After cruising past the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round, the Seattle Seahawks are set for their biggest game in more than a decade against the Los Angeles Rams with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Much has been, and will continue to be, made about the stars the Seahawks will need to step up to win this game. From the endless conversations about quarterback Sam Darnold’s turnovers and play in big games to how the team will deal with the loss of running back Zach Charbonnet, the national
narratives surrounding the game are set in stone.
However, a unique aspect of the 2025 Seahawks is their ability to compete at a high level while lacking much of the star power that has accompanied previous Super Bowl favorites. It’s those players, the ones who are often overlooked, that will be critical for the Seahawks in these two teams’ third meeting. These three are just a few who will need to step up if the Seahawks are going to return to the mountain top.
Josh Jobe
In the second Rams game, Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua torched the Seahawks’ secondary to the tune of 225 yards and two touchdowns. It’s safe to say stopping that from happening again will be paramount, and that starts with Jobe and his ability to play outside on either Nacua or Davante Adams.
That could be a scary thought for some, but few players on the Seahawks roster have had the turnaround that Jobe has in his second season with the Seahawks. Jobe rose from a depth piece to a reliable piece of their starting rotation, who has racked up 54 tackles, 12 passes defensed and an interception this season.
If Jobe can keep his man contained, it will free up Mike Macdonald to get in his bag of tricks and use Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori as human wrecking balls. Throwing a wrench in Sean McVay’s offensive gameplan is paramount, and it’ll be on the back of the former undrafted free agent.
Eric Saubert
The hero from the Seahawks’ overtime victory will once again play a major factor, but it won’t be in the receiving game. Ever since the former 49er returned from an injury in Week 15, the Seahawks have rushed for over 150 yards in all but one game. Not to say Saubert is the direct cause of the run game’s explosion, but it never hurts to have a quality blocking tight end to seal the edge.
With the Seahawks’ three starting tackles injury status up in the air, Saubert won’t only be a factor in the run game. Seattle may need to step in and provide help for a depth tackle outside by chipping incoming edge rushers or staying in a pseudo-sixth offensive lineman to give Darnold a little extra time in the pocket.
The Seahawks offense has found success dominating the trenches in their run up to this point, which is part of the reason they brought in and extended Saubert in the first place. A big game for him might not mean six catches or even hearing his name once on the broadcast, but there’s no doubt the team will feel his impact on Sunday.
Byron Murphy II
I’m still not sure if it’s fair to call a former first-round pick underrated, but on a defensive line with Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawerence it’s easy to be overshadowed. Murphy has been everything the Seahawks thought he would be when they took him out of Texas two years ago, a mean and physically talented defensive tackle.
In their two showdowns with the Rams, the Seahawks’ impressive pass rush has failed to get Stafford on the ground once. That’s going to have to change if they want a chance in this one, and I firmly believe that starts with Murphy using his athleticism to create problems for the Rams’ offensive line and opening rush lanes for Willians and Lawerence to get after him.
The same way Murphy dominated the 49ers’ front and slowed their running game, he’ll need to do so in an effort to make the Rams one-dimensional.
If these three have impactful nights, I’m fairly confident that Seattle will feel like it’s 2015 again with their team on their way to play for a world title.
