Seahawks and Rams Ready to Set Their Sights on Super Bowl LX
Both the AFC and NFC Championship Games will take place on Sunday, January 25th, with the first game of the doubleheader taking place between two teams ready to live out another Super Bowl dream in the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. The second game of the evening will showcase the NFC’s top-seeded Seattle Seahawks at home, taking on the Los Angeles Rams. During the Divisional Round, Seattle demolished the San Francisco 49ers 41-6, while Los Angeles just squeezed by the Chicago Bears during a 20-17 overtime win. With both teams’ sights set on Super Bowl LX, one of these teams is going home empty-handed. Seattle is 0-2 all-time in the playoffs against Los Angeles, with their most recent matchup together taking place during the 2021 NFL Wild Card Round, where the Rams came out on top in the end 30-20. Can the Seahawks pick up a playoff win against one of their division rivals to enter Super Bowl LX?
Heading into the NFC Championship Game, there have been many discussions about whether or not Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold deserves to be in the topic of talk when it comes to being an elite quarterback. Last season with the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold led the team to a 14-3 record. A year later, in a completely different organization, the 28-year-old QB propelled Seattle to a 14-3 record. With potential Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba playing the best ball of his three-year career, the Rams defense should be worried. During the Divisional Round against San Francisco, the Seahawks’ offense looked as strong as it has all season, and their top-rated defense has shut down some of the league’s top teams. In the regular season, Seattle’s defense allowed just 17 points a game, and was the best team at stopping the run game as running backs averaged 3.7 yards a carry against this tough defense. Seattle has the best all-around team in the league, and their crushing win against the Niners proves this team is capable of so much more.
For the Rams in the Divisional Round, they ended the Bears’ magical season with the help of their solid defense and running back Kyren Williams. Quarterback Matthew Stafford certainly could have played a better game, going 20 for 42 with 258 passing yards while being sacked four times. We’ve seen better outings from both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams as the two of them combined for just 80 receiving yards. Going 12-5 in the regular season, Los Angeles proved they’re a great football team; however, against a great Bears team that has resurged since the past few seasons, they did play the greatest game. That could have been from the pressure and competitive nature, yet the Rams will have to perform at the highest level to get past the Seahawks, who’ve looked undeniably like a Super Bowl-caliber squad. The offensive pieces of Stafford, Williams, Nacua, and Adams must be the best versions of themselves in order for the Rams to pull off the win on the road. Defensively, the guys must pick apart Seattle’s offense, even on the tiniest mistakes.
The quarterback matchup draws the biggest interest as Stafford, a former MVP and MVP candidate this season, will be going against Darnold, who has been the most improved quarterback throughout the league over the past two seasons. Stafford could rewrite his legacy with another Super Bowl appearance, while Darnold can prove to every NFL franchise not to give up on their quarterbacks too early in their career. Both defenses as a whole will also be interesting to watch, as the tiniest mistake or one bad throw could change the entire game around. With Los Angeles and Seattle averaging the highest and second-highest points in a game this season, this matchup is going to shape up to be a thriller. Yet, Seattle having the best defense in the league could very well change this game from being an offensive barrage to the Legion of Doom 2.0.
If Seattle’s defense continues to show out, there should be no reason why Super Bowl LX does not have the Seahawks in it. They’ve been the best all-around team this season, with the offense having its moments while the defense has been an absolute threat to every team they’ve come across. The Rams absolutely have an opportunity to win this game. However, Seattle must look and play the worst game of their season, if the Rams have the slimmest possibility of coming across as the victors. While Stafford wants to continue his legacy and MVP-caliber season, I see the Seahawks as too strong a team all-around to come onto their home field and choke this game away to one of their biggest division rivals.
