seed

Matthew Stafford remains among the frontrunners for the NFL most valuable player award, though his status took a hit after a three-interception performance in a defeat by the Atlanta Falcons.

On Sunday, the Rams’ veteran quarterback gets a final shot at making his case when he plays against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.

“Listen, I’m not too worried about it,” Stafford said when asked whether MVP talk enters his mind.

The balloting is in the hands of others.

“People are going to vote how they want to vote,” he said. “They’re going to say what they want to say.”

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The Rams look to end their two-game losing skid and head into the wild-card playoffs with a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

So Stafford is focused on helping the Rams return to their winning ways.

“I’m just trying to put as good of a season together as I possibly can,” he said.

Stafford, 37, has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his 17-year career.

He has passed for a career-best and league-leading 42 touchdowns, with eight interceptions, while leading the Rams to an 11-5 record and third-place finish in the NFC West, the NFL’s toughest division this season.

His main competition seemingly is New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. The second-year pro has passed for 30 touchdowns, with eight interceptions, while leading the Patriots to a 13-3 record and the AFC East title.

The NFL MVP award is voted on by a panel of 50 journalists who regularly cover the NFL, and the panel is assembled by the Associated Press. Los Angeles Times reporters do not participate in voting for awards.

Maye will start Sunday when the Patriots play the Miami Dolphins. If the Patriots win and the Denver Broncos lose to the Chargers, the Patriots will earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round playoff bye.

The Rams entered the weekend as the No. 6 seed in the NFC. With the San Francisco 49ers’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, the Rams will move up to No. 5 with a win over the Cardinals.

The Rams and Stafford were on a roll, and held the No. 1 seed in the NFC, until they lost 38-37 in overtime to the eventual NFC West champion Seahawks on Dec. 18 in Seattle. Stafford played well in that defeat, passing for 457 yards and three touchdowns.

But last Monday against the Falcons, Stafford had one interception returned for a touchdown and two more that also cost the Rams in a 27-24 defeat.

Stafford ranks among the top 10 in several NFL career passing categories. But he ranks this season’s statistical performance among his best.

“It’s up there with some of the better ones I’ve played,” he said. “The cool thing about that is I have such a great group around me. … I have great teammates. I try to do my best to get the best out of those guys and help them succeed and help those guys have great seasons and great games as best as I can.”

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford takes the field before a win over the Detroit Lions on Dec. 14.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Coach Sean McVay said Stafford was a coach on the field.

“Do you elevate the people you’re around and the situations you’re a part of? He certainly does that,” McVay said. “And I think that’s been reflected from guys having their best years around him. He deserves a ton of credit for that.”

During seven of his 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, Stafford combined with Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson. In 2021, after being traded to the Rams, he helped Cooper Kupp capture the so-called triple crown of receiving: Kupp led the NFL in catches, yards receiving and touchdown catches.

Two years ago, Rams receiver Puka Nacua burst onto the scene with a record-setting rookie season, and this season he is tied for the league lead with 119 catches. Veteran Davante Adams, who is in his first season with the Rams, leads the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.

“Every single time I go play, I feel like I try to help our guys and our coaches and everybody, put everybody in the best position to succeed,” Stafford said.

Stafford, who sat out all of training camp because of a back issue, was never a scrambler in the mold of Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. But he continues to make plays out of the pocket and utilizes multiple arm angles to deliver passes.

“I still play with all the same feel and pocket movement and all that stuff that I used to,” he said. “It probably just doesn’t look the same.”

A few weeks ago, Stafford appeared on his way to his first NFL MVP award.

Now he is aiming to bounce back from his performance against the Falcons and help the Rams enter the playoffs with momentum.

“I would love to play perfect in every game, but I’m not a robot and it happens,” he said. “I’m proud of our team and I’m looking forward to another opportunity.”

SANTA CLARA — Zach Charbonnet scored on a 27-yard run in the first quarter and Seattle shut down the high-powered San Francisco offense in a 13-3 victory over the 49ers on Saturday night that secured the No. 1 seed for the Seahawks in the NFC playoffs.

Seattle (14-3) won its first division title since 2020 and is two home wins away from returning to Levi’s Stadium for the Super Bowl next month after besting San Francisco (12-5) in just the fourth season-ending game ever where the winner was guaranteed the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

The loss sends the 49ers on the road for the wild-card round next weekend against an opponent that will be determined after Sunday’s games.

Coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive unit flummoxed a 49ers offense that had been the NFL’s most potent since Brock Purdy returned from an injury in Week 11.

The Seahawks didn’t allow a first down in the opening quarter, generated three sacks and made the biggest defensive play early in the fourth quarter when Drake Thomas got an interception at the Seattle three on a pass that went off the hands of Christian McCaffrey.

Sam Darnold did just enough for the Seahawks as he won a Week 18 showdown this season after falling flat a year ago for Minnesota against Detroit in a loss that cost the Vikings a chance at the No. 1 seed. Darnold went 20 of 26 for 198 yards and didn’t turn the ball over once as Seattle relied heavily on the running game.

Kenneth Walker III ran for 97 yards, Charbonnet had the long touchdown and the Seahawks finished with 180 yards on the ground, their second most in a game this season.

Purdy went 19 of 27 for 127 yards and the interception and McCaffrey was held to 23 yards in eight carries as the 49ers had their lowest-scoring game since losing 23-3 to Carolina in coach Kyle Shanahan’s debut in 2017.

The 173 yards gained by the 49ers were their fewest in any regular-season game under Shanahan.

The Seahawks controlled the first half, outgaining the 49ers by 127 yards and allowing only three first downs, but led only 10-3 at the break after two long drives ended with no punts.

Seattle got stopped on fourth and goal from the four on the on the opening drive but managed to force a three-and-out that set up a short field and Charbonnet’s touchdown run.

Jason Myers also missed a 47-yard field goal attempt. He went two of four on the night, missing from 26 yards late in the fourth quarter.

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 7.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (13-1): Brannon Martinsen starting to contribute after injury; 1

2. REDONDO UNION (16-3): Mira Costa will be the challenge in league play; 2

3. SANTA MARGARITA (19-2): Showdown with St. John Bosco on Friday at home; 3

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (11-4): Braves need to give Christian Collins some help; 4

5. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (17-2): Mission League showdown with Crespi on Friday; 6

6. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (13-4): Knights face Sierra Canyon on Friday; 7

7. LA MIRADA (11-6): Big win over Crespi; 17

8. CRESPI (13-6): Celts start Mission League vs. Bishop Alemany on Wednesday; 10

9. CREAN LUTHERAN (14-5): Begin league play on Tuesday vs. Anaheim Canyon; 5

10. ETIWANDA (17-1): Open league play vs. Los Osos; 12

11. CORONA DEL MAR (15-1): Big league game vs. Los Alamitos on Monday; 9

12. DAMIEN (15-4): Faces Etiwanda on Thursday; 14

13. CORONA CENTENNIAL (15-5): Lost in OT to Coronado; 11

14. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (7-6): Close loss to Etiwanda; 13

15. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (13-5): League showdown with Heritage Christian on Tuesday; 15

16. THOUSAND OAKS (16-0): Lancers face Oaks Christian in league game on Friday; 18

17. BRENTWOOD (18-1): Sophomore Ethan Hill keeps leading Eagles to victory; 19

18. JSERRA (13-8): Lions need to get healthy for Trinity League play; 16

19. MIRA COSTA (16-2): Mustangs quietly looking good for Bay League play; 21

20. ELSINORE (18-0): Kamrynn Nathan is averaging 24.6 points; 22

21. MATER DEI (12-7): Transfer students have given Monarchs a lift; NR

22. LOS ALAMITOS (8-6): Faces Corona del Mar on Monday; NR

23. INGLEWOOD (14-5): Jason Crowe Jr. had games of 50 and 51 points; 24

24. ST. FRANCIS (16-2): 7-foot-4 center Cherif Millogo is living up to expectations; NR

25. WINDWARD (12-6): Open Gold Coast League vs. Campbell Hall on Tuesday; NR

When the Chargers lost to Houston, it foreclosed on some options for them. The division race and bid for the No. 1 seed were out the window. Now, this finale is about getting out of Denver healthy and prepared for the playoffs.

Still on the table, though, is a chance for an unblemished record in AFC West play. The Chargers swept Las Vegas and Kansas City, and posted a 23-20 victory over the Broncos in Week 3.

This is a more polished and confident Denver team than earlier in the season, however, and the Broncos since have won 13 of 14.

The AFC’s No. 1 seed is Denver’s to lose, so if they beat the Chargers, the road to the Super Bowl will go through the Mile High City.

How the Chargers can win: With Justin Herbert sitting out, the Chargers’ path to winning shifts dramatically. The emphasis will be on ball control, field position and avoiding mistakes. Trey Lance’s mobility becomes a weapon if the Chargers lean into it, using the run game, designed quarterback movement and play-action to keep Denver’s pass rush zeroing in. The Broncos are vulnerable to explosive plays when teams stay patient and force them out of their comfort zone. If the Chargers can establish even a modest run game, it opens opportunities downfield off misdirection and play-action. Defensively, Los Angeles must do what it’s done best under Jim Harbaugh: limit big plays, force long drives and make Denver settle for field goals. If the Chargers protect the ball and avoid penalties, they are capable of keeping the game close into the fourth quarter, and in a low-possession game, that’s all they need.

How the Broncos can win: Denver’s formula is simple and familiar: play clean, disciplined football and force the Chargers into a low-scoring game, which is much easier with a backup at quarterback. The Broncos have thrived in tight games by limiting mistakes, relying on their pass rush and letting their defense control tempo. They lead the league in sacks and consistently generate pressure without blitzing, which will be especially important against a Chargers offense starting Lance. If Denver can stop the run early, force Lance into obvious passing situations and avoid costly penalties, it can dictate the game. Bo Nix doesn’t have to be spectacular. He just needs to protect the ball and take advantage of short fields. The Broncos are comfortable winning games 20-17 or 23-20, and they will be happy to be in one of those with the Chargers.

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Vikings by 5½. O/U: 36½.

The Packers are locked in as the No. 7 seed, and the Vikings are playing for pride. Have to believe with all the injuries his team has dealt with, Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur is going to make preserving health a priority. So no matter what happens at quarterback, I like the Vikings winning at home.

Pick: Vikings 21, Packers 16

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 6.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (10-1): Trailblazers getting close to full strength; 1

2. REDONDO UNION (13-2): Sea Hawks looking like Sierra Canyon’s major challenger; 3

3. SANTA MARGARITA (15-2): Drew Anderson is a big man rising in performance; 2

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (9-3): Overtime loss to Phoenix (Ariz.) Sunnyslope; 4

5. CREAN LUTHERAN (12-3): Semifinalist for Classic at Damien; 8

6. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (15-2): Face JSerra on Friday; 5

7. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (10-4): Josiah Nance is back from injury; 6

8. ARCADIA (11-1): Win over San Gabriel Academy makes Apaches the real deal; 16

9. CORONA DEL MAR (14-0): Fourteen straight wins for Sea Kings; 11

10. CRESPI (11-4): Celts advance to Classic at Damien semifinals; 13

11. CORONA CENTENNIAL (14-3): Stanford commit Isaiah Rogers is delivering; 9

12. ETIWANDA (15-1): Lost in overtime for first defeat; 10

13. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (6-5): Freshman Zach Arnold continues to perform well; 7

14. DAMIEN (14-3): Came within one point of upsetting Redondo Union; 14

15. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (11-5): A 41-point performance from freshman Will Conroy; 12

16. JSERRA (12-5): Lions starting to make improvement; 17

17. LA MIRADA (8-5): Matadores keep challenging themselves; 15

18. THOUSAND OAKS (13-0): Dylan McCord is firing in threes; 18

19. BRENTWOOD (15-1): Thirty-point performance from AJ Okoh; 22

20. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (10-5): Big performance from Sloane Harris; 21

21. MIRA COSTA (15-1): Made it to Torrey Pines semifinals; 23

22. ELSINORE (18-0): Undefeated season still going strong; 24

23. MAYFAIR (6-3): Next up is Crossroads on Monday; 20

24. INGLEWOOD (11-4): Jason Crowe Jr. is averaging 44.0 points per game; 25

25. CYPRESS (12-5): In divisional semifinals at Torrey Pines; NR

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 5.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (8-1): Headed to Oregon for Christmas tournament; 1

2. SANTA MARGARITA (13-1): Reached semifinals in Tarkanian Classic after double-overtime win over Las Vegas Bishop Gorman; 2

3. REDONDO UNION (9-2): Reached semifinals in Tarkanian Classic; 5

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (8-2): Back-to-back losses to top teams in Florida; 3

5. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (13-2): Loss to the top team in Idaho; 4

6. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (9-2): Zachary White continues to provide key rebounds; 7

7. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (4-3): 6-foot-11 Mahamadou Diop is delivering; 6

8. CREAN LUTHERAN (9-3): Set to play in Classic at Damien; 8

9. CORONA CENTENNIAL (11-2): Lost to Utah Timpview in Las Vegas; 9

10. ETIWANDA (14-0): Classic at Damien will offer challenges; 11

11. CORONA DEL MAR (11-0): Faces 10-4 Cypress on Tuesday; 12

12. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (8-4): Playing in Mission Prep tournament; 10

13. CRESPI (8-4): Tough schedule will pay off for league play; 13

14. DAMIEN (13-2): Set to host Classic at Damien; 14

15. LA MIRADA (5-4): Matadores are improving; 17

16. ARCADIA (9-1): Apaches are about to get even better with sit-out period players; 19

17. JSERRA (8-5): Headed to San Diego for Torrey Pines tournament; 16

18. THOUSAND OAKS (10-0): Lancers knocked off unbeaten Chaminade; NR

19. BISHOP MONTGOMERY (10-0): Semifinalist at Mission Prep tournament; NR

20. MAYFAIR (5-2): Josiah Johnson is a player to watch; NR

21. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (7-4): It’s a learning experience in Las Vegas; 22

22. BRENTWOOD (13-1): Went 3-1 in Hawaii; 23

23. MIRA COSTA (12-1): Torrey Pines tournament will be test; NR

24. ELSINORE (16-0): Junior Kamrynn Nathan averaging 25 points a game; NR

25. INGLEWOOD (10-4): Averaging 92 points a game; NR

SEATTLE — In a matter of minutes, the home of the Seattle Seahawks went from a painfully quiet Lumen “Library” to a rollicking madhouse that sent seismologists scrambling for their ground-motion sensors.

Call it the Sheesh-Quake Game.

In a historic comeback, the Seahawks dug their way out of a 16-point, fourth-quarter ditch to beat the Rams in overtime, 38-37.

Oh, the visitors will agonize over some of the bizarre calls, some deserving of further explanation from the NFL. An ineligible-man-downfield call that wiped out a Rams touchdown when they were a yard away from the end zone? That had people scratching their heads. Then there was that do-or-die two-point conversion that seemingly fell incomplete… but later was reversed. More on that in a moment.

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Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in their 38-37 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Thursday night.

When the Rams wincingly rewind the video of the collapse, they’ll be peering through the cracks in their fingers.

You’ve heard of a no-look pass? This was a no-look finish.

As soothing wins go, this was a warm bubble bath for the Seahawks, who secured a playoff berth and assumed the driver’s seat in the race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

“You hear people late in the year have losses, and you hear people come up here and say, like, ‘Man, this is going to be a good thing for us,’” said Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp, a onetime Rams hero. “It’s much better to be up here right now saying this is going to be a good thing for us.”

Kupp atoned for his first-half fumble with a successful two-point conversion in the fourth quarter — the first of three in a row for the Seahawks — and a 21-yard reception on the winning drive in overtime.

“If you find a way to get a win when you do turn the ball over three times, you do end up down 16 points, or whatever it was, in the fourth quarter, just finding ways to win games when the odds are against you and things aren’t going right — finding a way to fight back — it’s going to be a good thing for us,” Kupp said. “A good thing for us to draw on.”

The Rams are sifting through the debris of a different lesson. It was a reminder that this charmed season, with Matthew Stafford in line to win his first Most Valuable Player honor, can come crashing down at any moment. There’s no more smooth glide path to Santa Clara for the Super Bowl.

As good as it was for most of the game, picking off Sam Darnold twice and sacking him four times, the Rams defense failed to hold up when it counted most. Shades of the three-point loss at Carolina.

Darnold will have a story to tell. He exorcised a lot of demons. The Rams sacked him nine times in the playoffs last season when Darnold was playing for Minnesota, and intercepted six of his passes in two games this season.

“It’s not great when you have interceptions and turnovers, you want to limit that,” said Darnold, the former USC star. “But all you can do is fight back. For us, I was just going to continue to plug away.”

Darnold came through when it counted, completing five passes on the winning drive, then finding the obscure tight end Eric Saubert — his fourth option — wide open in the end zone on the triumphant conversion.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold looks to pass against the Rams in the first half Thursday.

(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

The second of the three conversions was the game’s most controversial moment. The Seahawks needed it to forge a 30-30 tie with a little more than six minutes remaining in regulation.

Darnold fired a quick screen pass to his left, trying to get the ball to Zach Charbonnet. Rams defender Jared Verse jumped the route and knocked down the pass. Everyone thought the play was dead, including Charbonnet, who casually jogged across the goal line and picked up the ball as it lay in the end zone.

That proved critical because officials — after what seemed like an eternity — ruled that Darnold had thrown a backward pass and the ball was live when Charbonnet picked it up. Therefore, a fumble recovery and successful conversion, tying the game.

Asked later if it felt like a backward pass, Darnold had a half-smile and said, “Um, yeah. It felt like I threw it kind of right on the side. I’m glad Charbs picked it up, and that turned out to be a game-changing play.”

Was that designed to be a backward pass?

“It just happened to be backwards,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily talked about. We were just trying to get it in down there on the goal line.”

The Seahawks were lined up to kick off when officials announced that, upon review, the previous play was successful. Suddenly, the most improbable of come-from-victories was within reach.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, when the home team was trailing, 30-14, the Amazon Prime crew had to do some vamping to keep viewers engaged. Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit told some Kurt Warner stories from the “Greatest Show on Turf” days. Hey, it had to be more interesting than this game.

Michaels delivered an obscure stat: When leading by 15 points or more in the fourth quarter, the Rams were 323-1.

Informed of that, Seahawks running back Cam Akers — once shown the door by the Rams — had a wry response.

“Now, they’ve lost two,” he said.

Celebration in one locker room. Silence in another.

Do you believe in meltdowns?

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 4.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (7-1): Face Crean Lutheran on Saturday; 1

2. SANTA MARGARITA (11-1): Headed to Las Vegas for Tarkanian Classic; 2

3. ST. JOHN BOSCO (8-0): Champions of their own tournament behind Christian Collins; 3

4. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (9-1): Next up is a trip to Hawaii; 4

5. REDONDO UNION (6-2): Went 1-1 on East Coast trip; 5

6. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (1-3): Another team headed to Las Vegas; 6

7. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (6-2): Face Riviera Prep from Miami on Friday; 7

8. CREAN LUTHERAN (9-2): Hunter Caplan has been making major contributions; 8

9. CORONA CENTENNIAL (10-1): Isaiah Rogers is MVP of San Juan Hills tourney;11

10 VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (7-3): Freshman Will Conroy leading team in scoring; 9

11. ETIWANDA (13-0): North Orange County tournament champions; 15

12. CORONA DEL MAR (11-0): 11 straight wins to start season is impressive; 16

13. CRESPI (6-4): Waiting for cavalry to arrive on Dec. 26 ; 10

14. DAMIEN (12-2): Went 2-1 on trip to Idaho; 14

15. FAIRMONT PREP (6-4): Suffering close losses to good teams; 12

16. JSERRA (6-4): Jaden Bailes continues to lead Lions; 13

17. LA MIRADA (4-4): Strong schedule will pay off; 18

18. CHAMINADE (11-0): Close win over El Camino Real keeps Eagles unbeaten; 19

19. ARCADIA (7-1): Good win over Pasadena in Pacific League opener; 20

20. PASADENA (3-2): Bulldogs waiting for players to become eligible; 21

21. CROSSROADS (7-1): Winning without Evan Willis (flu); 22

22. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (5-3): Face Hesperia on Tuesday 23

23. BRENTWOOD (10-0): Headed to Hawaii; 24

24. RANCHO VERDE (9-2): Semaj Carter has been on scoring run; NR

25. ROLLING HILLS PREP (10-1): Suffered first loss to Los Alamitos; 17