The Seattle Seahawks are headed back to the Super Bowl after surviving a dramatic 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday night, setting up a highly anticipated clash with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara.
Behind a poised performance from quarterback Sam Darnold, Seattle captured its fourth Super Bowl berth and secured a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX. Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover, outdueling Rams star Matthew Stafford, who passed for 374 yards and three scores in a thrilling back-and-forth battle.
Seattle struck first after forcing a quick three-and-out, marching downfield for a Kenneth Walker touchdown run to take an early 7-0 lead. The Rams responded with a pair of Harrison Mevis field goals before briefly grabbing a 13-10 edge when Stafford connected with Kyren Williams for a short touchdown late in the second quarter. Darnold answered immediately, guiding a crisp drive capped by a 14-yard scoring pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, sending the Seahawks into halftime ahead 17-13.
The momentum swung sharply early in the second half when Los Angeles muffed a punt deep in its own territory, allowing Seattle to recover and score on the next play — a touchdown strike from Darnold to Jake Bobo. Stafford countered with a quick touchdown toss to Davante Adams, but the Seahawks kept pushing, as Darnold found Cooper Kupp for a 13-yard score, stretching the lead to 31-20.
The Rams refused to fade. A costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Seattle’s Riq Woolen extended a Los Angeles drive late in the third quarter, setting up Stafford’s 34-yard touchdown to Puka Nacua, pulling the Rams within four. With the game hanging in the balance, Seattle’s defense delivered its biggest stand, stopping Los Angeles on fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Seattle then burned nearly five minutes off the clock with a composed, methodical drive, pinning the Rams deep and leaving them just 25 seconds and no timeouts for a final attempt. The Seahawks closed out the victory moments later.
With the win, the Seahawks advance to Super Bowl LX, where they’ll face the Patriots, who earlier secured their spot with a 10-7 triumph over Denver. The championship matchup will mark a long-awaited rematch between the two franchises, this time with the Lombardi Trophy on the line in Santa Clara.
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