Darnold Delivers as Seahawks Hold Off Rams for NFC Title

SEATTLE — Sam Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns as Seattle beat the Rams 31–27 on January 25, securing the NFC championship and a place in Super Bowl LX.

Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes without an interception. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown, giving Seattle the receiving production it needed in a game that demanded more than a defensive stand or a conservative offensive plan.

The Seahawks committed no turnovers. They also converted seven of 13 third downs, compared with one of eight for Los Angeles. Those numbers help explain how Seattle finished ahead even though the Rams generated more total yards and first downs.

Kenneth Walker III added 111 yards from scrimmage, combining 62 rushing yards and a touchdown with four catches for 49 yards. His contribution gave the offense another source of movement alongside the Darnold-to-Smith-Njigba connection.

Seattle still needed its defense to finish. Devon Witherspoon broke up consecutive passes in the end zone on third and fourth down, stopping a late Los Angeles opportunity to move ahead. The sequence preserved a lead that the offense had worked hard to build rather than making that offensive work irrelevant.

The Seahawks reached their fourth Super Bowl and their first in 11 years. They will face New England on February 8 in Santa Clara, a matchup that renews a familiar Super Bowl pairing without determining how this meeting will end.

For Darnold, the immediate statement was contained in his performance. He produced against a dangerous opponent, avoided turnovers and helped Seattle win a game in which both passing attacks were effective. The defense supplied the final resistance. Together, those contributions moved the Seahawks from a home championship game to the league's last stage.