In the NFC title game, the Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Seattle is coming off a total domination of the division rival San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round. The Seahawks blasted the Niners, 41-6, in a game that was never remotely close after Rashid Shaheed took the opening kickoff to the house for a touchdown. The Seahawks are now in the conference title game for the first time since 2014, when they went to back-to-back Super Bowls during the “Legion of Boom” era.
Los Angeles is coming off a dramatic, overtime victory over the Chicago Bears in the divisional round, which followed a similarly dramatic win over the Carolina Panthers on Wild Card Weekend. The Rams have won their two playoff games by a combined six points, but they’ve advanced to the title game nonetheless. They were last here back in the 2021 season, when Matthew Stafford led the team to its first Super Bowl since 1999, and now they’re looking to get back to the same mountaintop.
Which of these two teams will advance to the Super Bowl and earn a chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy? We’ll find out soon enough. Before we detail some key storylines, here’s a look at how you can watch the game.
Where to watch Seahawks vs. Rams live
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 25 | Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Lumen Field (Seattle)
- TV: Fox | Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Seahawks -2.5, O/U 46.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook
Key Storylines
- Grudge match. The Rams beat the Seahawks in the first of the teams’ two regular-season meetings, prevailing 21-19, a game in which their defense forced four interceptions from Sam Darnold. The Seahawks won the second game in dramatic fashion in overtime, converting a pair of two-point tries along the way as they stormed back from a 30-14 fourth-quarter deficit and got themselves the inside track to the No. 1 seed that allows them to host this conference title game.
- Sam Darnold vs. Chris Shula. Darnold had a miserable time against Shula’s defense in the playoffs last year and in the first matchup of this season. He went 25 of 40 for 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception while taking an incredible nine sacks in last year’s playoff game. He went 29 of 44 for 279 yards and the aforementioned four picks in the first matchup this season. And in the first three quarters of the second matchup this season, he went 10 of 16 for 126 yards and another pick. But he went off in the fourth quarter and overtime of that second game, completing 12 of 18 passes for 144 yards, two scores and a pick (and the game-winning two-point conversion in OT) to lead the team back from its 16-point deficit. The Seahawks need more of the latter version of Darnold than the former if they want to stave off the Rams again. The Rams’ secondary can be leaky on occasion, so it’s likely a matter of keeping Darnold well protected, giving him time to make the right decisions rather than rushing and becoming more susceptible to mistakes.
- Matthew Stafford vs. Mike Macdonald. Stafford largely struggled in the first matchup between these two teams this season, going just 15 of 28 for 130 yards (a season-low average of 4.6 per attempt), albeit while throwing a pair of touchdowns and no picks. But he went nuclear in the second matchup, throwing for 457 yards and three scores while completing 29 of 49 pass attempts. He didn’t take a sack or turn the ball over in either game. With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams on the outside, he has the tools to succeed against even one of the best defenses in the NFL, which is exactly what the Seahawks are. If Macdonald can contain Stafford as he did in the first matchup, the Seahawks have a chance to win — even if that’s not what happened in that particular game. But if Stafford goes off again as he did in the second matchup, the Seahawks might not get the miracle comeback this time around.
- Zach Charbonnet injury. The Seahawks will be down a man in the backfield after Charbonnet tore his ACL last week against San Francisco. That leaves Kenneth Walker III as the feature back for Seattle. George Holani could potentially return from injured reserve, but if he doesn’t, then it’ll be Velus Jones Jr. and Cam Akers working behind Walker. That would likely mean a significant workload for Walker, who has been splitting the snaps and touches with Charbonnet all season. Charbonnet has been the preferred goalline back for Seattle, so it’ll be interesting to see whether Walker assumes that role or if it goes to one of the other backs active for the game.
- Rams running game. Kyren Williams carried the ball 12 times for 91 yards and a touchdown in the first matchup between these two teams. Blake Corum, though, got only 10 yards on his 8 carries. Still, 20 rushes for 101 yards is excellent. Williams and Corum combined for 118 yards on 37 rushing attempts in the second game, though, getting bottled up a little bit more than they did in the first contest. have run for at least 111 yards in each of their two playoff games, but Williams and Corum averaging a combined 4.0 yards per carry, which probably won’t cut it against an elite Seattle run defense that held enemy backs to 3.7 yards a pop during the regular season.
Prediction
I picked the Rams to beat the Seahawks in the NFC title game in our pre-playoff predictions, so I am obviously rolling with the same pick here. L.A. won the first game between these two teams and should have won the second one, and would have if not for one of the craziest two-point conversions anyone has ever seen. The Seahawks have an elite defense and home-field advantage, but when two teams are as close in quality as these two are, I always like to roll with whichever team has the advantage at quarterback, the game’s most important position. In this case, that’s Matthew Stafford and the Rams. I like them to advance with a closely contested win.
Pick: Rams 23, Seahawks 20
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