SEATTLE — It was an NFL game so ugly you’d rather watch political ads. Twenty penalties. Four interceptions.
A blocked punt, blocked extra point and a star receiver ejected. Yet Sunday’s 26-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks was just what the Rams needed, a reminder that one of the league’s youngest teams ultimately has to rely on its most experienced players. With the trade deadline approaching Tuesday, the Rams need to lean on their never-waver wire, guys such as Matthew Stafford and Demarcus Robinson — who combined for the winning touchdown in overtime — and Cooper Kupp making a key block to give the quarterback an extra half-second of protection.
After staggering into their week off at 1-4, the Rams have won three in a row and are 2-1 in the NFC West. They have a heartbeat and it isn’t a faint one, with winnable games against 2-6 Miami and 2-7 New England coming up. Back in the dismal days when the season was circling the drain, there was ample talk about trading Kupp.
But that kind of chatter is as quiet as Lumen Field was when Robinson reached up with one hand and reeled in that perfectly placed touchdown pass. By every indication, Kupp is here to stay. He didn’t have a touchdown reception, but he led all receivers with 11 catches for 104 yards and did the little things — such as diverting rushing linebacker Tyrel Dodson on that winning play — that really turned out to be big things.
He was the security blanket, especially after the Rams lost recei.