Seahawks Defensive Performance Provides Blueprint For Rams Defense

As the confetti rained down at Levi's Stadium, the Seattle Seahawks were joyous over their second Super Bowl title in franchise history. They pulled off one of the great defensive performances in the modern era, smothering the New England Patriots' offense and their MVP finalist quarterback, Drake Maye.

However, down the Cabrillo Highway along the California coastline was the Los Angeles Rams, who imagined themselves hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy instead of their arch-rival Seahawks on Sunday night. The Rams came up a strong cornerback room and special teams unit short of reaching the second Super Bowl of head coach Sean McVay's career.

McVay Rams — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay walks on field after the 2026 NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

While there are certainly levels of regret, the Rams know what they are capable of at their best. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula is aware of the potential of his defense, and that is why the Seahawks historic defensive performance has laid out the blueprint for how the Rams can reach Super Bowl LXI at their home stadium next season.

The blueprint is available for Shula to take from Seattle

Macdonald Rams — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald greets Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on field after the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

What the Seahawks did to the Patriots was phenomenal to watch. Seeing guys like Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori, Byron Murphy II, and Julian Love all make plays for that defense on Sunday night was incredible. What was equally incredible was the masterful coaching done by head coach Mike Macdonald with his outstanding run fits, subpackages, coverage rotations pre-, mid-, or post-snap, and the pass rush on display from seemingly all three levels of the field.

The Rams are capable of mimicking what the Seahawks have done. What helps is that they have better pass rushers to pair with their already stout interior defensive line, along with a great big nickel in Quentin Lake, a similar role to that of Emmanwori in Seattle. However, Los Angeles is missing another quality starting linebacker, ample cornerback play, and will likely have to replace Kam Curl at safety.

Lake Rams — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) runs against Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) during the second half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

With two first-round draft picks and a top-10 salary cap in the NFL, Los Angeles is well-positioned to fill those areas of need. A strong cornerback class provides an opportunity to improve immediately at the position, along with a stout group of linebackers in the open market and selection process.

Shula's defense does a lot of similar things to what Macdonald does with his, with the biggest difference being performance on the defensive perimeter, consistency at linebacker, and stout safety play on the backend. It could be the ultimate chess match between these two teams when they face off for the first time next season, as the Rams could be considered one of the true favorites to win it all in 2026.

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