Should Seahawks prefer to face the Rams right away in NFL playoffs?

The NFL playoffs will be kicking off in a couple of hours. Nobody seems to have any idea who will come out of the AFC side with the Kansas City Chiefs out of the picture. However, on the NFC side almost everyone agrees that the two toughest teams are the Seattle Seahawks and the LA Rams.

These two division rivals have already played a pair of classics earlier this season. In Week 11, the Seahawks came painfully close to an upset in LA even though Sam Darnold threw four picks. In Week 16, they got their revenge in the game of the year, pulling off an overtime comeback win by one point.

It seems inevitable that these two teams will meet again at some point in the postseason, but when would be the best time from Seattle's perspective?

According to Cameron Van Til at Seattle Sports radio, the Seahawks should want to face LA right away in the divisional round, as that will be when they are the healthiest.

Divisional round case

“You’re probably going to play (the Rams) at some point anyway, because the consensus and prevailing opinion is that they’re the other best team in the NFC, and the team that is the toughest matchup for you,” Salk said. “… If you play them next weekend, that’s when you would have the absolute best advantage. You are going to be as healthy as you could possibly be next weekend."

There is some logic here, as the Seahawks will have two weeks' worth of rest under their belts when they host whoever emerges from the Wild Card round with the lowest seed in the NFC.

However, there is another case to make that we would prefer.

NFC Championship

As much as a third round between these two heavyweights seems inevitable, it's not. A lot of weird things can happen in the playoffs - and the best time to face the Rams again for the Seahawks would be not at all.

While it is unlikely that the Carolina Panthers will upset the Rams again after doing so a few weeks go, it's certainly not out of the question - nor would a team like the Philadephia Eagles or Chicago Bears beating the Rams in the divisional round. Even if LA emerges to the conference championship, they'll be more likely to have suffered a major injury in two games than Seattle in one.

Through their two matchups less than a handful of yards and points separate these teams. As unstoppable as the Seahawks have looked since Week 6, this Rams team is just about as good in every way - with the lone exception of special teams.

So, while there's something to be said for a classic playoff matchup, Seahawks fans should be hoping for the path of least resistance to the Super Bowl. If it is going to happen, it's best that it would be in the NFC Championship round.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Divisional round case

NFC Championship

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