The Rams’ attempt to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since their 2021 championship season ended Sunday with a 31-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship game in Seattle.
The Rams led 13-10 1:55 before halftime but never regained the lead.
Seattle took the lead for good on Sam Darnold’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 20 seconds left in the first half, completing a six-play, 74-yard drive that took 34 seconds.
The Seahawks increased their lead to 24-13 2:58 into the second half on Darnold’s 17-yard pass to former UCLA standout Jake Bobo, one play after Xavier Smith muffed a punt for the game’s lone turnover, with Dareke Young recovering the ball for Seattle at the Rams’ 17-yard line.
The Rams twice pulled within four points in the third quarter on Matthew Stafford’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams and 34-yard touchdown pass to Puka Nacua between Darnold’s 13-yard touchdown pass to former Ram Cooper Kupp.
The Rams drove to the Seahawks’ 6-yard line on their first possession of the fourth quarter. The drive ended with Stafford throwing back-to-back incomplete passes on third-and-4 from Seattle’s 6-yard line with 4:54 remaining.
The game ended with Stafford completing a 21-yard pass to Nacua who was tackled at the Seahawks’ 49-yard line before he was able to get out of bounds to stop the clock.
The victory advances Seattle to the Super Bowl Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, where they will face the New England Patriots, a 10-7 winner over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game Sunday in Denver.
The Seahawks will be making their first Super Bowl appearance since the 2014 season when they lost to New England, 28-24.
The Rams outgained Seattle 479 yards to 396, led 26-24 in first downs but trailed in time of possession, 31:50-28:10 in front of a crowd announced at 68,773 at Lumen Field.
The Rams were successful on one of eight third-down conversion attempts, 12.5% and one of two fourth-down conversion attempts, 50%. The Seahawks successful on seven of 13 third down conversions, 53.8%. They did not attempt a fourth-down conversion.
Darnold, a former USC and San Clemente High School standout, completed 25 of 36 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked three times for 25 yards in losses.
Stafford completed 22 of 35 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked once for a 9-yard loss.
Seattle scored a touchdown and kicked a field goal on its first two possessions to take a 10-3 lead.
Kenneth Walker ran 2 yards for a touchdown on Seattle’s first possession, with Darnold completing two of three passes for 67 yards.
The Rams responded with a 44-yard field goal by Harrison Mevis.
Jason Myers kicked a 27-yard field goal on the ensuing possession for the Seahawks.
Mevis kicked a 50-yard field goal and Stafford threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Kyren Williams on the Rams’ next two possessions to give them a 13-10 lead.
The game was the third meeting between the teams in the 2025 season, with the home team winning each time.
The Rams won 21-19 Nov. 16 at SoFi Stadium with Jason Myers’ 61-yard field goal attempt as time expired falling short.
Seattle won 38-37 Dec. 18 at Lumen Field, rallying from a 30-14 deficit with touchdowns and 2-point conversions with 8:03 and 6:23 left in regulation and winning on a touchdown and 2-point conversion in overtime after the Rams had regained a seven-point lead.
The game was a matchup of the NFL’s best offensive and defensive teams. The Rams averaged a league-high 30.5 points per game in the regular season while the Seahawks allowed a league-low 17.2 points.
Since the NFL-AFL merger went into effect in the 1970 season, creating the NFC and AFC championship games, this was the third time the top offense faced the top defense in a conference championship game.
The top defense has won each time. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 20-7, in the 1980 NFC championship game and the Seahawks defeated the Green Bay Packers, 28-22, in the 2014 NFC championship game.