running Back Committee Filling Williams’ Shoes

With Pro Bowl running back Kyren Williams resting for the playoffs, the Rams ground game performance showed reasonable production:

• Team total: 21 carries, 84 yards (4.0 yards per carry)
• Ronnie Rivers: 12 carries, 48 yards (4.0 YPC)
• Jordan Whittington: 2 carries, 12 yards (6.0 YPC)
• Blake Corum: 2 carries, 10 yards (5.0 YPC) before his forearm injury
• Xavier Smith: 2 carries, 6 yards (3.0 YPC)
• Cody Schrader: 1 carry, 3 yards

For context, this output fell well short of Williams’ season average of 87.5 rushing yards per game, highlighting his importance to the Rams offense heading into the playoffs.

Receiving Corps Depth Showcased

Despite missing star wideouts Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, the Rams’ receiving unit demonstrated impressive depth:

• Jordan Whittington: 3 catches, 86 yards (including a highlight-reel 50-yard reception)
• Demarcus Robinson: 3 catches, 72 yards
• Tyler Higbee: 5 catches, 46 yards, 1 TD
• Tutu Atwell: 5 catches, 37 yards
• Tyler Johnson: 4 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD
• Ronnie Rivers: 4 catches, 34 yards

Whittington’s performance was particularly notable, with his 86 yards nearly matching his entire season total (93 yards) prior to this game. His breakout performance suggests the 2024 NFL Draft pick could play a larger role in the Rams’ playoff plans.

Defensive Contributions That Shaped The Outcome

Seattle Defense: Timely Playmaking

The Seahawks defense surrendered 403 total yards but made crucial stops when it mattered most, similar to their approach in earlier matchups against the Minnesota Vikings:

• Leonard Williams: 2.0 sacks, 5 total tackles (4 solo)
• Julian Love: 1 interception, 6 total tackles (4 solo, 2 assists)
• T. Knight: 0.5 sacks, team-high 10 combined tackles (5 solo, 5 assists)
• E. Jones: 0.5 sacks, 9 combined tackles (3 solo, 6 assists)
• Devon Witherspoon: 8 combined tackles (4 solo, 4 assists)

Most importantly, they delivered the game-sealing defensive stand, stopping Los Angeles on fourth down at Seattle’s 9-yard line with just 18 seconds remaining. Williams’ multi-sack performance was his best of the 2024 season.

Rams Defense: Pressure Without Turnovers

The Los Angeles defensive unit showed flashes despite missing several regulars:

• D. Johnson: 1.0 sack, 5 combined tackles (3 solo, 2 assists)
• J. Hummel: Team-high 8 combined tackles (5 solo, 3 assists)
• Byron Young: 0.5 sacks, 2 combined tackles (1 solo, 1 assist)
• Braden Fiske: 0.5 sacks, 1 combined tackle (0 solo, 1 assist)
• E. Forbes: 5 combined tackles (4 solo, 1 assist)

Their inability to force any turnovers proved critical in a one-score game. The Rams defense had averaged 1.4 takeaways per game during the regular season, making this turnover-free performance particularly costly.

Special Teams Battle: Rookie Kicker Impresses

The kicking game featured remarkable performances from both sides, with Rams rookie Joshua Karty stealing the spotlight:

• Rams Joshua Karty: Perfect 4/4 on field goals (58, 57, 38, 37 yards), 1/1 on extra points
• Seahawks Jason Myers: Perfect 1/1 on field goals (56 yards), 3/3 on extra points

Karty’s 58-yarder marked the third-longest field goal in the NFL during the 2024-25 season. The January 5th performance continued his impressive rookie campaign, during which he connected on 89% of his field goal attempts.

The punting units both delivered solid performances:

• Michael Dickson (SEA): 4 punts, 228 yards (57.0 yard average), 1 inside 20
• Ethan Evans (LAR): 2 punts, 103 yards (51.5 yard average), 1 inside 20

The return game provided Los Angeles a slight edge:

• Jordan Whittington (LAR): 2 kickoff returns, 80 yards (40.0 yard average)
• Kenny McIntosh (SEA): 1 kickoff return, 27 yards

The Strategic Impact of Rested Starters

The Rams’ playoff-focused decision to rest key players fundamentally altered the game’s dynamics:

• QB Matthew Stafford
• WR Cooper Kupp
• WR Puka Nacua
• RB Kyren Williams
• OL Kevin Dotson, Alaric Jackson, Rob Havenstein

This roster management strategy placed Jimmy Garoppolo and various backups in featured roles, creating an evaluation opportunity for the Rams coaching staff ahead of their Wild Card matchup the following weekend.

The January 5th contest also saw both teams navigate in-game injury challenges:

• Seahawks: DT Byron Murphy II (back), CB Tre Brown (knee), CB Riq Woolen (rib)
• Rams: RB Blake Corum (season-ending broken forearm), TE Hunter Long (knee)

Four Key Statistical Categories That Determined The Outcome

While Los Angeles outgained Seattle 403-336 in total yards and controlled the clock (31:10 to 28:50 time of possession), four crucial statistical categories proved far more important, mirroring a pattern seen in other close contests between NFC West rivals like the 49ers and Rams:

1. Red Zone Efficiency

• Seahawks: 3/3 (100%) touchdowns in red zone trips
• Rams: 2/4 (50%) touchdowns in red zone trips

2. Turnover Margin

• Seahawks: 0 turnovers
• Rams: 1 turnover (costly Garoppolo interception)

3. Third Down Success Rate

• Seahawks: 6/11 (54.5%) conversion rate
• Rams: 5/14 (35.7%) conversion rate

4. Quarterback Scoring Efficiency

• Geno Smith: 4 TDs, 0 INTs (touchdown on 14.8% of pass attempts)
• Jimmy Garoppolo: 2 TDs, 1 INT (touchdown on 4.9% of pass attempts)

The National Football League consistently rewards teams that excel in these situational statistics rather than those who simply accumulate more total yards.

Conclusion: Statistics That Matter Most

NFL games frequently contradict surface-level impressions from box scores. This Seattle-Los Angeles matchup perfectly represents this phenomenon. While the Rams generated more total yards and first downs, the Seahawks excelled in high-leverage situations.

For Seattle, this victory capped a successful 10-7 first season under coach Mike Macdonald. For Los Angeles, despite the loss, they gathered valuable insights about their roster depth before beginning their playoff journey.

The January 5, 2025 clash at SoFi Stadium serves as a textbook example of how NFL teams can overcome yardage deficits by winning the situational battles that truly determine outcomes. The Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks match player stats confirm this fundamental football truth.

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