SEATTLE — In a thrilling NFC Championship victory tonight, the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams to earn a berth in Super Bowl 60.
After a season of rivalry and high stakes between these divisional foes, Seattle’s resilience and balanced play propelled them past Los Angeles in this decisive Round 3 matchup.
Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop, and Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game on Sunday.
The Seahawks overcame adversity throughout the season, and tonight’s win underscored the team’s preparation and belief in its identity — a mindset emphasized by Head Coach Mike Macdonald and reflected in Seattle’s strong defensive effort and timely offensive execution.
Led by Macdonald and Darnold — an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth team — the Seahawks (16-3) reached the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years.
Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
With Los Angeles (14-6) facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford’s pass was broken up in the end zone by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn’t get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.
Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown.
Darnold played through an oblique injury and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving and a touchdown on 10 catches.
With the 12s cheering them on at Lumen Field and a collective focus on process and preparation, the Seahawks now set their sights on the ultimate prize in California, representing the NFC with confidence and determination after tonight’s big victory.
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The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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