Continuing the free fall from October into November, the Seattle Seahawks couldn’t hold on to a 10-point halftime lead due to a litany of self-inflicted mistakes and lost their fourth straight home game in a 26-20 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

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

General note: 88.0 (Run Defense 90, Tackling 92, Coverage 84)

Looking much more comfortable after a second week of practice acclimating to his new team and a new scheme, Jones was the focus of a much-improved run defense that yielded just under 70 rushing yards and three on Sunday. Enjoying a strong performance against his former team, he tallied nine tackles — including three run stops of three yards or less — with his most notable play coming at a critical moment late in the third quarter. With the Rams advancing to the one-yard line, he cannonballed through the A-gap to blow up running back Kyren Williams for a two-yard loss that eventually led to a short field goal and kept them. out of the end zone.

Showcasing his fluid athleticism, Jones also made a notable positive difference in coverage for the Seahawks, regularly picking off crossers that fall into his deep responsibility. In one instance, Matthew Stafford telegraphed a throw over the middle, and the veteran linebacker appeared to have a hit on his first interception of the season, but he couldn’t hold on to the deflected pass and had to settle for a broken pass. . Allowing two catches on four targets for 20 yards, his game was a breath of fresh air after Sean McVay regularly torched Seattle’s linebackers in coverage.

General note: 87.0 (Receiving 90, Run Blocking 76*)

*Weighted for 14 rolling blocks

Sunday’s contest didn’t start well for Smith-Njigba, who had a pass caught over the middle bounce off his chest and into the hands of safety Jaylen McCullough for an interception. But from there, the sophomore came back with the play fans have been waiting for, finally making his presence felt as a field weapon. After the Seahawks had taken a 6-3 lead late in the second quarter, Smith connected with him on a 46-yard corner route, taking advantage of a loose play with a Rams quarterback jumping offside. Two snaps later, Smith-Njigba got open in the end zone with a pass and a 24-yard touchdown to push the lead to 10 before halftime.

In the second half, Smith-Njigba continued to come up with big plays, even if not all of them mattered. Opening up midway through the third quarter, Smith hit him for a 40-yard gain on 3rd-and-16, only for a hold on tackle Mike Jerrell to erase the explosive catch. After having another 38-yard gain erased by a second holding on Jerrell, he delivered in the clutch with a 29-yard reception and hung on as he absorbed a big hit on the 14-yard corner route yards for a touchdown, sending the game to overtime. . Finishing with 180 yards on seven catches with two scores, he might have eclipsed 250 yards with better luck.

General note: 85.0 (Defense 82, Tackling 86, Coverage 88)

Taking advantage of the extended opportunity to start in place of the injured Rayshawn Jenkins, Bryant continues to make his case for staying in the lineup even as the veteran finally returns from hand surgery. Flying all over the field while having a whiff as a tackler that thankfully didn’t count due to a holding penalty against the Rams, he produced five solo tackles and made his presence felt in coverage with two crucial pass breaks.

One play after Jones stuffed Williams for a loss, Stafford tried to scoop up a pass to 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 into the air, nearly allowing teammate Julian Love to dive under it for an interception and forcing the Rams to kick a field goal. Then, following Smith’s second touchdown to Smith-Njigba, which tied the game, the third-year quarterback turned into a heat-seeking missile from his center post, crushing Demarcus Robinson and putting the ball away on a deep ball that could have led to a deep ball. the winning Rams field goal attempt before the end of regulation.

General note: 84.5 (Run Defense 80, Tackle 88, Pass Rush 86)

On the stat sheet, Williams wasn’t able to get Stafford for a sack on Sunday, but he played a starring role in Seattle’s effort, limiting Los Angeles to just 13 offensive points in regulation, picking up quarterback turnovers . In the first half, he accounted for two of the team’s hits on Stafford, including breaking up a double team with a well-executed swim move and a big hit in the pocket to force an incomplete third down in the first quarter. He also brought Stafford to the ground on his second-quarter interception by Riq Woolen.

Additionally, Williams left a positive mark on Seattle’s stellar run defense on Sunday, finishing with three stops. Before Stafford’s short touchdown to Robinson in the third quarter, he teamed up with Byron Murphy II to stuff Williams at the line of scrimmage for no gain. Later, he stopped Williams again for a one-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 tackle, 3-tech defensive end and standup outside linebacker.

General note: 82.0 (Passing 85, Rushing 70*)

*Weighted for six emergency attempts

Some might wonder how Smith still scored so high after throwing two stunning interceptions in the red zone in the fourth quarter, including a pick-six returned by rookie Kam Kinchens. But in his defense, AJ Barner was held up on the second pick, preventing him from getting to where the quarterback anticipated he would be. It’s arguable that two of his three picks weren’t his fault, and even with those mistakes, he still provided more elite throws while under relentless pressure from the Rams’ front line all day.