The Seattle Seahawks are heading to Super Bowl LX after dismantling the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. The New England Patriots punched their ticket by grinding out a win over the Denver Broncos in a whiteout blizzard. Here's what you need to know from Championship Sunday.

Seahawks' Coaching Edge Proves Decisive

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak simply called a better game than Rams counterparts Sean McVay and Chris Shula.

The difference showed up most starkly in how Seattle attacked LA's defense with precision. Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had practiced a specific route all week—lining up in the backfield in a two-back set before breaking to the back right corner of the end zone with no one near him. The play worked in practice. It worked even better on Sunday.

"I got to give credit to coach Kubiak. He called a great plan. We've been running that at practice, and I've been open on that all week long." — Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Receiver Rashid Shaheed, running his route in the opposite direction, knew instantly what would happen.

"It was the exact look we were looking for. As soon as I saw the safety off the corner following me, I knew that Jaxon was gonna be open for a touchdown. That was a special play, a play that we needed in that moment." — Rashid Shaheed

The same script played out on Seattle's opening drive: a 51-yard reception to Shaheed on the third play—part of the team's scripted sequence—that caught LA's defense vulnerable. Darnold delivered a perfect throw.

"They gave us the perfect look, man. Sam put it on the money." — Rashid Shaheed

Even Rams linebacker Omar Speights conceded the point after the game.

"[The Smith-Njigba touchdowns] was kind of a beater for what we was in. At certain points, they caught us where certain plays matched up perfectly against ours. Hats off to them." — Omar Speights

Darnold's Career-Defining Performance Under Pressure

Darnold completed three touchdowns while under pressure—the most of his career and the most ever recorded since 2016, per Next Gen Stats.

For years, questions have dogged Darnold's ability to perform in crucial moments. His previous matchup against LA ended with four interceptions. But on Championship Sunday, he was a different player—one that even his doubters had to acknowledge.

"He played better, for sure. He was able to find his receivers when we brought certain pressures." — Omar Speights

In the Seahawks' locker room, the praise bordered on hyperbolic. Receiver Jake Bobo called Darnold "the best in the world." Coach Macdonald put it more diplomatically: "He just shut a lot of people up tonight."

Darnold finished with 346 yards and three touchdowns despite pressure throughout the game. Remarkably, he accomplished this while "barely practicing" all week due to an oblique injury, according to Macdonald.

"He gets a lot of antics thrown his way from the media or whatever, and for him to stay resilient and keep going is truly remarkable. I'm super proud of him." — Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Smith-Njigba captured what may matter most: "We wouldn't be here without him."

That sentiment wasn't always true. During the regular season, Darnold threw 20 turnovers—most in the NFL—with a 3.7% turnover rate (second-highest). The Seahawks often had to overcome his mistakes or carry him outright.

Sunday was different. This was the game when Darnold wasn't a liability—he was essential.

Drake Maye's Wise Beyond His Years

Part 1: The Youngest QB in the Playoff Field Plays With Maturity That Defies His Age

Receiver DeMario Douglas said weeks ago that Maye was mature beyond his years. The skeptics could dismiss it as hype. But since then, the Patriots have won three straight playoff games—and Maye has done it in three different ways.

Against Denver, Maye adapted to what the Broncos defense gave him. When conditions became impossible for traditional passing, he beat them with his legs: 65 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and zero turnovers. He also iced the game on third-and-6 with a crucial rollout run.

"These conditions—they're not great throwing the football. We did what we needed to do." — Drake Maye

Maye finished 10 of 21 for 86 yards and took five sacks. Those numbers don't tell the story of how he managed the game.

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has built the system around Maye's specific strengths—not just asking him to operate Tom Brady's playbook. Against the Chargers, they ran the option. Against the Bills, they scored on designed rushing touchdowns. McDaniels explained his philosophy:

"Tell me who the players are. Tell me what their strengths are, and let's try to build the system around them. We ran the option. We never did that with Tom. Why? Because Drake can do it. We're not just going to do that because I think he can do almost everything to a point. We can do more things—or different things—because he has different skill sets." — Josh McDaniels

The skeptics will argue Maye hasn't faced elite offenses. Fair point. But here's what they won't acknowledge: Maye is the first QB to win three playoff games against top-five total defenses in a single postseason, per FOX Sports research. Two of those defenses (Broncos and Texans) finished in the top three in points allowed per game.

Maye will be the second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl—behind only Dan Marino—where he'll face the league's top-ranked defense in Seattle.

Part 2: Special Teams Finally Matter

In the Rams' loss, a muffed punt in the third quarter swung momentum decisively. Xavier Smith fell while fielding a punt early in the third quarter, and the Seahawks recovered at the 17-yard line. One play later, Darnold threw a touchdown to Jake Bobo, extending Seattle's lead to 12 points they wouldn't relinquish.

A former NFL head coach texted after the game: "Every year, they lose key games and fail to maximize their potential due to a lack of investment in special teams. Look at the investments of who they hire. It went from [John Fassel and Joe DeCamillis] (two of the best) to the lowest bidders who promise in interviews to basically not play the phase. Whenever they play teams who invest in special teams, it costs them!"

The evidence is stark. In LA's losses this season:

• Week 3 vs. Eagles: Philadelphia blocked two Rams field goals, including a 44-yarder with three seconds left
• Week 5 vs. 49ers: Josh Karty missed a 53-yard field goal and an extra point
• Week 16 vs. Seahawks: Seahawks scored a punt-return TD; Mevis missed a 48-yarder with 2:11 left in a tied game

The Rams often win despite special teams. But when a team maximizes that phase, it tilts close games.

Patriots Weather the Storm

The NFL playoffs aren't a marathon—they're a steeplechase. Players must adapt to conditions that test them in unpredictable ways.

The Denver blizzard that hit during the second half perfectly illustrated this. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel's team was built for exactly this moment.

Behind Vrabel and defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr, New England's defense allowed just 26 points across the entire three-game playoff run—the second-fewest in NFL history for a team playing three games into the Super Bowl.

Chargers offensive players admitted to Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane that they couldn't decipher the disguised coverages. The same confusion likely plagued C.J. Stroud when he threw four interceptions in the divisional round.

Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham couldn't see anything once the snow intensified. Denver showed early competence—a 52-yard play to Marvin Mims on their second drive, then a touchdown. But that window closed quickly. The Patriots smothered the Broncos, as expected against a backup QB.

With the victory, Vrabel tied George Seifert for the most wins by a head coach in their first season with a team, including the playoffs, per FOX Sports Research.

Sean Payton's fourth-down attempt in the second quarter looked reasonable at the time—before the storm's severity became clear. But his final-drive decisions were more questionable. On one throw, Stidham had a receiver open enough to try but checked down instead. On the next, he didn't have his target yet forced it anyway into the storm's peak. Those plays didn't match the situation.

The Patriots didn't just survive Denver's weather—they thrived in it.

The Moment Everyone Will Remember

"No curfew tonight. But the bus is leaving at 8:00 in the morning—so if you ain't on it, you ain't playing in the Bowl."

The Patriots are somewhere in Denver right now having more fun than you. Just remember: that bus leaves at 8 a.m. sharp.