For the first time in 11 years, the Seattle Seahawks are headed back to the Super Bowl.
On Sunday at Lumen Field, the top-seeded Seahawks weathered a late rally from the Los Angeles Rams and emerged with a 31-27 victory in the NFC Championship Game, punching their ticket to Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif. It was a finish befitting a rivalry that’s produced some of the most memorable games between NFC West foes in recent seasons.
Seattle’s offense was led by veteran quarterback Sam Darnold, who completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was his primary target, hauling in 10 catches for 153 yards and finding the end zone in a performance that kept the Seahawks ahead in crucial moments.
The Seahawks drew first blood early. Running back Kenneth Walker III opened the scoring with a 2-yard rushing touchdown, giving Seattle an early 7-3 lead. Kicker Jason Myers added a field goal later in the first quarter. The Rams answered with a pair of scoring drives but couldn’t shake the Seahawks, who reclaimed the lead on Darnold’s 14-yard scoring strike to Smith-Njigba with just 20 seconds remaining in the first half. Seattle took a 17-13 advantage into the locker room.
Momentum shifted in the second half on special teams. A Rams punt return miscue allowed Seattle to recover the ball deep in Los Angeles territory. On the very next play, Darnold found Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown, pushing Seattle’s lead to 24-13. The Rams responded with a quick scoring drive, but Seattle wasn’t done. Darnold connected with Cooper Kupp for a 13-yard touchdown to make it 31-20.
Los Angeles kept fighting. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, playing in what could be his final game as a Ram, threw for 374 yards, three touchdowns and kept the Rams within striking distance. A drive capped by a Puka Nacua touchdown made it 31-27 late in the third quarter and set the stage for a dramatic finish.
With just under five minutes to play and the Rams facing fourth-and-4 from Seattle’s 6-yard line, Los Angeles elected to go for the lead. But Devon Witherspoon, one of Seattle’s rising defensive stars, broke up Stafford’s pass in the end zone. The Seahawks’ defense held and, after chewing up most of the remaining clock, Seattle closed out the win as time expired with the Rams pinned deep and unable to regain momentum.
Defensively, Seattle showed resilience when it mattered most. Witherspoon’s late pass breakup was just one of several key plays by a group that has improved steadily throughout the season. That unit, paired with a balanced offensive attack, ensured that the Seahawks controlled enough of the game’s key phases to keep the Rams from taking over outright.
The victory marked the Seahawks’ fourth NFC Championship Game win, and importantly, their fourth trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history. Seattle is now 4–0 in NFC title games at home, a testament to the strength of this team in high-stakes settings.
Homefield advantage was evident throughout. The Seahawks finished the season with a 14-3 record and used that strength to throttle their way through the playoffs, including a 41-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round. In the NFC title game, Seattle’s ability to sustain offensive drives at critical junctures — and make timely defensive plays — ultimately made the difference.
For the Rams, the loss brings an end to a promising season that saw them return to deep playoff contention for the first time since their Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2021–22. Stafford and his stars gave everything they had, but in the end, costly special teams errors and a staunch Seattle defense proved decisive.
Seattle now turns its attention to Super Bowl LX, where it will meet the AFC champion Patriots – a rematch of an earlier era of NFC–AFC showdowns. The Seahawks and Patriots last met in the league’s biggest game over a decade ago, and this time Seattle arrives with confidence built from a balanced, veteran-led roster and one of the more complete seasons in recent franchise memory.
Darnold’s journey, his first Super Bowl after 8 NFL seasons and stops with multiple teams, speaks to the resilience that has become a hallmark of this Seahawks squad. And while the regular season and playoffs have tested Seattle at every turn, the payoff is clear: a return to football’s big stage, with aspirations of lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
Seattle fans won’t soon forget Sunday’s performance. A close, physical NFC title game, capped by key plays and steady leadership, has set the stage for Super Bowl LX. And if the Seahawks’ run this season has shown anything, it’s that they are built to compete when everything is on the line.
Show Your Team Spirit
Recent Comments