The Seahawks’ stunning comeback against the Rams included two successful two-point conversions in the fourth quarter, and another in overtime.
It was a level of aggressiveness that, as a former NFL head coach pointed out to PFT, is rarely displayed by defensive coaches working under their first contracts. On Thursday night, however, it was a product of necessity.
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In all, the Seahawks and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak needed to have enough two-point plays ready to go. On Friday, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked how many two-point plays the team has.
“It varies every week, but it also bleeds into your low red [zone], third-down menu as well,” Macdonald told reporters. “Sometimes you do go into the game, tabbed, OK, these are our lead two-point plays, but you’re also going to have options based off what you’re game planning for the third down, low red [zone] area as well. I think that’s what happened yesterday, I don’t think that was a two-point play to start the game. It was kind of an either or part of the base game plan type of thing.”
Regardless, Kubiak dialed it up. And it worked to perfection, after Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert chipped Rams linebacker Jared Verse and trickled into the area in the front of the end zone that had been vacated. (Left tackle Josh Jones also did a great job of keeping Verse from getting to quarterback Sam Darnold before Saubert found the soft spot.)
All three two-point plays worked, including the backward pass that bounced off of Verse’s helmet and was nearly intercepted by Rams safety Kam Curl before running back Zach Charbonnet picked it up.
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Consider this: What if the pass to Saubert had been used for the game-tying play, with the backward pass the two-point option in overtime?
The game would have been over. The players and coaches would have entered the field. The fans would have begun to leave. And then, out of the blue, everyone would have learned that the play was being reviewed. Next, it would have been announced that the Seahawks, not the Rams, had won the most important and entertaining game of the season, so far.
