NFL Insiders Leaning Towards Seahawks Over Rams in NFC Championship

The Seattle Seahawks will host another NFC West rival in the playoffs as the Los Angeles Rams will head to Lumen Field for the NFC Championship Game. Seattle earned the No. 1 seed following a 14-3 campaign, giving them a bye week to start the postseason. They then ran all over the San Francisco 49ers, winning 41-6. Seattle went 1-1 against the 49ers in the regular season, giving them the 2-1 edge with the postseason win.

Now, they host the Rams, who they also went 1-1 against during the season. Los Angeles won the first meeting 21-19 in Week 11. The Seahawks got revenge in Week 16 with a 38-37 win in overtime. Head coach Mike Macdonald rolled the dice in overtime, going for a game-winning two-point conversion that gave them control of the NFC West.

MORE: Leonard Williams Identifies What Makes Rams so Tough on Third Down

Based on the past meetings, this game is sure to be another close contest. As for who will come out on top, NFL executives believe it will be Seattle. The Athletic's Jeff Howe has been polling anonymous decision-makers around the league, and Seattle had the edge 6-3. Both teams come into this one on a winning streak, but Seattle has been more impressive as of late.

"The Seahawks have won eight consecutive games, including back-to-back eviscerations of the San Francisco 49ers, first with the top seed on the line in the regular-season finale and then in the divisional round. Their last four wins have come against NFC playoff teams," Howe wrote.

"While the Rams have won three in a row, they’ve looked more vulnerable with a 5-3 record since Week 13. They blew a 10-point lead in the wild-card round against the Carolina Panthers before erasing a pair of fourth-quarter deficits in the 34-31 win, and the Rams needed overtime Sunday to survive the Chicago Bears, who had a sudden-death possession with a chance to advance."

Whoever wins is sure to be the favorite to win the Super Bowl

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III reacts after scoring a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Howe also stated that the winner of this game is likely to be favored in Super Bowl LX. Both the Rams and Seahawks have been dominant in the second half of the season, giving them plenty of momentum.

That said, the New England Patriots could be dangerous. They're favored to beat the Denver Broncos, who lost quarterback Bo Nix to a broken ankle. Under head coach Mike Vrabel, they've been one of the more complete teams in the NFL and will make it tough on either NFC team should they advance.

Whoever wins is sure to be the favorite to win the Super Bowl

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