Rams vs Seahawks NFC Championship Live Game Thread

Check out the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship ON SI.

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams safety Kam Curl (3) acknowledges the crowd with safety Kamren Kinchens (26) after intercepting a pass intended for Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (not pictured) during overtime of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Seattle, WA -- The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks will face off in the NFC Championship for a Super Bowl appearance. This will be the third time these divisional foes have matched up this season, and it is their most important by far.

Their previous games decided which team would earn the number one seed and a bye week. The Seahawks won when it mattered most, but both of their games were decided by one score, which included a game that went to overtime. The stakes couldn't be higher. What do the Rams have to be on the lookout for to come out victorious?

What To Look Out For

Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up prior to a game against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

No Darnold, No Problem

The Rams have had no problems dismantling Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in the past, dating back to his lone playoff start with the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold gets flushed in the pocket when he faces pressure, and the Rams' defensive line has faced him enough times to know how to make him uncomfortable.

This season alone, he has a 2 - 6 touchdown-to-interception ratio against the Rams. I am positive that the Rams will be able to force Darnold into making mistakes. Surprisingly, despite all of the pressure they've sent Darnold this season, they've yet to take him down for a sack. Unfortunately for the Rams, the Seahawks just won a playoff game in dominant fashion, where he wasn't asked to do much.

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass during warmups before an NFC Divisional Round game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

What makes the Seahawks so dangerous is that they've already endured a Darnold meltdown against the Rams. He threw four interceptions in their first meeting this season, and only lost by three points. Darnold needs to play well to give the Seahawks a better chance of winning, but he isn't required to have one for them to win.

On the other hand, Matthew Stafford needs to continue his MVP performances in the postseason for them to have a chance at victory. The Seahawks' defense is more complete than the Rams', even if the Rams' secondary has had some key performances to keep them going this far. Stafford is going to have his hands full dealing with the pressure up front and analyzing their coverage.

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay walks into the stadium before the NFC Wild Card Round game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Rams may have survived bad coaching decisions on Sean McVay's behalf in the divisional round against the Chicago Bears, but that won't cut it against the Seahawks. They've made it this far on the back of their veteran quarterback. They need to live and die by Stafford's hand.

The game kicks off at 3:30 PM PST / 6:30 PM EST and can be watched on FOX Sports!

Be sure to follow along with our live game thread for updates throughout the contest.

START OF THE FIRST QUARTER:

BIG PLAY: Seahawks QB Sam Darnold lets it fly to WR Rashid Shaheed for a 51-yard pass

SCORING UPDATE NO. 1: Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III punches it from 2 yards out to get the game's first score, Rams down 7 - 0

BIG PLAY: Rams QB Matthew Stafford throws the ball over the top to WR Puka Nacua for a 44-yard completion

SCORING UPDATE NO. 2: Rams K Harrison Mevis kicks a 44-yard field goal to cut into the lead, Rams down 7 - 3

PENALTY: Seahawks OL Anthony Bradford commits an offensive holding penalty, which sets the Seahawks offense back 10 yards

SCORING UPDATE NO. 3: Seahawks K Jason Myers nails a 27-yard field goal, Rams down 10 - 3

END OF THE FIRST QUARTER: Rams down 10 - 3

START OF THE SECOND QUARTER:

BIG PLAY: Stafford's first pass to WR Davante Adams goes for 23-yards

BIG PLAY: Stafford is sacked and fumbles the ball, but the Rams retain possession

SCORING UPDATE NO. 4: Mevis nails a 50-yard field goal, Rams down 10 - 6

BIG PLAY: Darnold fumbles the ball but retains possession

SACK: Rams DE Braden Fiske takes down Darnold for the game's first sack, a loss of 8-yards

BIG PLAY: Nacua catches a pass that goes for 21-yards

2 MINUTE WARNING

SCORING UPDATE NO. 5: Stafford finds a wide-open Rams RB Kyren Williams for a 9-yard touchdown catch, Rams lead 13 - 10

BIG PLAY: Darnold finds Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 42-yard completion

PENALTY: Seahawks C Jalen Sundell kills some of their momentum with a 5-yard false start penalty

SCORING UPDATE NO. 6: Darnold goes back to Smith-Njigba for a 14-yard wide-open touchdown pass, Rams down 17 - 13

HALFTIME: Rams down 17 - 13

START OF THE THIRD QUARTER:

SACK: Rams DE Jared Verse takes down Darnold for a loss of 8 yards

BIG PLAY: Rams KR Xavier Smith muffles the punt, and it's recovered by Seattle

SCORING UPDATE NO. 7: Darnold throws a 17-yard strike to Seahawks WR Jake Bobo for a touchdown, Rams down 24 - 13

BIG PLAY: Stafford responds back with a 40-yard dot to Rams TE Colby Parkinson

BIG PLAY: Stafford's heating up, a 29-yard pass to Adams to put them in the red zone

SCORING UPDATE NO. 8: Stafford goes back to Adams for a 2-yard touchdown pass, Rams down 24 - 20

SCORING UPDATE NO. 9: Darnold marches down the field and caps off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp, Rams down 31 - 20

PENALTY: Rams LB Omar Speights commits a 10-yard illegal block in the penalty on the kickoff, which pushes back the Rams offense

BIG PLAY: Stafford responds with a 35-yard strike to Adams

PENALTY: Seahawks CB Riq Woolen's illegal contact penalty gives the Rams 5 yards

PENALTY: Rams OL Alaric Jackson's illegal use of hands penalty sets the Rams offense back 10 yards

PENALTY: Woolen commits a taunting penalty, which bails the Rams out on third down and gives them a first down

SCORING UPDATE NO. 10: Stafford targets Woolen in coverage, and Nacua beats him for a 34-yard touchdown reception, Rams down 31 - 27

END OF THE THIRD QUARTER: Rams down 31 - 27

START OF THE FOURTH QUARTER:

SACK: Rams S Kamren Kinchens takes down Darnold for a loss of 9 yards

PENALTY: Verse commits a neutral zone infraction penalty, which gives the Seahawks 5 yards and a new set of downs

BIG PLAY: Stafford runs for the 4th down and picks it up off a 3 yard scramble

PENALTY: Seahawks LB Boye Mafe's defensive offside penalty gives the Rams offense 5 yards

TURNOVER: An incomplete pass to Rams TE Terrance Ferguson ends the drive for the Rams, they turn the ball over on downs

BIG PLAY: Darnold rolls to his right and hits Smith-Njigba in stride for a 14-yard catch, effectively icing the game

PENALTY: Rams CB Cobie Durant commits a defensive holding penalty, which gives the Seahawks another set of downs

2 MINUTE WARNING

BIG PLAY: Stafford finds Nacua for a 23-yard play

BIG PLAY: Stafford goes back to Nacua for a 21-yard catch as time expires

END OF THE GAME

The Rams lose to the Seahawks 31 - 27, and they will advance to the Super Bowl.