Seahawks-Rams dubbed best NFL matchup in almost 50 years

The Seattle Seahawks are running through the NFC West gauntlet for a third time to try and reach their first Super Bowl since the 2014-15 season.

Next on the agenda is what will be the third and final matchup with the Los Angeles Rams this season in the NFC Championship game. Despite the intradivision stakes, it's shaping up to be one of the best games the NFL has ever seen.

FTN Fantasy's Aaron Schatz is the creator of DVOA, which "measures a team’s efficiency by comparing success on every single play to a league average based on situation and opponent," per its website. Seahawks versus Rams will be the top DVOA matchup in 47 years, per Schatz.

By DVOA, the NFC Championship Game is essentially the best NFL matchup of the last 47 years, and by a lot.

This is only the seventh playoff game between two teams over 30% DVOA. SB LIV (2019 KC-SF) is the one not on this table. pic.twitter.com/KjsQwzV723
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) January 19, 2026

That bodes quite well for the Super Bowl title chances of the team that comes out victorious, at least according to DVOA. The game still has to be played on the field, of course, as analytics can't accurately forecast how a game is going to unfold.

The AFC Championship game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots isn't on the list. Those are still two very good football teams that will put up a fight against the Rams or Seahawks, depending on which team advances.

Seattle lost the first matchup against the Rams, 21-19, in Week 11. Even with four Sam Darnold interceptions, the Seahawks had a chance to win the game on a 61-yard field goal as time expired. Jason Myers missed it.

Darnold played a clean game in Week 16, but it still took a 16-point comeback and an eventual game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion in overtime to beat the Rams 38-37. No team has scored more than 24 points against the Seahawks' No. 1 scoring defense this season outside of the Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 5).

Sean McVay's Rams offense versus Mike Macdonald's Seahawks defense has already provided two epic showdowns this season, and it's a treat that fans will enjoy long after this season is over.

Los Angeles has proved to be Seattle's most formidable opponent this season, and vice versa. Thus, it sets the stage for possibly one of the most evenly matched NFC Championship games the league has ever seen.

The Seahawks and Rams kick off at 3:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, Jan. 25, at Lumen Field.

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