The Los Angeles Rams walked into Week 16 with a lot on their plate-11-4 record, playoff positioning on the line, a short week, bad weather, travel hiccups, and even the birth of head coach Sean McVay’s son. But what they didn’t expect was a bizarre two-point conversion call that ended up flipping the script in a tightly contested game.
Let’s unpack what happened.
Late in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks, a chaotic two-point attempt turned into one of the strangest-and most controversial-plays of the NFL season. The Seahawks ran a play that looked broken from the jump. A backward pass deflected off Rams defender Jared Verse’s helmet, bounced into the end zone, and was casually scooped up by a Seattle player who had one foot in the paint.
Initially, the officials blew the play dead, ruling it an incomplete forward pass. That should’ve been the end of it.
But after a lengthy review, the ruling was reversed. The booth determined it was actually a backward pass, and under NFL rules, that made the ball live-even though the whistle had already blown.
Understandably, Sean McVay was stunned. “I’ve never quite seen anything like what happened on the 2-point conversion,” he said postgame, clearly frustrated and looking for answers from the league.
And he’s not alone. This play caught just about everyone off guard, from fans to analysts to players on the field. So let’s break it down.
The Rulebook Twist
There are two key parts of the NFL rulebook that collided here:
- Fumbles after the two-minute warning or on a Try (extra point or two-point conversion): Only the player who fumbled can recover and advance the ball. If a teammate picks it up, the play is dead.
- Backward passes: A backward pass is live and can be advanced by either team, regardless of who recovers it.
Here’s where the confusion kicks in: this was a backward pass, not a fumble. And because the NFL hasn’t closed the loophole between those two definitions, the Seahawks were allowed to recover and score-even though the ball was touched by a defender, bounced around, and the play was blown dead.
Why It Was So Confusing
In real time, the play looked like a busted forward pass. The ball never reached the intended receiver-it ricocheted off a helmet and ended up in the end zone.
The officials on the field ruled it incomplete, stopping the play. But the booth review saw something different: a lateral.
Because the pass was deemed backward, the ball was technically live, and the Seahawks player who recovered it in the end zone was awarded the two points. Even though the whistle blew. Even though no one on the field treated it like a live ball.
It’s the kind of play that makes you dig into the rulebook twice just to make sure you’re reading it right.
The Fallout
For the Rams, this wasn’t just a strange play-it was a potential game-changer. And it came in a week where the team already had enough to deal with. Between McVay juggling fatherhood and football, the team navigating a short week and tough road trip, and playoff seeding hanging in the balance, this was the last thing they needed.
And for rookie standout Puka Nacua, who had reportedly voiced some frustration with officiating ahead of the game, it was a harsh reminder of just how much influence a single call-or non-call-can have. In the NFL, you walk a fine line when it comes to officials. They control the flow, the momentum, and sometimes, the scoreboard.
Bottom Line
This wasn’t just a weird play-it was a loophole in the rulebook exposed on national TV, with playoff implications and a frustrated Rams sideline left looking for answers. Whether or not the league addresses the backward pass/fumble gray area this offseason remains to be seen.
But one thing’s for sure: the Rams’ Week 16 game won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Not by McVay.
Not by the fans. And definitely not by anyone trying to make sense of what just happened.