INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Seahawks went the first eight games of the 2025 season hardly missing a play because of injury from their five starting offensive linemen.
For the second time in two games Sunday, the Seahawks saw a starter go down to an injury that could be significant.
Last Sunday, it was center Jalen Sundell, who will be out at least three more games with a knee injury after going on injured reserve on Saturday.
This Sunday it was rookie left guard Grey Zabel, who left with a knee injury suffered on the final play of the Seahawks’ second-to-last series of the game.
Coach Mike Macdonald said he did not yet know the severity of the injury.
“No update,” Macdonald said. “We’ll get it imaged and see what’s going on.”
Zabel appeared to be injured when center Olu Oluwatimi was pushed into him on a 1-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Walker III with 2:23 remaining.
read more rams 21, seahawks 19
Zabel lay on the turf for a few minutes before being helped off and examined in the blue medical tent. He watched the rest of the game from the bench.
Second-year player Christian Haynes — the 81st overall pick of the 2024 draft — played the final series in place of Zabel.
Haynes also was the backup center for the game, which was his first of the year. He missed the first nine game after being placed on IR to start the season with a pec injury and not activated until Saturday.
Haynes, who lost a battle for the right guard spot with Anthony Bradford, would likely continue to start at left guard if Zabel is out for a significant period.
The loss of Zabel would be a big blow. He was the 18th overall pick of the 2025 draft as the Seahawks sought to make a significant move to fill in the left guard spot, which plays next to left tackle Charles Cross, and protect the blind side of quarterback Sam Darnold.
Zabel has not given up a sack all season and just three QB hits, according to Pro Football Focus.
Backup linebacker Tyrice Knight also left with a possible concussion suffered on a hard hit while making a tackle on a kickoff in the first quarter.
What changed with defense?
The Seahawks’ defense was the tale of one quarter and a tale of the other three.
It allowed 134 yards on 21 plays in the first quarter, 6.4 per play, including runs of 30 and 34 runs by L.A. running back Kyren Williams. It gave up 23 yards on a screen pass to tight end Tyler Higbee.
From there on, the Seahawks allowed just 115 yards on 29 plays, 3.9 per snap. The Rams had eight possessions in the final three quarters and none gained more than 25 yards, lasted more than five plays or took more than 2:12 off the clock.
In the second quarter alone the Seahawks outgained the Rams 127-1, holding the ball for 13:43.
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV took a lot of the blame, saying he was not in the position he needed to be on the two runs.
Macdonald also took some blame.
“Settle down in terms of the game plan,” he said. “You came in and you’re trying to figure out what they’re going to do. We have initial plans and you have to move and shift and they got us a couple of times. But we go back, recoup, make adjustments, and our guys did a great job. But that [Rams] offense has not been behind schedule. They haven’t had any third downs in like the whole year. They’re playing at an incredibly efficient rate. I thought our guys did a great job on first-and-10 and on early downs to get in beyond the sticks, especially in the second half.”
Relieved Rams
As Jason Myers’ 61-yard field goal fell short and off-target, the Seahawks felt disappointment and the Rams relief.
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L.A. coach Sean McVay and QB Matthew Stafford said the game shouldn’t have gotten to that point.
Stafford lamented that the Rams were not able to get one more first down to run the clock out the final time they had the ball, punting it back to the Seahawks with 1:41 left, though catching a break when the ball went out at the 1-yard line.
“I’m just glad it didn’t have the legs to get there,” Stafford said. “I don’t know if it was wide right or whatever, but I felt early off the foot it wasn’t going to have enough. I don’t like those situations. We’d much rather be taking a knee. We had our chance and didn’t earn the opportunity to do that so that’s something we can always work on. We’ve been good at that this season. We weren’t good enough tonight.”
Some on the Rams sideline thought the game should have been over on the preceding play.
The Seahawks had the ball at the L.A. 49 with five seconds left following a defensive pass-interference penalty on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. on Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The penalty was good for 13 yards and moved the ball from the Seattle 38 to the Rams 49.
While some on the Rams side questioned that flag, McVay didn’t go down that road later.
“Why would you ask me?” he said. “Are you trying to bait me? You going to get me fined right there? Doesn’t matter what I think. I’m not the ones making the call. So ultimately, I’m just glad we came away with the win today.”
Darnold hit Rashid Shaheed for 6 yards with the Seahawks able to call time out with one second left.
While some with the Rams questioned the clock stopping, McVay was diplomatic about that, too.
“I think [referee] John Hussey always does a great job,” McVay said. “He said the guy gave himself up and so that left one second off. I’m not too upset about it because they missed the kick.”
Milroe again among inactives
Rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe was again among the inactive players for Sunday’s game against the Rams. He again served as the emergency third quarterback, able to play only if Darnold and Drew Lock are unable.
Milroe has not been active since the loss to Tampa Bay on Oct. 5, when his pitch to Walker on an option play resulted in a lost fumble that led to a Bucs touchdown.
He has been active four times this year and played in three games, each time getting one snap.
The Seahawks had five other inactive players — WR Tory Horton, who was declared out on Friday because of a shin injury, WR Jake Bobo, LB Jared Ivey, LB Connor O’Toole and OL Mason Richman.
Bobo, Ivey, O’Toole and Richman were all healthy scratches to get the roster down to the gameday max of 48.
Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com. Bob Condotta is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times who primarily covers the Seahawks but also dabbles in other sports. He has worked at The Times since 2002, reporting on University of Washington Husky football and basketball for his first 10 years at the paper before switching to the Seahawks in 2013.