Sam Darnold continued his stunning resurgence as he threw three touchdowns to lead the Seattle Seahawks to a place at Super Bowl 60 with a 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.Â
Darnold, who is playing for his fifth team since being drafted third overall by the New York Jets in 2018, will lead Seattle out against the AFC champion New England Patriots in the franchise's fourth Super Bowl appearance on Sunday February 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
He finished the game 25 of 36 passing for a season-high 346 yards and three scores having signed a $100.5m deal with the Seahawks this past offseason after resurrecting a written-off career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba starred with 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown through the air in his duel across from fellow Offensive Player of the Year finalist Puka Nacua.
The Patriots booked their spot at a 12th Super Bowl earlier in the day with a 10-7 victory over the Jarrett Stidham-led Denver Broncos at a snow-globe Mile High.
Within Seattle's ranks is British defensive coordinator Aden Durde, who started his coaching career with the London Warriors before first entering the NFL as an intern with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. Durde went on to work with the Atlanta Falcons from 2016-2021, before returning to Dallas as defensive line coach and then being hired by the Seahawks in 2024.
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It would prove relentless playoff football at its high-octane best, the No 1 ranked Rams offense running into first-year head coach Mike Macdonald's rampant Seahawks defense, which led the league in fewest points allowed during the regular season. Los Angeles responded emphatically to their own self-inflicted wounds and punished a major Seahawks mistake, and yet for every threat of cat-and-mouse momentum swinging in their favour they could not find a route past Darnold.
The Rams had the ball at Seattle's six-yard line with five minutes remaining in the game before Devon Witherspoon broke up Matthew Stafford's end zone pass on fourth-and-four to derail a 14-play 84-yard drive lasting 7.24.
MVP favourite Stafford finished the game with 374 yards and three touchdowns, throwing for at least 50 touchdown passes in a single-season, including playoffs, for the second time ins his career.
Seattle had pulled away early in the third quarter when Darnold fired a 17-yard touchdown strike to Jake Bobo for a 24-13 advantage after Xavier Smith coughed up a muffed punt.
Stafford flipped the field in a flash as he connected with Colby Parkinson for a 40-yard pickup before capping a four-play series with a two-yard touchdown to Davante Adams that cut Seattle's lead to four.
Darnold replied with a 13-yard touchdown pass to former Rams Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Cooper Kupp, whose earlier 12-yard reception had kept the drive alive on third-and-nine.
Stafford was nearly intercepted on the ensuing possession when Riq Woolen got both hands on a ball intended for Nacua. The Seahawks cornerback was then flagged for taunting on the back of the play, gifting the Rams a new set of downs instead of what would have been a fourth-and-12 situation.
Stafford attacked Woolen on the very next play as he connected with Nacua for a 34-yard touchdown to reduce the deficit to 31-27.
The Rams thought they were in business as they forced a punt before reaching the six-yard line late in the fourth quarter, only for Sean McVay to be left with his face buried in his play-sheet as Stafford's pass on fourth-and-four came up empty.
It paved the way for Darnold to chew down the remainder of the clock on an expertly-navigated closing drive.
The Seahawks had led 17-13 at half-time after touchdowns from Kenneth Walker and Smith-Njigba either side of Kyren Williams' nine-yard rushing score.
Harrison Mevis also kicked two first-half field goals for the Rams, the second to make it 10-6 after Jason Myers split the posts from 27 yards.
Watch the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday February 8, with coverage under way at 10pm live on Sky Spots NFL ahead of kickoff at approximately 11.30pm.
