The Arena: Gridiron breaks down who has the edge between Seahawks vs Rams III

Most of the remainder of the week going into championship weekend will be discussing the AFC and NFC Championship games. The No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks and the No. 5 Los Angeles Rams will meet for the third time this season, but this time in the NFC Championship.

The last time the two teams met on the field, the Seahawks came back down 30-14 at home in Week 16 to force the game into overtime and win it 38-37. The first time the two teams met was on Week 11, and the Seahawks nearly won on the road, but couldn’t overcome a clutch Rams’ punt with less than two minutes left and four interceptions thrown by quarterback Sam Darnold.

A lot has changed since the two meetings in the regular season. The Seahawks dominated the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers 41-6 in the Divisional Round. The Rams, on the other hand, had to battle to defeat the No. 4 seed Carolina Panthers 34-31 on the road in the Wild Card Round and the No. 2 Chicago Bears 20-17 in overtime on the road in the Divisional Round.

There are many factors that are going to help determine who wins on Sunday and moves on to Super Bowl LX. The Arena: Gridiron crew talked about who has the edge going into the game on Sunday.

Former ESPN and FOX Sports analysts Skip Bayless had his edge based on the most primary and most casual matchups.

“Matt Stafford, Sam Darnold. Give me the Rams. Gimme Sean McVay over MIke Macdonald. Even in that stadium (Lumen Field). They took care of business on the road at Chicago in a hard game to win. I would give the edge to the Rams.”

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold looking for a passing in the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers. — 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

Former Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden gave his edge favoring the Seahawks.

“The Seahawks are rolling. They just need Sam Darnold, Same Darnold and not turn the ball over. I think its the end of the line for the Rams. I’ve been picking them all season.”

Former six-time Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy praised the Seahawks in the beginning, but felt more shifted towards the Rams.

“I think the Seahawks have the edge. The Rams are gonna win the game. I’m only giving them the edge because they feeling good, riding high and the Rams’ offense, its been been shaky for the last two weeks but they’ve been here. They know how how to win in these games.”

Finally, former five-time pro bowl cornerback Aqib Talib said it was all Rams based on one attribute.

“Super evenly matched , but I think the edge goes to the most experienced team. This will be Sam Darnold’s biggest game he ever played in his life. Sean McVay, he 2-0 in conference championship with a Super Bowl. Stafford, he’s 1-0 in conference championship with a Super Bowl. Experience, experience, experience is gonna win these games.”

It is true that McVay and Stafford have the experience when it comes to getting the conference championship game, even though Stafford has done it once. Not a lot players have made a huge splash in the playoffs for the Rams, including start wide receiver Puka Nucua or pass rusher rusher Jared Verse.

Experience won’t be what the Rams survive the top-ranked scoring defense of the Seahawks or their red-hot rushing offense. It is going to come down to many different matchups. The Seahawks have the momentum with their performance and from the Week 16 win, the home field, the defense, and a stout roster on both sides of the field. McVay, Stafford, and experienced might not be enough.

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