Sam Darnold's Impact: How He Led the Seahawks to an NFC Championship Victory

The Seattle Seahawks celebrate winning the NFC Championship 31-27 over the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (Nick Wagner / The Seattle Times)

Three instant impressions after the Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl by beating the Rams 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game:

Where did this come from?

Reflect on September when the Mariners were striving for an AL West title. Did anyone truly anticipate the Seahawks would craft a season where they'd be seen as arguably the best team in the NFL and eventually NFC champions?

This feels as unlikely as a Super Bowl appearance could be compared to their previous three. In 2005, they were a rising team that had reached the playoffs in the prior two years, only to face painful exits, and had the league MVP with Shaun Alexander dominating.

The 2013 run felt somewhat similar — a team that had made the playoffs the year before and used that experience to create one of the most dominant seasons and Super Bowl victories. A year later, they were proving the previous year wasn't a fluke with many familiar faces returning, even if the final outcome was rather painful.

This felt like it came out of nowhere. They had the potential to be quite good, but it seemed like this team was a year away from achieving something special. It turned out they were ready. Ready for the pressure. Ready for the big stage.

And now they’re headed to the biggest stage.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald is all smiles after a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 at Lumen Field in Seattle. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)

Sam, I am

Sam Darnold did his job. Period. End of story. The narrative about how Darnold performed in big games in the past feels irrelevant after his performance against the Rams.

Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards, three touchdowns, and most importantly, no interceptions, after throwing six in the first two games against the Rams this season. He was composed. He was in control. He didn’t seem bothered at all by the troublesome oblique that caused concern a week ago.

He threw for over 300 yards for the first time in nearly three months. The first weekend of November in Washington was the last time Darnold surpassed 300 yards passing. He achieved this with precision, rarely putting the ball in dangerous positions. There were a couple of throws where everyone held their breath, but for the most part, Darnold was accurate with where the ball needed to go and when it needed to get there.

And then there were the moments where he stayed in and made the throws that had the entire NFL taking notice during the first half of the season. There was the touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba late in the first half that gave Seattle a 17-13 lead at halftime, one of his 10 catches for 153 yards in a standout game from the league's leading receiver. There was the TD pass to Jake Bobo early in the second half where he was about to get hit but delivered the pass on time and accurately.

Only three quarterbacks in Seahawks history have led their team to the Super Bowl — Matt Hasselbeck, Russell Wilson, and

now Darnold.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) is stopped for a loss of 2 in the third during the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times)

Clutch Cooper

By earlier career standards, it's been an underwhelming season for Cooper Kupp, even if his teammates have praised his contributions, like blocking or mentoring in the locker room.

It must have felt rewarding for Kupp to contribute in the way he did with perhaps the three biggest catches he's made this season.

First was a crucial conversion on third-and-nine midway through the third quarter that would have otherwise resulted in a three-and-out for Seattle. Kupp caught a pass around his ankles, gained the necessary yards, and continued a drive that concluded with his 13-yard touchdown reception, his first TD catch at home this season.

And then for the finale, Kupp made an excellent hands-on catch on third-and-seven with just over three minutes left and barely gained the needed yards to secure the most important of Seattle’s seven third-down conversions that afternoon.

Kupp has downplayed much this season, whether it was his return to his home state or facing his former team with a Super Bowl trip on the line. But this had to be incredibly significant for the kid from Yakima.