For the third time this season, the Los Angeles Rams will go head-to-head with the Seattle Seahawks, this time in the NFC Championship Game. This matchup will be for all the marbles because the winner will advance to Super Bowl LX.

In the final Divisional Round game of the 2026 NFL Playoffs, the Rams outlasted the Chicago Bears by a final score of 20-17. First-year kicker Harrison Mevis made a 42-yard field goal in overtime to down the Bears and send LA to the NFC Championship Game.

“I felt really confident,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said of the field goal attempt during the team's postgame press conference. “I mean, obviously, since Mevis has been in there, and you talk about Jake (McQuaide) and Ethan (Evans), I think that whole operation has been really good. We obviously only had the one miss that was at Seattle the last time we played ‘em on that Thursday night. But, a lot of confidence in him. And, it was nice too because it was like, ‘Alright! The football Gods are smiling on us.’ The weather had calmed down. There wasn't a lot of wind right there… But I was really happy for him, and I was very confident that he would make that.”

Unlike the Rams, the Seahawks had no problem with their Divisional Round opponent, crushing the San Francisco 49ers, 41-6.

“In terms of our team, I mean, that’s probably the most complimentary game we've played up to this point,” Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters on January 18th. “Obviously, starting the game out with the kickoff return for a touchdown was tremendous… And then just kept stacking plays. The takeaways on defense, kept playing… And then offensively, being able to control the ball. The ball never being in jeopardy. Being able to run it, scoring in the red zone, all those things we've been trying to do, finally coming to life, and you just keep stacking those things. It was a heck of a win, man.”

Regardless of how both teams got here, they find themselves going head-to-head for the third time this season. As things currently stand, the series is tied 1-1, with the Seahawks winning the most recent matchup, 38-37. Their meeting this weekend, the 58th all-time between these two teams, will be the most important in the history of this storied rivalry because the winner will move on to the Super Bowl.

“I think you’ve got to just take into account the previous two times. We've been in similar situations when you look back to the COVID year. We played Seattle three times, played them in the Wild Card Round," Sean McVay said on Monday. "The Seattle one, in the COVID year, was - I believe - the second-to-last game of the year, so it is an added layer. But it's really just the familiarity. Let's put together the best plans that we can for our guys, and let's understand what type of execution and what type of stamina it's going to take for us to go get the job done against as complete a football team as there is in this league and as hot of a football team as there is in this league.”

Though Seattle won the last time these teams got together, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had arguably his best game of the season, throwing for 457 passing yards and three touchdowns.

“I felt like we've been on point sometimes. Not so much, especially the second game. But look, you’ve got to tip your cap to them. They played a great game,” Mike Macdonald said on January 21st. “Stafford played a tremendous game… They did what they did to put up all the yards and points that they did. We’ve got to figure out a way to stop them this time. And, as a team, I'm proud of the way that we figured out a way to win the game given what happened on defense.”

Perhaps taking away wide receiver Puka Nacua will be the most important task for the Seahawks' defense. He torched Seattle for 225 yards and two touchdowns in Week 16.

“He has speed, and he's strong,” Seahawks safety Julian Love said of Nacua. “He's a strong receiver. He's good after the catch, and he's efficient in his route running. So, you just need to know where he's at all the time.”

Unlike the previous two times these teams got together, Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet will not be available after suffering a torn ACL against the 49ers. That means Kenneth Walker III will have to up his production in Charbonnet's absence.

“I think Ken's done a heck of a job,” Mike Macdonald said on Monday. “I mean, I think you've seen the results in the past x amount of weeks now of like we always use the term, but really like stacking all those reps. I thought this is the most decisive he's ran up to this point. And, as expected, you just keep getting better and keep finding ways to improve, especially in the run game. And, he's done a great job.”

The good news for Seattle is that Kenneth Walker III has been a nightmare for the Rams, averaging 137.5 scrimmage yards per game this season against LA.

“He's a stud. He's a home run waiting to happen at any point,” explained Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula while speaking to members of the media on Thursday. “He's a physical, downhill runner. He can bounce in really any gap. He's a really, really tough player, and obviously he's going to be carrying most of the workload with Charbonnet out, so we're going to have our hands full.”

Even if Los Angeles manages to limit Kenneth Walker III, the Rams still have to worry about Sam Darnold and the Seahawks' passing attack. After all, Darnold was tied for ninth in passing touchdowns this season (25) and finished fifth in passing yards (4,048).

“I mean, Sam's an amazing quarterback,” said Pro Bowl linebacker Jared Verse. “I mean, you see what he's done against amazing defenses and stuff like that… I think he's a lot more confident just in his throwing ability and his ability to actually run the ball, get after it, everything like that. But I think he just knows where his keys are, where his good reads are, where his checkdown is, everything like that. He's just a great quarterback.”

With so much at stake, this game is going to feel like a heavyweight fight. Even though the Rams are playing on the road, they're looking forward to this matchup.

“We've been fortunate enough to play a lot of great games at Seattle. I think it's a great venue. Obviously, they have great fans,” Sean McVay said. “That atmosphere and environment was electric on that Thursday night game… We know what kind of environment to expect. We've got to be able to handle it. And, it's awesome to be in these types of games, so we're excited.”

Prediction for Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks (-2.5)

Unlike last weekend, the Rams won't be affected by the weather. The temperature will be roughly 40 degrees Fahrenheit with little wind and almost no precipitation. That makes it much easier for Matthew Stafford to post better numbers than he did in the Divisional Round when he failed to throw a single touchdown. Seattle will be expecting a heavy dose of Puka Nacua, so they'll focus a lot of their energy on him. That means number-two wideout Davante Adams will have to turn back the clock and contribute more than 48 yards, which is what he has averaged in the playoffs. The Seahawks will not let Adams beat them since they allowed the fewest yards per catch in the NFL this season (9.7). This game is going to come down to which team ends up getting extra possessions by forcing turnovers. Though the Rams only have one giveaway so far in the playoffs, they have not faced a smothering defense like Seattle's, which gets after opposing QBs and forces opponents to make mistakes. The Seahawks will get at least one takeaway at a critical moment in this contest, which will end up being the defensive stop needed to move on to the Super Bowl.

Prediction: Seahawks 30 - 27 Rams

How to watch Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks (-2.5)

Rams @ Seahawks starts at 6:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday at Lumen Field. You can watch it on Fox or stream it via the Fox Sports app or NFL+.

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