Matthew Stafford sends blunt message to Rams after disappointing 'TNF' loss to Seahawks

The Los Angeles Rams squandered a 16-point fourth-quarter lead and an opportunity to grab sole possession of the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed as they suffered a disappointing 38-37 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks that dropped the Rams to 11-4 on Thursday night. 

Following the defeat, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford sent a message to his team that no longer controls its postseason destiny. 

Matthew Stafford wants Rams ready to play anywhere in January

"Go play," Stafford said about the Rams possibly losing home-field advantage for the playoffs, per the Seahawks' website. "Where are we playing? Who are we playing? Put the ball down. Prepare. Go play. That's the attitude this team has had since day one. It's the attitude we're going to have until the last game we play this year. Listen, respect everybody, fear nobody. Go play."

Following Thursday's result, the Rams trail the 12-3 Seahawks in both the conference and NFC West standings. Meanwhile, the 10-4 San Francisco 49ers are lurking and will play at the 8-6 Indianapolis Colts this coming Monday night. San Francisco hosts Seattle in Week 18. 

While Rams head coach Sean McVay was seemingly left baffled by a fourth-quarter replay of a wacky two-point conversion attempt, the fact remains that the visitors had multiple opportunities to put the Seahawks away. Perhaps most notably, the Rams scored the opening touchdown of the overtime period when Stafford hit wide receiver Puka Nacua for a 41-yard score. However, Los Angeles was unable to come up with a clutch defensive stop. 

How Matthew Stafford thinks Rams will respond to tough loss

"Just like every game," Stafford responded when asked about positives the Rams could take from Thursday's loss. "Whether we win the game or lose the game, there's plenty to learn from, plenty of plays we'd love to have back in probably all three phases. We're going to do what we always do. Look at the tape, find a way to, hey, tweak a couple of things, find a way to play better. Play for each other. Continue to go out and play."

The Rams will next face the Atlanta Falcons in a "Monday Night Football" game on Dec. 29. 5-9 Atlanta will play at the 3-11 Arizona Cardinals this coming Sunday. 

"That's the best part about this team," Stafford continued. "Whether we beat a team by 30 or we lose by one on a last-second play, this team is as steady as it gets, so I'm proud to be a part of it. Proud of the effort we had together today and, tough one for sure, but we'll move on and play who we got next."