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Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks NFC Championship Game Preview
The NFC Championship Game brings a thriller between division rivals who split their season series. The Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field on Sunday with a Super Bowl berth on the line. These teams know each other well after two nail-biting regular season meetings.
Game Details
The Rams travel to Seattle on Sunday, January 25 at 6:30 PM ET. FOX will broadcast the game with streaming available on Fox One. Weather forecasts show potential rain with temperatures in the low 40s.
Season Series Decided by One Point
The Rams won 21-19 at Los Angeles in Week 11. Sam Darnold threw four interceptions but Seattle still had a chance. Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal at the buzzer. Week 16 delivered instant classic status. The Rams built a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter and racked up 581 total yards. Darnold threw two more interceptions but rallied late. The Seahawks won 38-37 in overtime on the first two-point conversion in overtime history. The combined margin across both games was one point.
The Quarterback Storyline
Darnold threw six interceptions against the Rams during the regular season. He changed the script in the playoffs. The 28-year-old completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards against the 49ers without a turnover. He became the second quarterback ever with back-to-back 14-win seasons in his first year with two different teams. Darnold is playing through an oblique injury.
Matthew Stafford struggled in snowy Chicago last week. He completed just 20 of 42 passes for 258 yards with no touchdowns. The 37-year-old threw for 587 yards and five touchdowns in two games against Seattle this year. Stafford finished the regular season with 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns as the MVP favorite.
Elite Defense Meets Top Offense
The Seahawks built the best scoring defense in football at 17.2 points allowed per game. They stop the run better than any team in the league. Seattle pressured Brock Purdy on 58 percent of dropbacks in the Divisional Round. The 12th Man crowd at Lumen Field creates chaos with deafening noise.
Los Angeles led the NFL in scoring at 30.5 points per game. The Rams forced seven turnovers in two regular season meetings with Seattle. Cobie Durant grabbed three interceptions in two playoff games. The Rams allowed only 23 sacks all season with elite offensive line play.
Ground Game Battle
Kenneth Walker III carried the offense against San Francisco with 116 yards and three touchdowns. The Seahawks rushed for 139 yards in Week 11 and 171 yards in Week 16 against the Rams. Walker provides everything Seattle needs on offense.
Kyren Williams handled 21 carries for 87 yards against Chicago. Puka Nacua made the crucial third-down catch in overtime that set up the game-winner. Davante Adams has been quiet in the playoffs and needs to step up.
Keys to Victory
The Seahawks win if Darnold protects the football. He threw six interceptions in two regular season games against Los Angeles. Seattle must lean on Walker to control the clock and keep Stafford on the sideline.
The Rams need Stafford to shake off the Chicago performance. Los Angeles wins by creating turnovers and forcing Darnold into mistakes. Weather could favor the ground-based Seahawks if rain arrives.
The winner advances to Super Bowl LX on February 8 at Levi's Stadium. The loser goes home after the closest playoff rivalry of the season.
| Passing | C/Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford [QB] | 22/35 | 374 | 10.7 | 3 | 0 | 1-9 |
| Rushing | Yds | Att | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford [QB] | 16 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| Kyren Williams [RB] | 39 | 10 | 0 | 11 |
| Blake Corum [RB] | 55 | 9 | 0 | 19 |
| Puka Nacua [WR] | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Receiving | Tgts | Rec | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davante Adams [WR] | 6 | 4 | 89 | 35 | 1 |
| Colby Parkinson [TE] | 4 | 3 | 62 | 40 | 0 |
| Ronnie Rivers [RB] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyren Williams [RB] | 2 | 2 | 22 | 13 | 1 |
| Tyler Higbee [TE] | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Konata Mumpfield [WR] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrance Ferguson [TE] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Corum [RB] | 3 | 3 | 24 | 15 | 0 |
| Puka Nacua [WR] | 14 | 9 | 165 | 44 | 1 |
| Fumbles | Fum |
|---|---|
| Colby Parkinson [TE] | 1 |
| Matthew Stafford [QB] | 1 |
| Xavier Smith [WR] | 2 |
| Kevin Dotson [G] | 0 |
| Interceptions | Int | Yds | TD |
|---|
| Tackles | Tckl | Solo | Sck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darious Williams [CB] | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Nathan Landman [LB] | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Kamren Curl [S] | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Poona Ford [DT] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Reeder [LB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cobie Durant [CB] | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Quentin Lake [S] | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Jared Verse [LB] | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Xavier Smith [WR] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kobie Turner [DE] | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Byron Young [LB] | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Jaylen McCollough [S] | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Desjuan Johnson [DE] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Braden Fiske [DE] | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Kamren Kinchens [S] | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Nick Hampton [LB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Josaiah Stewart [LB] | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel Forbes [CB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Omar Speights [LB] | 11 | 7 | 0 |
| Roger McCreary [CB] | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Kick Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Rivers [RB] | 1 | 29 | 29 | 0 |
| Jordan Whittington [WR] | 5 | 116 | 25 | 0 |
| Punt Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Smith [WR] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kicking | FG | Lng | XPM | XPA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison Mevis [PK] | 2/2 | 50 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Punting | No | Yds | TB | in20 | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan Evans [P] | 2 | 84 | 0 | 1 | 43 |
| Passing | C/Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Darnold [QB] | 25/36 | 346 | 9.6 | 3 | 0 | 3-25 |
| Rushing | Yds | Att | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Shaheed [WR] | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Darnold [QB] | 9 | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| Kenneth Walker III [RB] | 62 | 19 | 1 | 11 |
| George Holani [RB] | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Receiving | Tgts | Rec | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Shaheed [WR] | 3 | 1 | 51 | 51 | 0 |
| Kenneth Walker III [RB] | 4 | 4 | 49 | 15 | 0 |
| AJ Barner [TE] | 3 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 0 |
| Jaxon SmithNjigba [WR] | 12 | 10 | 153 | 42 | 1 |
| Jake Bobo [WR] | 2 | 1 | 17 | 17 | 1 |
| George Holani [RB] | 4 | 3 | 27 | 13 | 0 |
| Cooper Kupp [WR] | 6 | 4 | 36 | 13 | 1 |
| Fumbles | Fum |
|---|---|
| Sam Darnold [QB] | 1 |
| Dareke Young [WR] | 0 |
| AJ Barner [TE] | 1 |
| Interceptions | Int | Yds | TD |
|---|
| Tackles | Tckl | Solo | Sck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Jobe [CB] | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Ernest Jones [LB] | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| Eric Saubert [TE] | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Leonard Williams [DE] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Julian Love [S] | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Jarran Reed [DT] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dareke Young [WR] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe [LB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Uchenna Nwosu [LB] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Coby Bryant [S] | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tariq Woolen [CB] | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Devon Witherspoon [CB] | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Tyrice Knight [LB] | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Brady Russell [FB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Morris [DE] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Drake Thomas [LB] | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Jake Bobo [WR] | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Derick Hall [LB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy II [DT] | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| DeMarcus Lawrence [DE] | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Connor O'Toole [LB] | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Emmanwori [S] | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Kick Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Shaheed [WR] | 1 | 21 | 21 | 0 |
| Punt Returns | No | Yds | Lng | TD |
|---|
| Kicking | FG | Lng | XPM | XPA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Myers [PK] | 1/1 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| Punting | No | Yds | TB | in20 | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Dickson [P] | 5 | 226 | 0 | 5 | 56 |
