Seahawks All-22 review: The good and bad from Seattle’s NFC Championship win

Going to the Super Bowl still feels surreal.

Back in 2005, watching the NFL from Brazil was difficult. I barely remember that Super Bowl, aside from friends who followed the league more closely talking about controversial officiating decisions. In 2013 and 2014, I was already a much more confident fan. Still, none of those emotions compare to this moment.

This Super Bowl appearance represents the greatest Seattle Seahawks achievement since 2018, when I began studying the game more deeply and writing consistently about Seattle.

After that brief personal note, let’s get to the tape.

The Seahawks defeated the Rams for the second time—and at the most important moment possible. Reaching the Super Bowl required going through arguably their two toughest opponents, and in this matchup, rivalry mattered just as much as execution.

All data referenced in this article comes from PFF.

The Bad

Seattle’s run defense faltering over time

Seattle opened the game with solid run fits and sound gap discipline, limiting the Rams’ rushing attack early. Defensive linemen stayed square, linebackers fit downhill with patience, and cutback lanes were largely closed.

As the game wore on, that structure deteriorated.

Los Angeles used motion and alignment variation to blur run responsibilities, forcing overpursuit and delayed linebacker fits. Seattle began allowing significant yards after contact—an issue that had not shown up early—and the Rams slowly reclaimed control of offensive tempo.

What stood out most was the lack of aggressive in-game adjustments. Seattle rarely countered with front changes, run blitzes, or tighter interior alignments. That allowed the Rams to stay comfortable and continue leaning on the ground game.

This remains Seattle’s defensive kryptonite. Once an offense establishes success on the ground, linebackers are forced to play more aggressively downhill, opening windows behind them. That exact stress shows up on tape here: on one snap, a slight false step by Uchenna Nwosu is enough to create space, and Matthew Stafford narrowly misses a wide-open Colby Parkinson for what should have been a big gain.

The inability to consistently pressure Matthew Stafford

Seattle’s pass rush never found consistency, and that proved crucial. While there were isolated pressures, they were neither sustained nor disruptive. Edge rushers frequently lost leverage early in the rep, allowing Stafford subtle pocket movement—just enough to reset his platform and deliver on time.

Inside, the Rams’ offensive line won too many one-on-one matchups. Without interior push, the pocket never truly collapsed. Stafford was able to attack the intermediate middle of the field with rhythm and control the game’s flow.

In a championship environment, that lack of pressure—and the absence of effective counters—was defining.

The Seahawks were eventually forced to rely more on blitzes instead of simulated pressures, with limited success. On one key snap, Seattle calls an overload blitz to the right with Julian Love and Tyrice Knight. On the opposite side, Derick Hall drops into coverage, isolated in space against the tight end, who secures an easy reception and adds yardage with a stiff arm.

Uncharacteristic individual errors

Seattle missed nine tackles in this game, several of them in sequence—an unusual outcome for a defense built on discipline and leverage. Unlike the previous matchup, where schematic stress created issues, the Rams benefited far more from individual breakdowns this time.

Devon Witherspoon gives up a vertical shot to Puka Nacua after the receiver initially threatens a dig route before continuing vertically. It was clearly Witherspoon’s worst game of the season, yet he still redeemed himself with critical plays on third and fourth down on the Rams’ second-to-last drive.

Riq Woolen had a particularly costly sequence. After making several strong plays, he drops an interception, commits an unnecessary penalty that revives a fourth down, and then allows a touchdown on the very next snap. Sean McVay immediately goes back at him: Nacua sells a stutter step, Woolen loses balance, and the result is another deep completion.

Josh Jobe also shows solid route recognition and positioning early in his rep, but ultimately loses track of the receiver late, surrendering a sizable gain to Colby Parkinson.

Lack of consistency in the run game

In the second half, the Rams clearly adjusted to Seattle’s rushing attack. Edge defenders stayed disciplined, eliminating cutback lanes that fueled early success. Linebackers attacked gaps with improved timing, and the defensive line won more consistently at the point of attack.

Seattle failed to counter.

The offense continued to rely heavily on similar zone concepts without enough variation. Gap-scheme runs like power or counter—plays that could have punished the Rams’ increased aggression—were largely absent. There was also limited use of heavier personnel groupings or motion to force the defense to reset the box, making the run game increasingly predictable.

The absence of fullback Robbie Ouzts was felt here, particularly in short-yardage and constraint situations.

The Good

Sam Darnold’s best game as a Seahawk

Sam Darnold delivered his most controlled and efficient performance of the season. He operated on schedule, trusted the offense’s structure, and avoided unnecessary risk. Seattle leaned into rhythm throws, and Darnold executed them with excellent footwork and timing.

This snap stands out as his lone real mistake. The Rams disguise Cover 2 Cloud: the safety rotates down while the corner to the top of the screen takes responsibility for half the field. Darnold fails to process the rotation, locks onto Cooper Kupp, and telegraphs the throw.

Outside of that, Darnold was outstanding.

His success stemmed from pocket discipline and his willingness to take what the defense conceded. Against split-safety looks, he consistently attacked the middle of the field on in-breaking routes, hitting receivers in stride and maximizing yards after the catch. His ball placement on intermediate throws—particularly off play-action—was critical in sustaining drives.

On his third touchdown, the pocket collapses around him, yet Darnold stays calm, works through his reads, and delivers to Cooper Kupp.

Later, the Rams dial up a Cat Blitz, sending the corner from behind Darnold. The safety to that side rotates down to account for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while the opposite safety takes the deep half—both clearly keyed on JSN. Darnold processes it instantly. Jake Bobo wins against the corner responsible for the other deep half, and Darnold drops in another touchdown.

Again, the pocket breaks down. Anthony Bradford is beaten cleanly, and as Darnold steps up, Charles Cross is driven into Jared Verse. Without a stable base, Darnold still delivers for a score—an excellent play call by Klint Kubiak paired with elite execution.

The defining moment was pure clutch football. Seattle goes play-action in a situation where everyone expected a run. Notably, the Seahawks did not run the ball on consecutive plays during that drive until the Rams had out of their timeouts. Darnold navigates the pocket, keeps his eyes downfield, and connects with JSN for the decisive first down.

The importance of Kenneth Walker

Kenneth Walker was the engine of Seattle’s early offensive success.

Operating primarily out of zone concepts, Walker’s patience and vision were on full display. He consistently pressed the play-side gap just long enough to manipulate linebackers before decisively cutting into backside lanes.

His improvement in tight spaces also stood out. Walker lowered his pad level through contact and generated extra yards after first contact. Several runs that appear modest in the box score were tone-setters, forcing the Rams to commit extra defenders to the box and opening up the play-action game.

On one snap, the linebacker has a clean path to a tackle for loss. Walker simply refuses to go down, generating positive yardage in a completely unfavorable situation.

Later, Omar Speights once again has Walker squared up in the backfield. Walker cuts outside, accelerates, wins the edge, and finishes in the end zone.

Walker also made a meaningful impact in the passing game. On a critical third down, he runs a sharp route, secures the catch, and adds extra yards for an important first down.

On another key play, Seattle calls a pass when a run is expected. With no receivers open, Darnold checks it down. Walker beats the edge defender who had dropped into coverage, then once again gets past #48 to move the chains and drain the clock.

Final Thoughts

The defense did not dominate the way it had against the San Francisco 49ers, but it showed up in critical moments and made enough plays to secure the win. The Rams offense—one I always believed could create problems for our defense—was nearly flawless. With Sam Darnold playing the best football of his Seahawks tenure, Seattle overcame what was, in my view, the toughest possible opponent in this NFC Championship.

One battle remains.

And again, the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl.