Rams vs. Seahawks: Three Bold Predictions for NFC Championship Game

The Rams and Seahawks will meet in a rivalry clash in the NFC championship on Sunday. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

We have a rivalry game slated for the NFC championship this year, as the Rams will travel to Lumen Field for a showdown against the Seahawks on Sunday, Jan. 25.

For Matthew Stafford, he’ll be looking to win his second NFC championship since joining Los Angeles in 2021. That year, the organization won its first Super Bowl since making the move to L.A. from St. Louis. The team has made the playoffs in four of Stafford’s five seasons as a Ram, though they’ve only reached this stage once in that span. Now, they’ll look to topple their division rivals and return to the Super Bowl.

Seattle dominated the 49ers in the divisional round, blowing out their other divisional foes, 41–6. The Seahawks made back-to-back trips to the Super Bowl in 2013 and ‘14, but have not advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs since. Now, just over a decade since their last Super Bowl appearance, Seattle finds itself on the doorstep of a return to the NFL’s biggest stage.

The Seahawks and Rams played twice in the regular season, and both games were remarkably close. Both teams won at home, with L.A. winning 21–19 in Week 11, while Seattle won 38–37 in Week 16. In fact, barely anything separated the two sides when they faced off this year. The Rams outscored the Seahawks 58–57 in their two games, and L.A. also recorded just one more total yard than Seattle, 830–829.

This has the makings of a fantastic and enthralling NFC title game, so let’s dive into some bold predictions.

Sam Darnold will throw two touchdowns but also two interceptions

Sam Darnold threw for 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2025. | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

The Rams’ defense has had Darnold’s number this year. In his two games against L.A., Darnold threw two touchdowns to six interceptions––including four interceptions without a TD while on the road at SoFi Stadium in Week 11. Interceptions have plagued Darnold throughout the season. He had 14 picks in the regular season, one shy of his career high, and had three games with multiple interceptions––two of which came against the Rams.

Los Angeles’s defense has been effective in the playoffs. The unit forced one interception off Panthers quarterback Bryce Young in the wild-card round, and three off of Bears QB Caleb Williams in the divisional round. I’m expecting Darnold to take some shots downfield on Sunday, and have some mixed results in doing so. Similar to the Week 16 game, I think Darnold will throw both a pair of interceptions and a pair of touchdowns.

Puka Nacua will have 200-plus all-purpose yards and a touchdown catch

Puka Nacua had 225 receiving yards the last time he played the Seahawks. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Last time these teams faced off, Nacua was absolutely unstoppable. The Rams star racked up 12 catches, 225 yards and two touchdowns, proving to be a matchup nightmare for Seattle’s secondary. He’ll command plenty of attention from the Seahawks’ defense, but that won’t dissuade Stafford from throwing it up for his top receiver to go make a play.

In addition to his prowess as a receiver, Nacua has also featured in L.A.’s rushing attack of late. In the playoffs, he’s carried the ball five times for 20 yards and a touchdown. He rushed 10 times for 105 yards and a touchdown in the regular season, too.

The Rams are getting creative as they draw up new ways to get the ball into Nacua’s hands, and I think he’ll have another big game on Sunday against the Seahawks. I’m expecting Nacua to record 200-plus scrimmage yards and add a touchdown reception, too.

Rams will win a high-scoring game that will go to overtime

The Rams will look to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2021. | David Banks-Imagn Images

As previously mentioned, in their two regular-season meetings, there was very little that separated these two sides. I think that will be the case once again on Sunday. With a Super Bowl bid on the line, both teams will be up for the challenge, and I think the offenses will combine for no less than 60 points.

This is a game that will come down to a handful of individual plays, and I’m expecting the game to need overtime to determine its outcome, much like the Week 16 clash in Seattle just over a month ago. I think that the Seahawks will tie up the game late in regulation only for the Rams to find a way to pull away in OT like they did against the Bears last week and return to the Super Bowl.

Final score prediction: 34–31

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