Jason Myers did all he could to win the Seattle Seahawks their 11th game of the season, and as fate would have it, his six-for-six field goals were just enough. In a game that should have belonged to the Seahawks from kickoff, the end result will only scream a massive missed opportunity, even though it was a win.
Sam Darnold was supposed to outshine everyone's favorite grandpa of the week. For the majority of the game, 44-year-old Philip Rivers was the best quarterback standing on Sunday evening, until Darnold picked things up and began to pick up yards in the second half.
While the Seahawks did eke out the victory in the end, it wasn't a confident win, that's for sure. Which begs the question, how will this team feel as they now prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams in four days — a Rams team that just beat the Detroit Lions in their own afternoon showcase.
Seattle Seahawks' winners and losers from messy Week 15 victory
Even in a win, if it's not a great win, that means there are more losers than winners, and a pair of Seahawks running backs lead the way.
Winner: Sam Darnold, QB
Darnold is the winner because had the Seahawks lost to the Colts, much of the blame would have been directed at Darnold's way. On top of that, Rivers would have beaten him, and that might have been worse than the blame for being on the losing end.
Darnold picked it up in the second half after a creep-crawling first, and ended the game with 271 yards with no touchdowns, but the most important stat here is the one that doesn't exist: interceptions. Therefore, Darnold is the winner, because had the Seahawks lost, he'd be a loser.
Loser: Kenneth Walker III, RB
After a string of solid and productive performances, Kenneth Walker III fell flat against the Colts. In a game where Seattle's offense could have significantly benefited from a strong rushing attack, Walker wasn't able to produce, ending the game with just 17 yards on nine carries, averaging only 1.9 yards per carry.
Suffice to say, it wasn't Walker's best day, and it put a wrench in the momentum he had been picking up the last three weeks.
Loser: Zach Charbonnet, RB
If your No. 1 back just isn't having it, it's the backup's job to step in and pick up the slack, but Zach Charbonnet wasn't able to do that. Granted, when Charbonnet did get the ball in place of Walker, he did average a much more respectable 3.9 yards per carry. However, 31 yards on eight touches for the game wasn't nearly enough.
Loser: Patrick O'Connell, LB
Patrick O'Connell made a splash off the practice squad nearly a month ago when he had the biggest day of his NFL career. Since then, however, O'Connell has disappeared. Yes, the defense has returned to much healthier days since O'Connell's surprise, but he has been on the active roster every game since then and has barely been heard from.
We were hoping to hear more from O'Connell after his big game, but we've still heard nothing.
Loser: Los Angeles Rams, NFC West division rival
Okay, so the Rams aren't a member of the Seahawks, but they are losers this week because the Seahawks also won. Had Seattle lost, a canyon-sized crater could have opened up between the two division rivals as the playoff push continues. However, Seattle did win, and kept pace with LA, which means the Rams will still have the Seahawks right on their heels, at least for the time being.