Rams-Seahawks on Championship Sunday: What We Learned from Seattle's 31-27 win

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• READ: Five key factors that will determine Super Bowl LX

1. Darnold spearheads Seahawks to Super Bowl LX berth. No turnovers this time for Sam Darnold. Plagued by giveaways in previous games against the Rams, Darnold was nearly flawless, dicing up L.A.’s defense time after time. Darnold fearlessly stood in and surveyed, finding open targets with aplomb. The QB finished 25-of-36 passing for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Troubled by pressure in the past, all three TD strikes came versus pressure, making him the first QB with a trio of touchdown passes under pressure in a playoff game in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). Darnold made heady plays on key downs, finding targets to move the chains. Seattle went 7 of 13 on third downs, which proved massive in the tight tilt. In the crucible of the biggest moment, the Seahawks coaching staff didn’t fear putting the ball in Darnold’s hands. With the ball late, Seattle let Darnold throw several times on the final drive instead of simply running the ball into a stacked box. It paid off, with the Seahawks generating four first downs to milk the clock. It was the best performance of the QB’s Pro Bowl season. Darnold’s roller-coaster career now heads to the Super Bowl to face the New England Patriots. No ghosts hanging around this time.
2. Stafford, Rams offense come up shy. MVP candidate Matthew Stafford and the Rams moved the ball against the NFL’s No. 1 defense, finding splash plays. Stafford led a Rams offense that gobbled up 479 total yards and 26 first downs. The QB was magnificent against a great defense, darting lasers and heaving bombs. Stafford finished 22-of-35 passing for 374 yards with three touchdowns. Whether under pressure or not, the signal-caller found his guys. Stafford was particularly potent going downfield. He finished 7 of 11 for 226 yards and a TD on passes of 20-plus air-yards. For all the yards generated, L.A. couldn’t finish enough drives in pay dirt to outduel its division rival. The Rams settled for two early field goals. Then, with a chance to take a late lead, Stafford was denied the end zone, turning it over on downs. With the defense unable to make a quick stop, L.A.’s offense couldn’t complete the road comeback. 
3. JSN is always open. The NFL’s leading receiver was a menace all game. Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets open with such ease against every defense that it's unsurprising he was targeted 12 times, catching 10 for 153 yards and a TD. Seemingly every pivotal Seahawks play, Darnold looked Smith-Njigba’s way, and the wideout delivered. He was particularly potent in the first half, generating 115 yards on seven catches (nine targets) with the go-ahead TD late in the second quarter. It was fitting that on the final drive, Darnold hit JSN for a big first down to take more time off the clock. The receiver’s ability to generate separation is otherworldly. Whether zone or man, he finds space, and his deft route maneuvers leave defenders out of position. Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak did an extraordinary job moving JSN around to keep the Rams defense guessing. The receiver ran 19 routes wide, 16 from the slot, one aligned tight and two from the backfield, from where he caught his TD. JSN’s talent, Kubiak’s genius and Darnold’s willingness to trust his receiver in every spot make it a dynamic trio.
4. Rams' biggest issue rears its head again. Once again, special teams weren’t so special for L.A. Entering the postseason, the third unit was L.A.’s biggest bugaboo, having cost the club numerous times during the season. The Rams played through the issues in their first two postseason games, but couldn’t overcome the biggest blunder. Trailing, 17-13, early in the third quarter, the defense forced a punt. Instead of Stafford and the offense having a chance to re-take the lead, disaster struck. Returner Xavier Smith, who’d already survived one bobbled punt, tripped over his own feet as the ball arrived, muffed the ball and allowed the Seahawks to recover. One play later, receiver Jake Bobo was dancing in the end zone, and Seattle had an 11-point lead. Instead of a potential seesaw battle, L.A. was forced to play catch-up. It never fully recovered.  
5. Seahawks D bows up when needed. Well, the No. 1-ranked defense had its hands full with Stafford and Co. Every big name for L.A. seemed to have a day. Stafford threw for 350-plus yards, Puka Nacua had a 9/165/1 split, Davante Adams generated 89 yards and a TD with several big plays. L.A. rushed for 114 yards. Seattle’s D had to overcome a bonehead play by corner Tariq Woolen, whose taunting penalty after a PBU wiped out a fourth-and-12 and Rams punt. On the next play, Stafford targeted Woolen deep for a 34-yard TD to Nacua. The sequence could have cost dearly. Instead of getting the ball with a double-digit lead, things got hairy. Yet, when big plays were needed, Mike MacDonald’s defense came alive. It held L.A. to a measly 1 of 8 on third downs and 1 of 2 on fourth down. Those key downs told the story. First, the Seahawks forced early field goals. Their one forced punt allowed the Seahawks to march for the lead late in the second quarter. Then, with the Rams in a groove offensively, Seattle stood firm on its doorstep deep in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks blanketed L.A. targets on back-to-back plays to secure the lead in a massive stop. It won’t be a box score the defense will marvel at, but the Seahawks bowed up when needed, and that’s enough to send them to Santa Clara.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Seahawks-Rams (via NFL Pro): Sam Darnold completed 5 of 11 passes under pressure for 102 yards and a career-high three TDs. Across Darnold’s first two games against the Rams this season, Darnold threw zero TDs and three INTs under pressure.

NFL Research: Sam Darnold (127.8, fourth) and Matthew Stafford (127.6, sixth) had two of the sixth highest passer ratings ever among QBs to attempt at least 30 passes in a Conference Championship Game.