NFL Rumors on Potential Rule Change for Backward Passes After Wild Rams vs. Seahawks

Despite a controversial decision on a crucial two-point conversion in Thursday night's thriller between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, it doesn't sound like the league will make any major changes anytime soon.

The Seahawks were able to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter after replay review changed a failed two-point conversion attempt from an incomplete pass into a backward pass that was recovered in the end zone. The game went into overtime, and Seattle won 38-37 to knock Los Angeles from first place in the NFC West.

On Friday, Rams head coach Sean McVay suggested that he expects there to be a push to change the backward pass rule in the offseason. However, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported that a source "with knowledge of the broader dynamics at play" said that a change to the rule is "highly unlikely."

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Florio went on to add that there are multiple questions regarding what a new rule would look like. McVay has a role on the competition committee, but he will need "unanimous support from the rule-suggesting body" to make a formal proposal to owners. If the Rams propose the rule change directly to ownership, they will need at least 24 teams to vote in their favor.

At 11-4, the Rams have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, but Thursday's loss could hinder them from earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the lone first-round bye. McVay made it clear that he wasn't happy with how that play impacted the end of the game.

"I've never seen anything or never been a part of anything like that," he said. "And I've grown up around this game. I'm not making excuses. We don't do that. I don't believe in that. It doesn't move us forward, but we do want clarity and an understanding of the things that we can do to minimize that when we rejected the 2-point conversion."

Florio also noted that McVay's post-game comments "were received by the powers-that-be on Park Avenue as a normal club/coach reaction after a painful loss."

It seems that the Rams will have to get over the sting of losing the division lead as they try to close out the season strong over the final two weeks.