(No. 1) Seattle Seahawks def. (No. 5) Los Angeles Rams 31-27

Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks are headed to the Super Bowl after outlasting the Los Angeles Rams 31–27 in a thrilling NFC Championship Game on Sunday. Darnold threw for three touchdowns and the Seahawks’ defense delivered a season-defining fourth-down stop late, sealing Seattle’s return to the Super Bowl in an matchup between NFC West rivals.

The win capped a dramatic trilogy between the Seahawks and Rams, who split their regular-season meetings. Much like those earlier games, the championship clash went back and forth and remained undecided until the final minutes. Seattle built a 31–20 lead late in the third quarter, but the Rams stormed back behind Matthew Stafford and put themselves in position to take the lead with under five minutes remaining.

Darnold, an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth NFL team, delivered one of the best performances of his career despite battling an oblique injury. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards without a turnover, leading Seattle to its fourth Super Bowl appearance and first in 11 years. Jaxon Smith-Njigba hauled in 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown, the second-most receiving yards in a playoff game in franchise history. Cooper Kupp also found the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown catch that helped Seattle build its late third-quarter cushion.

The Rams made their push after a taunting penalty on cornerback Riq Woolen extended a stalled drive. On the very next play, Stafford found Puka Nacua for a 34-yard touchdown, igniting Los Angeles’ comeback. The Rams, who led the league in scoring during the regular season, piled up 479 yards of offense and continued to test Seattle’s defense throughout the second half.

Los Angeles later forced a punt and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that ended empty-handed thanks again to Witherspoon’s pass breakup on fourth down. Facing fourth-and-4 at the Seahawks’ 6-yard line, Stafford targeted tight end Terrance Ferguson in the back of the end zone, but Witherspoon broke up the pass to preserve Seattle’s 31–27 advantage. The stop proved decisive, as the Seahawks were able to drain the clock on the ensuing possession and deny Los Angeles another chance.

Stafford finished with 374 yards and three touchdowns, but costly mistakes hurt the Rams, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith that set up a short Seattle touchdown earlier in the second half.

Seattle stayed aggressive on its final drive, with Darnold converting three first downs through the air to burn the clock. The Rams got the ball back with just 25 seconds remaining and no timeouts, and their last-ditch effort fell short when Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield.

With the win, the Seahawks advances to face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, setting up a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX.

Super Bowl Pick (Championship Round Pick Results: 1-1)

• (No. 1) Seattle Seahawks over (No. 2) New England Patriots