SEATTLE — A muffed punt, a fourth-down stand, and a career-defining performance from Sam Darnold sent the Seahawks to Super Bowl 60. Seattle defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at Lumen Field, earning a rematch with the New England Patriots — the team that beat them in their last Super Bowl appearance 11 years ago.
Darnold, playing for his fifth team in eight seasons, threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers. He connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 14-yard score just before halftime, hit Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown after a Rams special-teams blunder, and found Cooper Kupp for a 13-yard strike late in the third quarter. The journeyman quarterback completed 25 of 36 passes, playing through an oblique injury that limited him in practice last week.
Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s regular-season receiving leader, finished with 153 yards on 10 catches — the second-most in a playoff game in Seahawks history. He also drew a key pass-interference penalty on the game’s final drive.
“It’s amazing,” Darnold said. “To be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me.”
The Rams (14-6) rallied behind Matthew Stafford, who threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns. But a disastrous third-quarter sequence proved costly. With Seattle leading 17-13, Rams returner Xavier Smith muffed a punt, and Seattle’s Dareke Young recovered at the Los Angeles 17-yard line. On the next play, Darnold found Bobo in the end zone to make it 24-13.
Los Angeles cut the lead to 24-20 on Stafford’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Kyren Williams, but Darnold answered with a 13-yard TD to Kupp, capping a 75-yard drive. The Rams pulled within 31-27 when Puka Nacua beat cornerback Riq Woolen for a 34-yard touchdown — a play set up by a taunting penalty on Woolen on third-and-12 that extended the drive.
Seattle’s defense held on the Rams’ next possession. Facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6 with 4:59 left, coach Sean McVay opted to go for it. Stafford’s pass intended for Williams was broken up by cornerback Devon Witherspoon in the end zone, turning the ball over on downs.
The Seahawks then ran out most of the clock, with Darnold converting three third downs — including a 15-yard completion to Smith-Njigba on third-and-8. The Rams got the ball back at their own 20 with 25 seconds left and no timeouts, and Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield as time expired.
Seattle opened the scoring on its first drive, with Kenneth Walker III plunging in from 2 yards out. The Rams answered with field goals by Harrison Mevis, but Stafford found a wide-open Williams for a 9-yard touchdown to give Los Angeles a 13-10 lead late in the second quarter. Darnold answered in just 34 seconds, hitting Smith-Njigba for a 42-yard gain — with the receiver holding on despite a big hit by safety Kam Curl — before the two connected for the go-ahead touchdown.
The Seahawks (16-3) will face the Patriots in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It’s Seattle’s fourth Super Bowl appearance and first since the 2014 season, when they lost to New England 28-24.
“I told my team, I’m going to do whatever it takes,” Smith-Njigba said. “Whatever y’all ask of me, I’m gonna get it done, whatever that might be. And that’s what you saw today. You just saw grit, determination, you saw passion out there and you saw a group, a collective, going out there and getting the job done.”
