Russell Wilson struggles as Seahawks lose 23-16 to Rams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Russell Wilson seems to find ways to turn disastrous plays into remarkable ones.

Not so much on Sunday, though.

Wilson threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the Seattle Seahawks’ 23-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

“I’m never gonna shy away from leaving it all out there,” said Wilson, who was 22-of-37 passing for 248 yards and rushed for a team-high 60 yards. “If you don’t shoot you’ll never make it, you know what I mean?”

It's the first time since Wilson’s rookie season that he has thrown multiple picks in consecutive games. But it comes at a time where the Seahawks (6-3) need Wilson to be at his best to help overcome a spate of injuries on both sides of the ball.

Seattle was without its top two running backs against Los Angeles. Starting center Ethan Pocic was out because of a concussion. Both starting corners did not play.

Lacking the powerful run game and fearsome secondary that helped him find success early on in his career, Wilson seemingly knew he had to make things happen. In key moments when he tried, it backfired spectacularly.

Wilson’s first interception came late in the second quarter when he tried to find tight end Will Dissly in the corner of the end zone. Wilson had evaded pressure by stepping up in the pocket and could have scrambled for the first down but instead attempted a jump pass that was snagged by Rams cornerback Darious Williams.

“Yeah, it was a bad play,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “It was a decision that, you know, rarely have we seen Russ do. He’s on the other side of the field moving that way and throwing the ball back across. He does miraculous things often and that wasn’t one of them."

Wilson lost a fumble in the fourth quarter when Kyle Fuller’s snap was too low for him to handle. He tried to pick it up to salvage the play but couldn’t collect it, and Rams linebacker Leonard Floyd fell on the loose ball just shy of midfield.

The final interception came when Wilson stared down tight end Greg Olsen, allowing Williams to break on the ball and step in front of the intended receiver.

The seven interceptions Wilson has thrown in his past four games is the second-highest tally in his career. He threw nine in Weeks 12-15 of the 2016 season, including five interceptions at Green Bay in Wilson’s worst outing.

With Wilson responsible for seven turnovers in the past two games, safety Jamal Adams felt the time was right for a pep talk.

“I don’t want anybody else as a quarterback,” Adams said. “I believe in him, we believe in him. He’s gonna bounce back, you know. Sometimes in life, you know, you can’t control certain things.”

For his part, Wilson remains upbeat heading into a critical game at Arizona on Thursday. With the Rams (6-3) and Cardinals now tied with the Seahawks for the lead in the NFC West, how quickly Wilson gets back on track could decide the division.

“We can still get better, we can still find our way,” Wilson said. “We got tough challenges ahead of us but nothing that we can’t overcome and nothing that I won’t overcome, so I’m looking forward to keep going and just keep believing in it all.”

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