Seahawks vs Los Angeles Rams match player stats from the 2026 NFC Championship Game on January 25, 2026 tell the story of one of the most thrilling playoff games in recent NFL history. Seattle defeated Los Angeles 31-27 at Lumen Field in front of 68,773 fans.
Sam Darnold threw three touchdowns with zero turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba torched the Rams secondary for 153 yards. Devon Witherspoon made the game-sealing stop.
Matthew Stafford put up 374 yards and still came up short. This was the NFC Championship Game that sent the Seahawks to Super Bowl 60 for the first time in 11 years.
Game Overview: Seahawks 31, Los Angeles Rams 27
The Seahawks vs Los Angeles Rams NFC Championship Game on January 25, 2026 was the second-ever postseason meeting between these two NFC West rivals.
Seattle entered the game as the home team with a 14-3 record. Los Angeles came in at 14-6, fresh off a dominant playoff run of their own. The game kicked off at 6:30 PM at Lumen Field with 68,773 fans packed in.
The Seahawks won 31-27 and advanced to Super Bowl 60 — their first Super Bowl appearance since the 2014 season.
Quarter-by-Quarter Scoring
| Quarter | Seahawks | Los Angeles Rams |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 10 | 3 |
| Q2 | 7 | 10 |
| Q3 | 14 | 14 |
| Q4 | 0 | 0 |
| Final | 31 | 27 |
The Seahawks jumped out to a 10-3 lead after the first quarter. The Rams responded with 10 points in the second, briefly taking the lead at 13-10. Seattle answered with a 14-yard TD pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba right before halftime to retake the lead 17-13.
The third quarter was a 28-point explosion, with both teams trading touchdowns. Seattle eventually led 31-20. The Rams cut it to 31-27 on a Stafford-to-Nacua 34-yard touchdown — but they never retook the lead. The fourth quarter ended scoreless.
Full Team Stats Comparison
| Stat | Seattle Seahawks | Los Angeles Rams |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 396 | 479 |
| Passing Yards | 346 | 374 |
| Rushing Yards | 75 | 114 |
| First Downs | 24 | 26 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 7/13 (54%) | 1/8 (13%) |
| 4th Down Conv. | 0/0 | 1/2 |
| Red Zone | 4/5 (80%) | 2/3 (67%) |
| Penalties | 6 for 50 yds | 4 for 30 yds |
| Possession Time | 31:50 | 28:10 |
| Play Count | 65 | 58 |
| Avg Gain Per Play | 6.1 | 8.3 |
The Rams outgained Seattle 479-396 and averaged 8.3 yards per play compared to Seattle’s 6.1. Despite dominating the yards battle, Los Angeles converted just 1 of 8 third-down opportunities — a catastrophic 13% rate that proved to be the deciding factor.
Seattle’s red zone efficiency (80%) and zero turnover performance sealed the win even while being out-gained on paper.
Seahawks Player Stats: Full Breakdown
Passing — Sam Darnold
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| Completions / Attempts | 25 / 36 |
| Completion % | 69.4% |
| Passing Yards | 346 |
| Touchdowns | 3 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| QB Rating | 127.8 |
| Sacks Taken | 3 |
| Sack Yards Lost | 25 |
| Avg Yards per Attempt | 8.23 |
| Longest Pass | 51 yards |
Sam Darnold was absolutely sensational. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers, posting a 127.8 passer rating on the biggest stage of his career.
Darnold played through an oblique injury for most of the second half. His 51-yard bomb to Rashid Shaheed in the fourth quarter helped kill the clock and set up a crucial first down to ice the game.
He faced 12 blitzes from the Rams defense and was hurried seven times but only sacked three times, managing the pocket with maturity and composure that he had not always shown in earlier stops with the Jets and Vikings.
Coach Mike Macdonald said postgame: “You can’t talk about the game without talking about our quarterback. He shut a lot of people up tonight.”
Rushing — Kenneth Walker III
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| Carries | 19 |
| Rushing Yards | 62 |
| Touchdowns | 1 |
| Longest Run | 14 yards |
| Yards After Contact | 37 |
| Broken Tackles | 3 |
| Red Zone Attempts | 4 |
| Avg Yards per Carry | 3.26 |
Kenneth Walker III scored the first touchdown of the game on a 2-yard plunge just over five minutes into the first quarter. The score tied Marshawn Lynch’s 2013 record for the most rushing touchdowns in a single Seahawks playoff run with four.
Walker was a north-south grinder in this game. His 19 carries weren’t flashy, but he kept the chains moving and converted four red zone attempts. His yards-after-contact number (37) showed his physical style against a tough Rams front seven.
Receiving — Jaxon Smith-Njigba
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| Receptions | 10 |
| Targets | 11 |
| Receiving Yards | 153 |
| Touchdowns | 1 |
| Longest Reception | 51 yards |
| Yards After Catch | — |
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the offensive star of the game. His 153 receiving yards were the second-most by a Seahawk in any playoff game in franchise history.
JSN caught 10 of 11 targets and scored the go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter on a 14-yard pass from Darnold with just 25 seconds remaining before halftime — a play that swung the momentum of the entire game.
Smith-Njigba said postgame: “Can’t say enough about Sam, man. It’s been a great first year. We got one more to go.”
Other Seahawks Receivers
Cooper Kupp had a crucial 13-yard touchdown catch in Q3 to push the lead to 31-20. He also made a critical third-down conversion late in the game to help kill the clock.
Rashid Shaheed made a jaw-dropping 51-yard grab in Q4, his longest play since arriving at the trade deadline. That single play took nearly a full minute off the clock.
Jake Bobo caught a 17-yard touchdown in Q3 to give Seattle a 24-13 lead after a muffed punt by the Rams gave them ideal field position.
Defense — Devon Witherspoon
Devon Witherspoon made the single most important play of the game with under five minutes remaining.
On fourth-and-4 from the Seattle 6-yard line, Sean McVay elected to go for it instead of kicking a field goal that would have brought it to a one-score game. Stafford dropped back and fired at the end zone — and Witherspoon broke it up perfectly to give Seattle the ball back and effectively end the game.
Safety Julian Love said of Witherspoon: “He’s just the heart of our defense.”
Witherspoon did also draw a costly taunting penalty earlier in Q3 after a pass breakup, which gifted the Rams a 15-yard free advance that directly led to Nacua’s 34-yard touchdown on the very next play — cutting the lead from 31-20 to 31-27. The redemption arc was complete when he made the game-winning stop minutes later.
Seahawks Defense Team Stats
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| Tackles | 34 |
| Assists | 16 |
| Combined | 50 |
| Sacks | 1.0 |
| QB Hits | 3 |
| Passes Defended | 7 |
| Forced Fumbles | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| 3rd Down Stops | 7 of 8 |
| 4th Down Stops | 1 |
| Missed Tackles | 6 |
DL Dre’Mont Jones recorded the team’s lone sack. The “Dark Side” defense — Mike Macdonald’s branding for his aggressive defensive scheme — lived up to its name by suffocating the Rams on third downs all night long.
Los Angeles Rams Player Stats: Full Breakdown
Passing — Matthew Stafford
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| Completions / Attempts | 22 / 35 |
| Completion % | 62.9% |
| Passing Yards | 374 |
| Touchdowns | 3 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| QB Rating | 127.6 |
| Sacks Taken | 1 |
| Sack Yards Lost | 9 |
| Avg Yards per Attempt | 10.14 |
| Longest Pass | 44 yards |
Matthew Stafford put up one of the most statistically impressive losing performances in NFC Championship Game history. He averaged 10.14 yards per attempt, completed 22 of 35 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns, and was never intercepted.
Stafford, who turns 38 in February, now has to wonder if the 2025 season was his last, best chance at a second Super Bowl ring. He was brilliant — and still came up one stop short.
His three touchdowns were split between Kyren Williams, Davante Adams, and Puka Nacua. Every scoring pass was sharp, precise, and on schedule.
Rushing — Kyren Williams / Blake Corum
| Player | Carries | Yards | TD | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyren Williams | — | — | 1 | — |
| Blake Corum | 9 | 55 | 0 | 6.1 |
The Rams rushed 22 times for 114 yards, averaging 5.18 yards per carry — actually better than Seattle’s rushing attack on paper.
Blake Corum had 9 carries for 55 yards, providing a steady ground game. Kyren Williams scored a receiving touchdown and also contributed in the run game.
The Rams’ rushing attack moved the chains efficiently but wasn’t enough to overcome the third-down conversion failures.
Receiving — Puka Nacua
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| Receptions | 9 |
| Targets | 11 |
| Receiving Yards | 165 |
| Touchdowns | 1 |
| Longest Reception | 44 yards |
| Yards After Catch | — |
Puka Nacua was the best individual receiver on the field in this game. His 165 receiving yards led all players and his nine catches matched the elite production expected from him all season.
Nacua reached 20 receptions in the 2025 playoffs — a milestone no other player had reached that postseason. He also tied Isaac Bruce for 4th place on the Rams’ all-time playoff receptions list with 44 career postseason catches.
His 34-yard touchdown catch in Q3 — beating Riq Woolen in the corner of the end zone — was the most dramatic play of the entire game and brought the Rams within four points at 31-27.
Other Rams Receivers
Davante Adams scored a 2-yard touchdown in Q3, cutting the Seahawks’ lead to 24-20. Adams was a productive piece of Sean McVay’s playoff scheme all postseason long.
Kyren Williams caught a 9-yard touchdown in Q2 to give the Rams their only lead of the game at 13-10. Williams was also the primary back in the receiving game.
Rams Defense Team Stats
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| Tackles | 38 |
| Assists | 25 |
| Combined | 63 |
| Sacks | 3.0 |
| QB Hits | 7 |
| Passes Defended | 5 |
| Forced Fumbles | 1 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| 3rd Down Stops | 6 of 13 |
| 4th Down Stops | 0 |
| Missed Tackles | 7 |
The Rams defense recorded 3 sacks and 7 QB hits — harassing Darnold physically all night — but could not force a single turnover and allowed three passing touchdowns.
DE Byron Young was a question mark entering the game due to injury but played. LB Omar Speights led the team with 11 tackles (7 solo).
The Rams blitzed Seattle 14 times, more than double their own blitz counts, but Darnold managed the pressure effectively.
Key Performers Summary
| Player | Team | Position | Key Stat Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Darnold | SEA | QB | 25/36, 346 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT, 127.8 rating |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA | WR | 10 rec, 153 yds, 1 TD |
| Devon Witherspoon | SEA | CB | Game-sealing 4th-down breakup, CB coverage |
| Kenneth Walker III | SEA | RB | 19 car, 62 yds, 1 TD (ties Lynch playoff TD record) |
| Cooper Kupp | SEA | WR | 13-yd TD catch, clock-killing 3rd-down conversion |
| Rashid Shaheed | SEA | WR | 51-yd reception, longest play of the game |
| Matthew Stafford | LA | QB | 22/35, 374 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT, 127.6 rating |
| Puka Nacua | LA | WR | 9 rec, 165 yds, 1 TD, 34-yd TD in Q3 |
| Davante Adams | LA | WR | 2-yd TD catch in Q3 |
| Kyren Williams | LA | RB/WR | 9-yd TD reception, rushing contribution |
| Omar Speights | LA | LB | 11 tackles (7 solo) — team leader |
Scoring Plays: Complete Timeline
| Quarter | Time | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 10:03 | K. Walker III 2-yd rushing TD + Myers XP | SEA 7-0 |
| Q1 | 8:19 | Mevis 44-yd FG | SEA 7-3 |
| Q1 | 0:58 | Myers 27-yd FG | SEA 10-3 |
| Q2 | 12:16 | Mevis 50-yd FG | SEA 10-6 |
| Q2 | 2:00 | Stafford → K. Williams 9-yd TD + Mevis XP | LA 13-10 |
| Q2 | 0:25 | Darnold → Smith-Njigba 14-yd TD + Myers XP | SEA 17-13 |
| Q3 | 12:07 | Darnold → Bobo 17-yd TD + Myers XP | SEA 24-13 |
| Q3 | 9:45 | Stafford → D. Adams 2-yd TD + Mevis XP | SEA 24-20 |
| Q3 | 4:57 | Darnold → Kupp 13-yd TD + Myers XP | SEA 31-20 |
| Q3 | 2:13 | Stafford → Nacua 34-yd TD + Mevis XP | SEA 31-27 |
| Q4 | — | No scoring | Final: SEA 31-27 |
The Game-Defining Moments
The Muffed Punt That Changed Everything
With the Seahawks trailing momentum in Q3, Rams returner Xavier Smith muffed a punt deep in Los Angeles territory.
On the very next play, Sam Darnold found Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown — swinging the score from 13-13 to 24-13 Seattle in just seconds.
That single special teams error cost the Rams 11 points of swing on the scoreboard.
Riq Woolen’s Taunting Penalty
In Q3, after Woolen broke up a Stafford pass to Nacua on third-and-12, he turned toward the Rams sideline and taunted — drawing an automatic 15-yard penalty.
Instead of a Rams punt, LA had a fresh set of downs from a far better field position. Stafford immediately targeted Woolen again and threw to Nacua for a 34-yard touchdown.
A 7-point swing directly from a post-play penalty. Woolen acknowledged after: “Even though I made a great play, I wasn’t great for my team.”
Witherspoon’s 4th-Down Breakup
With 4:59 remaining and the Rams at the Seattle 6-yard line, Sean McVay chose to go for it on fourth-and-4 rather than attempt a field goal.
A made field goal would have made it 31-30 — a one-score game. Instead, McVay went for the touchdown. Stafford fired toward the end zone and Witherspoon broke it up cleanly.
Game over. Seahawks to the Super Bowl.
Historical Context: The Seahawks-Rams Rivalry in 2025–2026
The two teams met three times during the 2025 season, each game significant in its own right.
| Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2025 | Los Angeles (SoFi) | Rams | 21-19 |
| Dec 19, 2025 | Seattle (Lumen) | Seahawks | 38-37 (thriller) |
| Jan 25, 2026 | Seattle (NFC Championship) | Seahawks | 31-27 |
The Seahawks won two of the three matchups, with the decisive win coming on the grandest stage.
The NFC Championship was only the second-ever playoff game between these two franchises. Seattle won both.
Coaching Decisions That Shaped the Game
Mike Macdonald, in just his second season as Seahawks head coach, made the call to start Sam Darnold over a backup despite the oblique injury Darnold was managing.
The gamble paid off completely. Darnold’s performance was described by multiple analysts as the best of his career across any platform.
Sean McVay’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-4 from the Seattle 6 rather than kicking the field goal will be debated all offseason. A successful field goal makes it 31-30 with roughly five minutes left. McVay chose the aggressive play and it backfired on the final drive of the Rams’ season.
What These Stats Mean Going Forward
The Seahawks advance to Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8, 2026. They face the New England Patriots, who defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship.
Sam Darnold’s redemption arc from Jets bust and Vikings one-and-done to Super Bowl starter is one of the most remarkable quarterback stories in recent NFL memory.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba cemented his status as one of the best young receivers in the NFC. His 153-yard performance will be talked about every time his name surfaces in contract discussions.
Matthew Stafford, turning 38 in February, now faces an uncertain offseason. His brilliance was not rewarded with a ring, and it is unclear if Los Angeles will remain a legitimate contender next season.
Puka Nacua’s 20-reception playoff total led the entire 2025 postseason. He enters the offseason as one of the most coveted receivers in the NFL.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What was the final score of the Seahawks vs Los Angeles Rams NFC Championship 2026?
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 at Lumen Field in Seattle on January 25, 2026, advancing to Super Bowl 60.
What were Sam Darnold’s stats in the Seahawks vs Rams 2026 NFC Championship?
Sam Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a 127.8 passer rating while playing through an oblique injury.
What were Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s stats against the Rams?
JSN caught 10 of 11 targets for 153 yards and 1 touchdown — the second-most receiving yards by a Seahawk in any playoff game in franchise history.
What were Matthew Stafford’s stats in the NFC Championship vs Seattle?
Stafford completed 22 of 35 passes for 374 yards and 3 touchdowns with 0 interceptions and a 127.6 rating — brilliant in a losing effort.
What were Puka Nacua’s stats against the Seahawks?
Puka Nacua led all receivers with 9 catches for 165 yards and 1 touchdown, including a pivotal 34-yard score in Q3 that cut the lead to 31-27.
What was Kenneth Walker III’s stat line in Seahawks vs Rams 2026?
Walker carried 19 times for 62 yards and 1 rushing touchdown, tying Marshawn Lynch’s record for most rushing TDs in a single Seahawks playoff run with 4.
Who made the game-winning play in Seahawks vs Rams NFC Championship?
Devon Witherspoon broke up a Matthew Stafford pass in the end zone on fourth-and-4 with under five minutes remaining, sealing the Seahawks’ 31-27 victory.
How did the Seahawks win despite being out-gained by the Rams?
Seattle’s 7-of-13 third-down conversion rate (54%) versus Los Angeles’s 1-of-8 (13%) was the decisive factor. Seattle also had zero turnovers compared to one for the Rams.
Where was the Seahawks vs Rams NFC Championship Game played?
The game was played at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, with an attendance of 68,773 fans on January 25, 2026, with kickoff at 6:30 PM.
Who did the Seahawks face in Super Bowl 60 after beating the Rams?
The Seattle Seahawks advanced to Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8, 2026, to face the New England Patriots, who defeated the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship.
Conclusion
The Seahawks vs Los Angeles Rams match player stats from the 2026 NFC Championship paint a clear picture: Seattle was cleaner, more efficient, and made the play when it mattered most.
Sam Darnold silenced every doubter with a 127.8-rated performance on the biggest stage of his career. Jaxon Smith-Njigba joined Seahawks playoff lore with 153 receiving yards.
Devon Witherspoon made the stop that sent Seattle to the Super Bowl.
The Rams out-gained the Seahawks by 83 yards and still lost — a reminder that stats without efficiency mean nothing in January football. This was an all-time NFC Championship performance from Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks.
