SEATTLE (AP) — Todd Gurley rushed for three touchdowns, Jared Goff passed for 321 yards and a score , and the Los Angeles Rams remained unbeaten by holding off the Seattle Seahawks 33-31 on Sunday.
Playing without their top two receivers due to concussions suffered late in the first half, the Rams leaned heavily on Goff, Gurley and wide receiver Robert Woods to escape Seattle and improve to 5-0.
Gurley scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter, and added TDs of 2 and 5 yards in the second half. Gurley’s third rushing TD on the second play of the fourth quarter pulled the Rams within 31-30. But new kicker Cairo Santos hooked the extra point attempt and Seattle maintained a one-point lead.
Santos atoned for the miss with a 39-yard field goal with 6:05 remaining to give the Rams a 33-31 lead, capping a 61-yard drive that took 4 ½ minutes.
That still left time for Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, but Seattle (2-3) made a pair of critical mistakes after moving into position to win. Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for 44 yards on the second play of the drive to the Rams 32-yard line. But a pair of penalties backed up the Seahawks to the Rams 45. Facing third-and-23, Wilson was pressured from the pocket by Cory Littleton and Seattle punted with 3:38 left.
It never got the ball back.
Gurley had runs of 12, 2 and 7 yards, but was stuffed on third-and-1 at the 42 with 1:39 left. The Rams initially trotted out punter Johnny Hekker, but after Seattle used its final timeout, Los Angeles put the offense back on the field. Goff plowed forward on fourth down to clinch it.
The Rams lost their top two wide receivers when Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp both suffered concussions late in the first half. They turned to the likes of Josh Reynolds, Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett to make up for the absences.
And, of course, a whole lot of Gurley on the ground. Gurley finished with 77 yards rushing on 22 carries. Woods had five catches for 92 yards.
Wilson threw for three touchdowns and Seattle had a running back top 100 yards rushing for a third straight game as Chris Carson rumbled for 116 yards. The run game was the foundation for all of Wilson’s success through the air as Seattle finished with 190 yards on the ground, including 68 yards and a touchdown from Mike Davis.
With Los Angeles needing to respect the run, Wilson found his shots over the top. The 39-yard TD pass to Lockett in the first half came off play-action, as did the 30-yard TD toss to David Moore in the third quarter. Both times Rams cornerback Marcus Peters was beaten, and the Seahawks got the big plays needed to hang with the Rams. Moore also had a 3-yard TD catch.
INJURIES
Cooks suffered a concussion on a big hit late in the second quarter. Cooks was hit by Tedric Thompson as he came across the field. Most of the hit was with Thompson’s shoulder, but there was some helmet-to-helmet impact and Cooks appeared to be immediately knocked out. He jogged off the field on his own but was ruled out early in the second half.
Kupp was also lost with a concussion, although the play he was injured on wasn’t obvious. Kupp was in on the desperation throw into the end zone on the final play of the first half, but didn’t rejoin his teammates to start the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Rams: Los Angeles is at Denver next Sunday.
Seahawks: Seattle makes the trip to London to face Oakland next Sunday.
