ClutchPoints
The NFC Championship Game rarely delivers a purer clash of identities than this. On Sunday night at a deafening Lumen Field, the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks will host the surging Los Angeles Rams. A Super Bowl berth is on the line. Seattle earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed through dominance, depth, and defensive ruthlessness. Meanwhile, the Rams arrive battle-tested and fearless after ripping through the conference as a road underdog. This is a rubber match with stakes that feel heavier than any meeting these rivals have shared in years. This is a showdown between the league’s most suffocating defense and its most explosive passing attack.
Seattle enters the NFC Championship Game undefeated at home and operating at peak confidence. That’s after obliterating San Francisco, 41-6, in the Divisional Round. Lumen Field has been a nightmare for visiting teams all season. The Seahawks’ defense has transformed into a ruthless unit that thrives on chaos, speed, and physicality. Over their last two playoff games, Seattle has not allowed a single offensive touchdown. That’s a staggering statistic considering the caliber of opponents.
Offensively, the Seahawks have leaned into balance and discipline. Kenneth Walker III has carried much of the load on the ground. Meanwhile, Sam Darnold has been asked to manage games rather than chase them. That formula has worked. However, the margin for error narrows significantly against a Rams team built to punish hesitation. Seattle’s ability to control tempo early will determine whether this game stays within its preferred script or spirals into a shootout the Seahawks would rather avoid.
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Here we will look at and discuss some bold predictions for the game between the Seahawks and the Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
With Zach Charbonnet sidelined, the Rams will have one mission defensively. They must stop Kenneth Walker III at all costs. Expect Los Angeles to stack the box early and force Seattle into obvious passing situations. Walker has been exceptional as a workhorse. That said, without depth behind him, efficiency becomes everything.
The outlook is grim for Seattle. Walker will be held under 60 rushing yards and average fewer than 3.0 yards per carry. When that happens, Seattle’s offense becomes one-dimensional. The Rams’ pass rush, anchored by relentless interior pressure, will tee off. That shift in game flow obviously favors Los Angeles.
Darnold’s story has been one of resilience, but circumstances matter. He enters the NFC Championship Game nursing an oblique injury. He will be limited in practice all week. Against San Francisco, Darnold didn’t need to do much. Against the Rams, he will.
If Seattle can’t run the ball, Darnold will have to push the offense downfield against tight windows and disguised coverages. With that, a cautious first half will give way to mounting pressure. It will culminate in a late interception that flips momentum. It won’t be a meltdown, but it will...
