Rams-Seahawks on Championship Sunday: What we learned from Seattle’s 31-27 win

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1. Darnold leads the Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX berth. No speculation this time Sam Darnold. Plagued by turnovers in previous games against the Rams, Darnold was nearly flawless, constantly drawing LA’s defense. Darnold stepped in fearlessly and probed and found open targets with aplomb. The QB completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Troubled by pressure in the past, all three TDs came against pressure, making him the first QB with a trio of touchdown passes under pressure in a playoff game in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). Darnold played aggressively on key downs and found targets to move the chains. Seattle went 7-of-13 on third downs, which proved huge in a tight deficit. In the crucible of the biggest moment, the Seahawks coaching staff wasn’t afraid to put the ball in Darnold’s hands. With the ball late, Seattle had Darnold throw several times on the final drive instead of simply running the ball into a stacked box. It paid off, with the Seahawks returning four first downs to milk the clock. It was the best performance of a QB Pro Bowl season. Darnold’s rollercoaster career now heads to the Super Bowl to face the New England Patriots. No ghosts hanging around this time.
2. Stafford, Rams offense come up shy. MVP candidate Matthew Stafford and the Rams moved the ball against the NFL’s No. 1 defense. 1 and found a splash game. Stafford led a Rams offense that racked up 479 yards and 26 first downs. QB was spectacular against a great defense, darting lasers and lifting bombs. Stafford completed 22 of 35 passes for 374 yards with three touchdowns. Whether under pressure or not, the caller found his boys. Stafford was especially powerful going downfield. He finished 7-of-11 for 226 yards and a TD on passes of 20-plus yards. For all the yards generated, LA couldn’t complete enough drives in bankruptcy to beat their division rival. The Rams settled for two early field goals. Then, with a chance to take a late lead, Stafford was denied the end zone and turned over on a down. With the defense unable to make a quick stop, LA’s offense was unable to complete the comeback.
3. JSN is always open. The NFL’s leading receiver was a threat throughout the game. Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets open so easily against every defense that it’s no surprise he was targeted 12 times, catching 10 for 153 yards and a TD. It seems like every important Seahawks game, Darnold looked at Smith-Njigba, and wide receiver. He was particularly strong in the first half, gaining 115 yards on seven catches (nine carries) with a TD late in the second quarter. Fittingly, on the final drive, Darnold hit JSN for a big first down to take more time off the clock. The receiver’s ability to create separation is otherworldly. Whether zone or man, he finds space and his nimble routing moves defenders out of place. Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak did an amazing job moving JSN to keep the Rams defense going. The receiver ran 19 routes wide, 16 from the slot, one tight and two from the backfield, from where he caught his TD. JSN’s talent, Kubiak’s brilliance and Darnold’s willingness to trust his receivers at every position make this a dynamic trio.
4. The Rams’ biggest issue resurfaces. Once again, the special teams weren’t that special for LA. Entering the postseason, the third unit was LA’s biggest flaw, which has cost the club multiple times this season. The Rams played through the issues in their first two postseason games, but couldn’t overcome their biggest blunder. Trailing, 17-13, early in the third quarter, the defense forced a punt. Instead of Stafford and the offense having a chance to retake the lead, disaster struck. Returning Xavier Smithwho had already survived one punt, tripped over his own feet as the punt arrived, muffling the punt and allowing the Seahawks to recover. One card later, receiver Jake Bobo was dancing in the end zone and Seattle had an 11 point lead. Instead of a potential visionary battle, LA was forced to play catch. It never fully recovered.
5. Seahawks D bows out when needed. Well, the No. 1 ranked defense had its hands full with Stafford and Co. Every big name for LA seemed to have their day. Stafford threw for 350-plus yards, Puka Nacua had a 9/165/1 split, Davante Adams generated 89 yards and a TD with several big plays. LA rushed for 114 yards. Seattle’s D team had to overcome a corner kick Tariq Woolenwhich called a penalty after PBU wiped out a fourth-and-12 and a Rams punt. On the next play, Stafford Woolen targeted deep for a 34-yard TD to Nacua. The series could have been costly. Instead of catching the ball with a double-digit lead, things got hairy. Yet, when a big play was needed, Mike MacDonald’s defense came alive. That held LA to a measly 1 of 8 on third down and 1 of 2 on fourth down. These key setbacks told the story. First, the Seahawks forced an early field goal. Their one forced punt allowed the Seahawks to take the lead late in the second quarter. Then, with the Rams in a groove offensively, Seattle was stuck on its doorstep deep into the fourth quarter. The Seahawks pounded LA targets on back-to-back plays to secure the lead in a huge shutout. It won’t be a scoring drive the defense will rave about, but the Seahawks buckled down when they needed to and that’s enough to send them to Santa Clara.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Seahawks-Rams (via NFL Pro): Sam Darnold completed 5 of 11 passes under pressure for 102 yards and a career-high 3 TDs. Over Darnold’s first two games against the Rams this season, Darnold threw zero TDs and three INTs under pressure.

NFL Research: Sam Darnold (127.8, fourth) and Matthew Stafford (127.6, sixth) had two of the sixth-highest passer ratings ever among QBs to attempt at least 30 passes in a Conference Championship game.