Red-hot quarterback Matthew Stafford<\/a> cooled. Star receivers Davante Adams<\/a> and Puka Nacua<\/a> struggled to consistently make the clutch plays that they often make look routine.<\/p>\n But safety Kamren Kinchens<\/a> and the Rams\u2019 defense managed to keep the Seattle Seahawks at bay \u2014 just barely.<\/p>\n Kinchens intercepted two passes, and cornerbacks Cobie Durant<\/a> and Darious Williams<\/a> also picked off passes as the Rams held off the Seahawks for a 21-19 victory<\/a> on Sunday at SoFi Stadium that was not secured until Seattle\u2019s Jason Myers<\/a> missed a 61-yard field goal as time expired.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m proud of our football team,\u201d coach Sean McVay<\/a> said. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to apologize for finding different ways to win.\u201d<\/p>\n No apologies necessary. Despite some struggles Sunday, the Rams are living up to expectations as a Super Bowl contender<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stafford continues to play without major errors, the defensive front continues to pressure quarterbacks into mistakes, and kicking-game issues appear to be solved.<\/p>\n And now the secondary, regarded as a potential liability before the season, is stepping up.<\/p>\n Stafford tossed touchdown passes to Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson, and Kyren Williams rushed for a touchdown as the Rams improved to 8-2, extended their winning streak to five games and assumed sole possession of first place in the NFC West.<\/p>\n Rams coach Sean McVay tries to rev up his players before Sunday\u2019s 21-19 win over the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n (Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n \u201cWe found a way to win without playing perfect football against a really good football team,\u201d Stafford said. \u201cSo I\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n So will Adams, whose lone catch marked the 1,000 of his career and his league-leading 10th touchdown reception this season.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t like it was the worst of all time,\u201d he said of the offense\u2019s performance, \u201cbut to our standard it definitely was not there.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, I mean, it makes you feel even better knowing you can play like crap … and still come out with a victory against a really good team.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rams can thank Kinchens, a second-year safety who has six career interceptions, including four against the Seahawks. His interceptions set up Williams\u2019 one-yard touchdown in the first quarter and Parkinson\u2019s six-yard score in the fourth.<\/p>\n Rams safety Kamren Kinchens celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass in the second half against Seattle on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n (Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n \u201cMan, they want to throw the ball,\u201d a chuckling Kinchens said in explaining his success against the Seahawks. \u201cPeople that want to kind of put it down the field or give us a shot \u2014 big mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n Or, as Durant put it: \u201cPreaching what we do every day, man \u2014 take the ball away.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rams went into the game having scored at least 34 points in each of their last three games. But that production was absent against a Seahawks team that fell to 7-3 and had its four-game winning streak end.<\/p>\n Stafford increased his league-leading total of touchdown passes to 27 and did not have a pass intercepted for the seventh consecutive game. But the 17th-year pro was not as sharp as he had been during a stretch that put him in the conversation for NFL most valuable player.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m obviously excited that we got the win,\u201d said Stafford, who completed 15 of 28 passes for 130 yards. \u201cDon\u2019t get it twisted on me here, but at the same time I know I can be better too.\u201d<\/p>\n Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford slings a pass to tight end Colby Parkinson in the first half Sunday at SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n (Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Stafford enjoyed a banner day compared to Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Rams\u2019 front did not sack Darnold but it pressured him into poor decisions, and Kinchens, Durant and Williams made him pay. Darnold completed 29 of 44 passes for 279 yards with four interceptions.<\/p>\n Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/a>, who was on pace to set an NFL record for yards receiving in a season, caught nine passes for 105 yards. But he did not score.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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