Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald comments on Riq Woolen's big blunder vs. Rams

The Seattle Seahawks knew it would be a battle from start to finish against the Rams. They expected their defense to be the reason for their edge over the Rams, but it turned out to be quarterback Sam Darnold, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and the rest of the offense.

Offensively, the Seahawks played one of their best games of the season. Defensively, it was the exact opposite, as it was a rough performance from the secondary.

Among the rough performers in the secondary was cornerback Riq Woolen, who struggled at times covering Rams' star wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. At times when Woolen could've been the savior of the Seahawks' defense, he followed that by putting the Seahawks in bad situations.

An example was late in the third quarter, Woolen locked down Nacua and accounted for a pass breakup to force 4th down and 12 to go in Seattle territory. After the big play, Woolen went to taunt the Rams' sidelines, thus forcing the refs to flag Woolen for a 15-yard penalty and give the Rams a new set of downs.

On the following play, Woolen allowed a 34-yard touchdown from Nacua to cut the deficit to 31-27 with 2:06 left to play in the third quarter. That was the final scoring play of the game as he was lucky; the scoring stopped.

To make matters worse, Woolen was seen arguing with rookie nickel Nick Emmanwori on the sidelines. The frustrated Emmanwori was likely saying this was unacceptable, and Woolen took offense to it.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald after the win in the NFC Championship game over the Los Angeles Rams. — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald looks on after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

After the game, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was asked about Woolen's taunting call and gave the Rams the juice to account for a touchdown on Woolen in the following play.

"Look, Riq has done a tremendous job for us, and you're frustrated in the moment, and all that's happening, but he just made an emotional decision. But we got to pick him up. That's not the time to get all upset, you got to play the next play and not let them score in the next play, and you've got to rebound and go back. And Riq came back and played well in the rest of the game."

For the most part, the Seahawks' defense, specifically the secondary, had a performance to forget. The Seahawks allowed the Rams to account for 479 total yards, with 365 of them coming from the passing game. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford averaged 10.1 yards per pass. Nacua caught nine receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown.

The Seahawks were more efficient defensively in the fourth quarter. Woolen and Devon Witherspoon were among the least proficient defenders in the game, but they finished strong, helping ensure the Rams didn't score in the final quarter.

Seattle not only lives to fight another day, but they advance to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, where they will face the New England Patriots. The Seahawks will have two weeks to fix their big issues and address some matters before facing a young group. Among the concerns to be addressed are the secondary and making sure Woolen doesn't hurt the team with his taunting, a common problem with him.

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