And so it comes down to this. One more win from an unlikely trip to the Super Bowl for the Seattle Seahawks. All they have to do is beat the Los Angeles Rams at home for a second time in a month to book
their trip for Santa Clara. Way easier said than done given how close these teams have played, but it’s nevertheless the last hurdle for the Seahawks to clear to win the NFC Championship.
In a season in which the top of the NFC West beat the hell out of each other and all won at least 12 games, it’s fitting that the Conference Championship is an all-NFC West affair. But that’s not the only reason why this is an apt trilogy.
The Sam Darnold redemption story
There’s no escaping it even though I think this story is exceedingly overdone and boring. Over the past year and change, Sam Darnold went from a prominent draft bust to a good NFL starting quarterback. As a one-year stopgap with the Minnesota Vikings, he defied expectations and had a genuinely impressive season on a 14-win team.
Then the last two weeks happened.
A blowout loss to the Detroit Lions with the division and number one seed on the line, followed by a humiliating exit Wild Card against the Los Angeles Rams in which he took nine sacks and turned it over twice. In a way, this might have helped the Seahawks because it surely lowered his free agent value.
Fast forward to his first season with the Seahawks and it’s almost an identical scenario for Sam, but so far the results have been different. After a disastrous performance in a loss against the Rams, and some disastrous 2nd half moments in the rematch with the NFC West on the line, Darnold battled back and helped lead an extraordinary comeback to give the Seahawks control of the division and never relinquish it. Week 18 was the same “win and you’re the top seed, lose and you’re a Wild Card” scenario as last year, but Darnold managed the game well and the Seahawks dispatched the 49ers on their home turf.
Despite an injury scare in practice, Darnold started and picked up his first playoff win in a humongous blowout of the 49ers. We can cross out “can you win a playoff game with Darnold at quarterback?” from the list. Now Sam is set up for one more showdown with the team that has given him considerable difficulty in terms of sacks and protecting the ball. A win would be one hell of a full circle moment for Darnold.
If the Seahawks are at the top of their game, then Darnold won’t have to do much. “Game manager” being seen as a pejorative is ridiculous because that’s the baseline thing you want your quarterback to do. Whether or not he’s some elite QB you want to build around in the long term is a conversation for another day. And even still, when Darnold was asked to lead a comeback against the Rams just a few weeks ago, he did it. It’s possible he’ll be called upon one more time, and I have confidence he can lead Seattle to victory if the game is in his hands.
A chance for the Seahawks to exorcise some McDemons
The decline of the Seahawks as the preeminent NFC West favorite coincided with the hiring of Sean McVay. While the San Francisco 49ers needed a little bit more time to become a contender again, McVay transformed the Rams in an instant. From the minute the Rams stormed into Seattle and won 42-7 with the NFC West title more or less at stake, the Seahawks have been playing catch-up against one of the great coaches of this generation.
Swept in 2018, eliminated from the playoffs in 2020, swept in 2021, swept in 2023, it’s been a one-sided rivalry for way too long. The only time the Seahawks have truly “owned” McVay was when the Rams were heavily injured in 2022, and even then Seattle needed late comebacks to win both games.
Mike Macdonald was hired by the Seahawks in part because a new voice was needed to help overcome the 49ers and Rams. He’s conquered the Niners (at least this season) and now it’s time to do the same to the Rams. This is the best the Seahawks have been in the McVay era, but will it be enough to get to the Super Bowl?
Revenge for prior Lumen Field eliminations
The Seahawks have almost a spotless record in home playoff games at Lumen Field. They’ve beaten every team they’ve faced… except the Rams, who have gotten them out of their own building twice.
You probably remember (or wish to forget) the embarrassing 30-20 exit in the 2020 Wild Card, which put an emphatic end to “Let Russ Cook” and would’ve emptied out Lumen Field even if COVID-19 didn’t already do that. It made winning the NFC West against the Rams in the same building just a few weeks prior look worthless.
The first Lumen Field playoff game was against the St. Louis Rams in the 2004 Wild Card. It was a back-and-forth game that unfortunately ended in one of the many drops committed by Seahawks receivers that year. The indignity of getting super swept by an 8-8 division rival.
While I would’ve preferred not having to do the NFC West go-around again in the playoffs, perhaps the real proof the Seahawks are back was always going to be this route.
It’s go time.
