Seahawks’ Sam Darnold gets 100% about plan against Rams in NFC title game

The star field general Sam Darnold isn’t dialing anything back as the Seattle Seahawks prepare for one of their biggest games. Ahead of Sunday’s NFC Championship matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, the veteran quarterback made it clear that his mindset will remain unchanged and it is going to be aggressive, confident, and calculated.

“I think I’ve been saying it all year that I’m going to turn it loose,” Darnold said in his recent press conference. “If it’s there and we get the coverage for the right play, and I feel like it’s there, I’m going to let it rip. Just being smart with the football is always at a premium. I gotta take care of the football at the end of the day, that’s where my mind is at. But, if we get the right coverage and the right play and I feel like a guy is open, I’m going to let it rip.”

Darnold’s comments come with added weight given the opponent, as the Rams have been a problem for him recently, ending his 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings by sacking him a playoff-record-tying nine times. Earlier this season, Los Angeles also forced four interceptions from Darnold during a narrow 21-19 Seattle loss in November.

Despite that history and a lingering oblique injury the Seahawks have no plans to rein in the passing game. Seattle’s offense remains built around pushing the ball to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, Cooper Kupp, and tight end AJ Barner, even with Darnold dealing with discomfort on his left side.

That aggressive approach has already paid off once against the Rams. In Week 16 at Lumen Field, Darnold engineered a stunning 16-point comeback in the final 10 minutes, capped by a touchdown to Smith-Njigba and a decisive two-point conversion to Eric Saubert in overtime for a 38-37 victory.

Darnold’s mentality also carried over through his injury management. After tweaking his oblique in practice, he adjusted his pregame routine by throwing in the locker room rather than risking multiple warmups. While Darnold led the NFL in turnovers this season, that same fearless style helped Seattle sit at a solid 14-3 record and dominate the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.

Now, with a trip to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara on the line, Darnold is choosing belief over hesitation. Against a familiar rival, the Seahawks’ signal-caller is trusting the same approach that brought Seattle this far — and relying that it can take them one step further.

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