Sam Darnold silences haters. Jaxon Smith-Njigba huge. Devon Witherspoon denies Matthew Stafford, Rams. Seahawks win NFC championship 31-27. To the Super Bowl.
Ernest Jones threw his helmet and just ran. Ran to anywhere.
Leonard Williams didn’t know whom else to grab. So the big defensive lineman grabbed the young son of his teammate Julian Love, his former New York Giants co-sufferer, and paraded the toddler through the green confetti falling from the sky.
People Kenneth Walker may not have known were picking him up.
Byron Murphy put on glasses speckled with WIN in blue and green.
Sam Darnold? He just put on a blue, team logo cap and calmly shook hands. He hugged his center, Jalen Sundell.
“We did it!” Seattle’s Pro Bowl quarterback yelled to roaring fans.
“It’s unbelievable!”
After 11 years away from the grandest game in sports, after a regime change and culture shift two short years ago, the Seahawks are back in the Super Bowl.
Darnold, hindered for the last two games by an oblique injury — doubted because he’s never been on this big a stage or won on it in his eight, nomadic NFL seasons — silenced the haters. In the first conference-title game of his eight-year NFL career, the quarterback Seattle signed for this completed 25 of 36 passes for a season-high 346 yards. His three touchdown passes, to Jake Bobo, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, were his most this season without an interception.
“He really saved us today,” Williams said later over boomin’ bass inside the Seahawks locker room.
Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving, 115 in the All-Pro’s largest first half this season.
Walker rushed 19 times for 62 yards and his own touchdown. And the Seahawks overcame a massive blunder by cornerback Riq Woolen that cost his team seven points late in the third quarter to win the NFC championship for the fourth time in franchise history, 31-27 over the Rams at off-the-hook Lumen Field.
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) dives into the end zone for touchdown against the Rams during the NFC Championship game at Lumen Field, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. Liesbeth Powers [email protected]
“I’m incredibly proud of our team. I’m happy for the 12s. I’m happy for the city,” Macdonald, the architect of going from no playoffs two straight seasons to this, said. “What an atmosphere. To be able to take it in after and understand what our team has been able to do up to this point, and how they’ve done it, we’re just blessed. Really blessed.
“It’s humble. It’s just…pretty awesome.”
The top-seeded, NFC West-champion Seahawks (16-3) won the first conference championship game inside Lumen Field in 11 years. They advanced to their first Super Bowl since Feb. 2015.
“Best feeling in the world,” rookie safety/linebacker Nick Emmanwori said, after yet another splendid performance.
The Seahawks will try to win it all for the second time in franchise history in Super Bowl 60 against the AFC-champion New England Patriots Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.
“Seahawks fans, they’re chompin’ at the bit?” Walker said at his locker. “We’re going to try to bring y’all a Super Bowl (title).”
On the podium on the field following the game, with Jody Allen holding the NFC’s George Halas Trophy, Macdonald, the second-year coach, age 38, said: “I’m speechless!”
Asked by FOX television’s Michael Strahan on the podium about beating more-heralded division rivals San Francisco and Los Angeles in succession to reach the sporting world’s biggest game, Macdonald shouted: “I don’t care!”
Darnold, the 28-year-old quarterback Seattle signed before this season after his seven years for four other teams, looked up at the 68,700-plus screaming — as they had for more than four hours.
“I love you guys!” Darnold said. “Let’s go 12s!”
Fans react to Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter of the NFC Championship game at Lumen Field, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. Brian Hayes [email protected]
The game ended, fittingly, with a tackle by Devon Witherspoon.
He saved the season.
The Rams had a third and 4 at the Seahawks 6-yard line down 31-27 with just over 5 minutes left. Witherspoon, Seattle’s three-time Pro Bowl cornerback, had uncharacteristically missed tackles and given up catches throughout the game. But on that third down he broke up Stafford’s pass into the end zone at Konata Mumpfield. On fourth down, Witherspoon did it again. He was inside tight end Terrance Ferguson over the middle of the end zone, in better position to catch Stafford’s pass than Ferguson was.
“Yeah, I kinda knew the route that was comin’, because they ran a ‘seven’ cut outside, to the deep corner of the end zone) early on in the game,” Witherspoon said. “So I knew they were going to come with the (opposite) inside, inside ‘hammer’ (route).
“Had to make a play.”
Those incomplete passes gave Seattle a turnover on downs with 4:54 left. The Seahawks still led by four points. “Oh, my God. That’s Devon Witherspoon. That’s him,” Macdonald said.
“We actually didn’t execute that play very well. He just covered his guy, forever. He just refused to let his guy catch the ball. And that’s who he is.
“That’s who he is every day.”
Walker then created his own first down following a catch, running inside two Rams past the line to gain. That first down led to Los Angeles coach Sean McVay to begin using timeouts on defense, with 3:26 left.
On third and 7, Darnold completed a pass to Cooper Kupp short of the line to gain. But the former Rams Super Bowl MVP, who earlier scored his first Seahawks touchdown in a home game with his new, home-state team, turned and reached through a defender for the key first down.
The Rams used their final timeouts. Then Darnold rolled right, and threw through his injury a strike to Smith-Njigba for another Seahawks first down, out to midfield, with 3 minutes remaining.
Then offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak boldly called another pass. The Rams held Smith-Njigba for another Seattle first down.
And that was pretty much that.
The Rams didn’t get the ball back until only 25 seconds remained, and from their own 7 thanks to an expertly placed punt by Michael Dickson. With no time outs, the Rams only could get to midfield. That’s where Witherspoon tackled Puka Nacua (nine catches, 165 yards) on the game’s final play, pushing him back when he was trying to get out of bounds to stop the clock before it hit zeros.
“I mean, honestly, I was tired. Literally,” Witherspoon said, laughing.
“I just made the plays that came to me. I gave up some plays early in the game. Can’t let those plays beat you more than once. Keep battlin’, man.”
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) AND wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) react to Jaxon Smith-Njigba touchdown during the second quarter of the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. Brian Hayes [email protected]
Dareke Young’s key adjustment
Earlier in the game, Rams returner Xavier Smith muffed a Michael Dickson punt. Backup wide receiver and special-teams mainstay Dareke Young was the first Seahawk on the scene, but he ran past Smith and peeled off to the right of him. Young wasn’t in front of him to recover the muff. Smith did and the Rams kept the ball. L.A. turned that into its first lead, a drive to Stafford’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Kyren Williams with 1:55 left in the second quarter.
“In that moment, I think Dareke thought he was playing for the end line,” Macdonald said, meaning to down Dickson’s punt closer to the goal line than that punt was. “When, really, he should have been in front of the guy.
After the Seahawks re-took the lead to end the half, Smith was back to field another Dickson punt early in the third quarter. This time Young pulled up in front of Smith. He watched the Rams returner fall down as he caught the punt. The fall caused Smith to lose the ball. This time Young was in front of Smith to recover the loose ball.
The Seahawks got the ball at the L.A. 17. “Just, a quick fix,” Macdonald said, saying the coaches told Young: “Back to your role.”
Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Charles Cross (67) holds the NFC Championship trophy after the team’s win over the Rams at Lumen Field, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. Liesbeth Powers [email protected]
On the next play, Darnold found Jake Bobo breaking free on a pass pattern across the back of the end zone. His throw perfectly hit his chest there for a 17-yard score.
When Bobo reached the sideline, his Seahawks teammates mobbed the third-year former undrafted rookie receiver who’d been a healthy scratch inactive for six games this season. They jumped with him and chanted at him, and Bobo smiled and an assistant kept the touchdown ball for safekeeping. Bobo had fallen on the depth chart behind hotshot rookie Tory Horton and the November acquisition of Rashid Shaheed.
He came up large in the conference title game.
Cooper Kupp stings old team
The Rams answered Bobo’s touchdown with a quick drive and TD. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald blitzed for only the second time in 18 pass plays. Stafford burned it, like he did the previous one. His perfect pass to the right sideline deep to Colby Parkinson resulted in a 40-yard gain for the former Seahawks tight end.
That set up Stafford’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams, outside left beyond Woolen in the end zone. L.A. cut Seattle’s lead to 24-20.
The Seahawks faced a third and 9 at their own 36 on the ensuing possession. Darnold threw low outside to Cooper Kupp. The Rams Super Bowl MVP from four years ago reached down, caught the pass, then deftly kept his balance to run for the first down.
That sparked a march. It ended with Darnold on another third down completing a pass Kupp took inside a defender and across the goal line. The home fans roared “COOOOOOP!” for the Yakima native’s first touchdown in a Seahawks home game since he signed with his home-state team last spring.
The Seahawks restored their two-score lead, 31-20, with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the third quarter of the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. Brian Hayes [email protected]
“How about that? Coop against his former team, NFC championship, gets a touchdown,” Macdonald said.
“Some whispers before the game like how cool would it be if Coop scored a touchdown today. And he did.
“I mean, we love him. He’s the best.”
Riq Woolen’s massive blunder
On the Rams drive following the touchdown, the Seahawks appeared to take control of the game. Woolen broke up a pass on third and long intended for Puka Nacua. The Rams were readying to punt. Woolen amplified his play at the L.A. sideline by woofin’ at it, barking at Rams players. An official appeared to be talking to Woolen. Woolen kept strutting and talking to the Rams. The official threw a penalty flag, for taunting. “The covering official had him walking towards and into the opponent’s bench, continuing to jaw after repeated efforts by the official to have him turn away and go to his own bench,” referee Clay Martin told NFL pool reporter Brady Henderson of espn.com. “When he chose not to do so, that’s what rose to the level of a foul.
“(Woolen) just continued jawing in the opponent’s bench area after being asked to walk away.”
Instead of a punt, the dead-ball foul gave the Rams a first down at the Seattle 34. On the next play, Stafford threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Nacua — over Woolen. The Seahawks’ lead was down to 31-27.
On the sideline following the penalty and score, linebacker Ernest Jones tried to play peacekeeper as Emmanwori angrily yelled. Safety Coby Bryant had to separate Emmanwori from Woolen and walk him away from his teammate.
“We’ve just got a brotherhood. Riq, that’s an older brother to me,” Emmanwori said later, wearing his Seahawks NFC CHAMPIONS cap and shirt. “He’s like my; he is my vet. (We’re) super-competitive, Alpha males. We don’t let nothing faze us, but we can go and chop it out and talk out and after that we get to the next play.
“I was dappin’ him up. He was dappin’ me up. That’s what a team is. That’s what a real team is. Come up and down, go through adversity and come out on top.”
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) kneels on the ground after the Seahawks’ win over the Rams for the NFC Championship at Lumen Field, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. Liesbeth Powers [email protected]
Emmanwori creates 7 points
With Seattle trailing 13-10, Emmanwori changed the game back in the Seahawks’ favor late in the first half, into the third quarter.
The do-it-all safety/linebacker broke up consecutive passes. The first was with a perfectly timed arm in front of Nacua as Stafford’s pass outside right was arriving. The second one, on the next snap, denied Rams running back Ronnie Rivers a catch near the line to gain. Emmanwori single-armedly forced L.A. to punt with just under a minute left in the half.
“Nick played a great game. A lot of plays on the ball,” Macdonald said. “We’re asking him to do a lot of stuff, playing near the line of scrimmage, playing both DB spots. That was awesome.”
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald accepts the George Halas Trophy for winning the NFC Championship against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. Brian Hayes [email protected]
That gave the Seahawks offense, which was receiving the second-half kickoff, the chance to get two scores without the Rams offense coming on the field. Darnold lofted a long pass between L.A.’s safeties that Jaxon Smith-Njigba leaped to catch, then held onto as he got absolutely hammered to the turf. The 42-yard gain got Seattle to the Rams 22-yard line.
Darnold then checked a pass down to George Holani, who made a Ram miss on a 13-yard catch and run inside the 10. Holani, the 2024 rookie free agent from Boise State, replaced injured Zach Charbonnet as Kenneth Walker’s back-up running back, days after coming off injured reserve himself.
After a false-start penalty, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak schemed Smith-Njigba open in the back right of the end zone, confusing Rams cornerback Darious Williams, unsure whether to cover a receiver short or Smith-Njigba long. The NFL’s leader with 1,793 yards this season was alone for a 14-yard touchdown.
The Seahawks led 17-13, and received the second-half kickoff.
The play was a reminder why Kubiak is reportedly a top candidate to be the new head coach of the Raiders, to replace fired former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo (19) makes a 17-yard touchdown reception against Los Angeles Rams during the third quarter of the NFC Championship game at Lumen Field, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. Brian Hayes [email protected]
Another fast Seahawks start
The Seahawks rolled to 147 yards on two scoring drives in the game’s first 14 minutes. Walker had 59 of them. That included a heavy workload of eight carries for 35 yards rushing plus two catches for 24 more yards in the first quarter.
This story was originally published January 25, 2026 at 7:01 PM.
Gregg Bell
The News Tribune
Gregg Bell is the Seahawks and NFL writer for The News Tribune. He is a two-time Washington state sportswriter of the year, voted by the National Sports Media Association in January 2023 and January 2019. He started covering the NFL in 2002 as the Oakland Raiders beat writer for The Sacramento Bee. The Ohio native began covering the Seahawks in their first Super Bowl season of 2005. In a prior life he graduated from West Point and served as a tactical intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, so he may ask you to drop and give him 10.
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