RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Sam Darnold was far from his best the last time he and the Seattle Seahawks squared off against his hometown team and he is amply aware he will need to perform better than when he tossed four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 16.
Darnold and the Seahawks’ rematch Thursday night with the Rams carries significant NFC West title implications. The Seahawks (11-3) and Rams (11-3) are tied atop the division and a game ahead of the 49ers, and a win for either team would put them in the driver’s seat to secure the title and potentially the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
“We’re excited about this challenge,” Darnold said. “Obviously, it’s a divisional game, and playing these guys last time wasn’t my best effort. I feel like as an offense, we’ve just got to continue to do what we’ve been practicing, stay on the details. But again, this team has a very good defense.”
“There’s no weakness,” McVay said. “This is as complete of a football team as there is.”
“They’ve been winning games and playing at a really high level, as good as anybody in the league,” McVay said. “Like I said, it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
No third wheels
If Davante Adams’ hamstring injury keeps him out Thursday, the Rams will be without the league leader in touchdown receptions and quarterback Matthew Stafford’s favorite short-yardage target. Even worse, the Rams don’t really have a third wide receiver, with Stafford throwing just 58 times all season to wideouts not named Adams or Nacua. That’s partly because McVay has embraced three-tight-end sets to a surprising degree, but receivers Tutu Atwell and rookie Konata Mumpfield should get a bump in their meager playing time if Adams sits. The Seahawks are the only 10-win team that has thrown to its tertiary wide receivers even less than the Rams this season, but Rashid Shaheed’s role has increased since his midseason arrival, and Darnold frequently targets his tight ends as well.
Immovable Murphy
Byron Murphy II drew high praise from coach Mike Macdonald after Sunday’s game, with Macdonald saying he thought the second-year defensive tackle “probably singlehandedly won us the football game on defense.”
Murphy, a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, has taken significant steps forward in 2025, tying for the team lead in sacks with seven and is tied for fourth in tackles for loss. Defensive coordinator Aden Durde said he thinks Murphy has been playing at an elite level, especially on early downs.
“When he’s on,” Durde said, “he’s pretty much unblockable.”
Suspect secondary
The Rams’ four-interception performance in their first meeting with the Seahawks was an unusually good game for a Los Angeles secondary that has frequently seemed to be this team’s weakest link. Cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. couldn’t do much to slow the Lions’ star receivers last week, and veteran Ahkello Witherspoon was a healthy scratch. The Rams’ pass rush frequently makes the secondary’s job easier, but it couldn’t sack Darnold in the teams’ first meeting, and it struggled to touch Jared Goff until the Lions fell behind last week.
Anemic run game
The Seahawks’ run game was nearly nonexistent last week as they totaled just three yards on nine carries before halftime. Seattle finished with a season-low 50 yards rushing; Kenneth Walker III had 17 yards on nine carries, both figures his fewest of the season.
“I think it’s got to improve pretty quick,” said Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
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