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01/25 21:43 CST Sam Darnold and Seahawks advance to Super Bowl with thrilling
31-27 win over Rams in NFC title game
Sam Darnold and Seahawks advance to Super Bowl with thrilling 31-27 win over
Rams in NFC title game
By ANDREW DESTIN
AP Sports Writer
SEATTLE (AP) --- Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks' "Dark
Side" defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop, and Seattle advanced to
the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC
championship game on Sunday.
Led by second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Darnold --- an eight-year veteran
playing for his fifth team --- the Seahawks (16-3) reached the fourth Super
Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years. Seattle lost that most recent
appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi's Stadium in Santa
Clara, California.
With Los Angeles (14-6) facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6, coach Sean McVay
elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford's pass was broken up in the end zone
by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn't get the ball back until there were 25
seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final
play.
Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by
critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter.
On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown and
a 24-13 lead.
Darnold, who flopped in his playoff debut last season with the Minnesota
Vikings, played through an oblique injury and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346
yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving --- the
second-most in a playoff game in franchise history --- and a touchdown on 10
catches.
"It's amazing," Darnold said. "To be able to do it with these guys in this
locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that's why it means the world to
me."
The Seahawks led 31-20 late in the third quarter on Darnold's 13-yard TD pass
to Cooper Kupp, but the Rams got back into the game when Seahawks cornerback
Riq Woolen was flagged for taunting after breaking up a pass to Nacua on
third-and-12, giving Los Angeles a first down.
On the next play, Stafford threw at Woolen again, and Nacua beat him in the
corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.
The Rams forced a punt on Seattle's next possession and went on a 14-play,
84-yard drive that came up empty thanks to Witherspoon's pass breakup.
Seattle stayed aggressive on its final possession, with Darnold throwing for
three first downs to run out most of the clock.
Davante Adams and Kyren Williams had receiving TDs for the Rams, and Kenneth
Walker III rushed for a score for the Seahawks.
Darnold set the tone with his first completion of the game, a 51-yarder to
Rashid Shaheed. Four plays later, Walker ran 2 yards for a TD to make it 7-0.
The Rams settled for field goals by Harrison Mevis on their next two
possessions. With Los Angeles trailing 10-6, Stafford led a 12-play, 87-yard
drive and connected with a wide-open Williams for a 9-yard score.
Los Angeles forced a three-and-out late in the second quarter, but after two
straight incompletions by Stafford, the Rams punted the ball back, and it took
Darnold just 34 seconds to put the Seahawks ahead for good.
Smith-Njigba caught a deep ball from Darnold, absorbed a big hit by Kam Curl
and held on for a 42-yard gain. Four plays later, Darnold and Smith-Njigba
hooked up for a 14-yard TD that made it 17-13 heading into halftime.
"I told my team, I'm going to do whatever it takes. Whatever y'all ask of me,
I'm gonna get it done, whatever that might be," said Smith-Njigba, the NFL's
leading receiver in the regular season. "And that's what you saw today. You
just saw grit, determination, you saw passion out there and you saw a group, a
collective, going out there and getting the job done."
Injuries Rams: WR Jordan Whittington (chest) left in the third quarter. Defensive end Kobie Turner (cramps) also exited in the third. Seahawks: LB Drake Thomas (shoulder) left in the fourth quarter. FB Brady Russell (hand) was injured in the second half and did not return. Up next Rams: Stafford turns 38 next month and has to wonder if this was his last, best chance at a second Super Bowl title. Seahawks: Seek their second Super Bowl title after winning it all in the 2013 season with coach Pete Carroll and the "Legion of Boom" defense. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl |
