Sam Darnold threw three touchdown passes, and the Seattle Seahawks outlasted the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in a thrilling NFC (National Football Conference) Championship Game on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2014 season.
They will face the New England Patriots on Feb. 8 in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX.
– Nate Atkins and Michael-Shawn Dugar reporting in The Athletic in the New York Times
Darnold has been with the Seattle Seahawks only since March 2025. He signed a multi-year contract after his strong 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
To the right of Darnold, his face hidden somewhat behind his clapping hands, is Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald (age 38), himself hired just the year before in January 2024.
In just two seasons, Macdonald took a 9-8, middling team to 14 regular season wins and a Super Bowl berth.
[Headline from the Seattle Times. Photo by Nick Wagner/ Seattle Times]