The Seattle Seahawks clinched their fourth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history and their first under second-year head coach Mike Macdonald after outlasting the Los Angeles Rams in a thrilling NFC Championship.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, while Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford racked up 374 yards and matched Darnold’s touchdown tally for Los Angeles.
The Seahawks led 31-21 late in the third quarter, but the Rams pulled closer after a taunting penalty on Riq Woolen and a 34-yard touchdown to Puka Nacua.
At the end of a scoreless fourth quarter, the Rams found themselves within scoring distance as the clock wound down on the back of a 21-yard pass to Nacua.
He was unable to find the sideline and stop the clock however, and the Rams were unable to get back in formation before time expired.
The Seahawks’ last Super Bowl appearance, a 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots, sets the stage for a rematch of their 2014 showdown after the Patriots beat Denver Broncos 10-7 in swirling snow at Empower Field at Mile High to reach a record 12th Super Bowl.
Patriots edged a defence-dominated game in treacherous conditions to book their place in Super Bowl 60 on 8 February at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton’s touchdown gave Broncos a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Patriots levelled it up in the second when quarterback Drake Meye walked in from six yards.
Patriots had moments earlier been aggrieved when the whistle was blown incorrectly to deny them a touchdown after Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham had fumbled the ball backwards, but Maye went in himself after the next down.
Both sides then missed field-goal attempts – Denver’s Will Lutz from 54 yards and New England’s Andy Borregales from 63 yards – to leave the score 7-7 at half-time.
With defences on top, Borregales was successful with his second field goal attempt from 23 yards in the third quarter to edge Patriots 10-7 ahead, but in worsening conditions he missed the chance to extend his side’s lead with another attempt from 46 yards.
Australian rookie Jeremy Crawshaw’s big punt put the Broncos within field goal range in the closing stages of the final quarter, but Lutz’s attempt was tipped by Patriots’ defensive tackle Leonard Taylor and as the ball flew off target, the game was up for Denver.
Broncos’ Stidham became the first quarterback to start a Championship game without having thrown a single pass in the same season after Bo Nix broke his ankle last week.
But the Patriots found a way to win and head coach Mike Vrabel stayed on course to become the first man in NFL history to win the Super Bowl as player and head coach with the same team.
PA
