let\u2019s review what happened last time out<\/a> from the Divisional Round!<\/p>\nBold prediction: Rashid Shaheed\u2026 for real, this time<\/p>\n
Technically, this is not a correct prediction. It was predicated on Shaheed having a big night as a receiver, which didn\u2019t happen, but he did make an impact with his kick return touchdown and 30-yard run before halftime.<\/p>\n
Seahawks offense prediction: Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets his first touchdown vs. 49ers<\/p>\n
Seahawks defense prediction: Brock Purdy will be strip-sacked<\/p>\n
49ers prediction: Ricky Pearsall makes things a little more difficult for Seattle<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t do anything other than drop a pass and finish with 0 catches on the night.<\/p>\n
Game prediction: Seahawks march to the NFC Championship Game<\/p>\n
I said 27-17 and it wasn\u2019t that close, obviously. The main thing is that the Seahawks won, so chalk that up as a win for me.<\/p>\n
Bold prediction: Cooper Kupp scores his first Seahawks home touchdown<\/p>\n
This is Coop\u2019s last chance at Lumen Field for the season. His only two touchdowns in the regular season were on the road, and the only time he got in the end zone at home was on a two-point conversion in the Rams rematch.<\/p>\n
After a hugely impressive performance against the 49ers last week, Kupp looks like he\u2019s got enough left in the tank for one more playoff run. Against his old team, he was ineffective in the loss in Inglewood, had a big catch in overtime in the next meeting, but also coughed the ball up for a turnover. As teams key in on stopping Jaxon Smith-Njigba, now is as good a time as any for Kupp to haunt his former team and make some big plays, including getting into the end zone.<\/p>\n
Seahawks offense prediction: Kenneth Walker clears 100 scrimmage yards again<\/p>\n
With Zach Charbonnet out, this could be a massive moment in his career. He rushed for 100 yards in the last Rams matchup and had well over 100 yards of offense in consecutive 49ers victories. Walker is also providing value as a receiving back, particularly on screens, angle, and wheel routes that allow him to work more in space.<\/p>\n
The Rams defense is still good despite a recent dropoff, so I\u2019m not expecting life on easy street, but with Walker playing more decisively and the offensive line performing better each week with their run blocking, I think we\u2019ll see Walker put in another good shift and be one of the main leaders on offense. He may not hit 100 rushing yards this time, but I think he\u2019ll do enough as a receiver to make up the difference.<\/p>\n
Seahawks defense prediction: Finally, Matthew Stafford gets sacked<\/p>\n
The Seahawks have not sacked Stafford since Mike Macdonald became head coach. Three cracks, 120+ dropbacks, zero sacks to show for it. If the Seahawks don\u2019t win this game, it\u2019ll be the centerpiece for looking to acquire a star pass rusher in the offseason.<\/p>\n
Seattle has been able to at least pressure Stafford a fair bit through the previous two meetings, and he was a combined 9\/25 for 84 yards when pressured. Stafford just got sacked four times by a weak Chicago Bears pass rush, albeit with blitzing doing some heavy lifting since their front four is vastly inferior to Seattle\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Leonard Williams or Byron Murphy II will get the job done and plant the potential league MVP. I\u2019m relying on interior pressure more than the edge rushers, although I really would prefer to see more DeMarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu and less Derick Hall and Boye Mafe. It seems that was the winning formula last time around.<\/p>\n
Rams prediction: Colby Parkinson has his own revenge game in mind<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll stray away from Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Kyren Williams, etc. for a somewhat symmetrical prediction. Colby Parkinson was looking like an underwhelming free-agent pickup for the Rams in 2024, but he\u2019s had a breakthrough in 2025 with 43 catches for 408 yards and 8 touchdowns. If not for his Wild Card touchdown against the Carolina Panthers, the Rams might not even be here.<\/p>\n
As elite as this Seahawks defense, they rank in the bottom-half of the league in EPA\/play and DVOA when covering tight ends. While the Rams have struggled to accomplish much in the running game out of their 13 personnel looks, they\u2019d be foolish to completely abandon heavy personnel when it\u2019s so advantageous for them in play-action passing. Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen, and Terrance Ferguson will all need to be paid attention to. It\u2019s going to be an important game for Nick Emmanwori, who has had his struggles covering tight ends all season.<\/p>\n
Anyway, Colby will score and make it a double \u201crevenge game\u201d of sorts. Kupp gets a TD against the Rams, while Parkinson gets his second TD versus the Seahawks this season.<\/p>\n
Game prediction: The Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl<\/p>\n
I said in the staff predictions that the Seahawks would win against the 49ers and lose in the NFC Championship Game. Well, I\u2019m going to back off on that and live a little. It\u2019ll be another back-and-forth thriller with big time plays on both sides of the ball. There will be turnovers, there will be a few frustrating and\/or (un)timely penalties, there will be big-time QB play from Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford, clutch catches from JSN and Puka Nacua, but it\u2019ll be the Seahawks defense coming through late in the fourth quarter to preserve a 31-24 victory.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m all done with my picks! Make yours in the comments section!<\/p>\n
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