Heroes, zeros and the full blitz from the Seahawks’ 31-27 win over the Rams in the NFC Championship on Sunday:
Hero
Former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a signature performance to erase the reputation that he struggles in big games.
Zero
Xavier Smith got away with his first muffed punt when it bounced back to him. He was not so fortunate when it happened again, giving the ball to the Seahawks at the 19-yard line and setting up a quick touchdown strike.
Unsung Hero
Devon Witherspoon broke up back-to-back passes in the end zone to force a turnover on downs and end the Rams’ final true scoring threat with 4:54 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Key Stat
13: Percentage of third downs (1-for-8) converted by the Rams, compared to 54 percent (7-for-13) by the Seahawks.
Quote
“I’m pretty numb [from] the finality of it.”
— Rams head coach Sean McVay
