Sam Darnold and Seahawks advance to Super Bowl with thrilling 31-27 win over Rams in NFC title game

SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks' “Dark Side” defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop, and Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game on Sunday.

Led by second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Darnold — an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth team — the Seahawks (16-3) reached the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years. Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

With Los Angeles (14-6) facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6 with 4:59 remaining, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford's pass was broken up in the end zone by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn't get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.

Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.

Darnold, who flopped in his playoff debut last season with the Minnesota Vikings, played through an oblique injury and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving — the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history — and a touchdown on 10 catches.

“It’s amazing,” Darnold said. “To be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me.”

The Seahawks led 31-20 late in the third quarter on Darnold's 13-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp, but the Rams got back into the game when Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen was flagged for taunting after breaking up a pass to Nacua on third-and-12, giving Los Angeles a first down.

On the next play, Stafford threw at Woolen again, and Nacua beat him in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.

The Rams forced a punt on Seattle's next possession and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that came up empty thanks to Witherspoon's pass breakup.

Seattle stayed aggressive on its final possession, with Darnold throwing for three first downs to run out most of the clock.

Davante Adams and Kyren Williams had receiving TDs for the Rams, and Kenneth Walker III rushed for a score for the Seahawks.

Darnold set the tone with his first completion of the game, a 51-yarder to Rashid Shaheed. Four plays later, Walker ran 2 yards for a TD to make it 7-0.

The Rams settled for field goals by Harrison Mevis on their next two possessions. With Los Angeles trailing 10-6, Stafford led a 12-play, 87-yard drive and connected with a wide-open Williams for a 9-yard score.

Los Angeles forced a three-and-out late in the second quarter, but after two straight incompletions by Stafford, the Rams punted the ball back, and it took Darnold just 34 seconds to put the Seahawks ahead for good.

Smith-Njigba caught a deep ball from Darnold, absorbed a big hit by Kam Curl and held on for a 42-yard gain. Four plays later, Darnold and Smith-Njigba hooked up for a 14-yard TD that made it 17-13 heading into halftime.

“I told my team, I’m going to do whatever it takes. Whatever y’all ask of me, I’m gonna get it done, whatever that might be,” said Smith-Njigba, the NFL's leading receiver in the regular season. “And that’s what you saw today. You just saw grit, determination, you saw passion out there and you saw a group, a collective, going out there and getting the job done.”

Rams: WR Jordan Whittington (chest) left in the third quarter. Defensive end Kobie Turner (cramps) also exited in the third.

Seahawks: LB Drake Thomas (shoulder) left in the fourth quarter. FB Brady Russell (hand) was injured in the second half and did not return.

Rams: Stafford turns 38 next month and has to wonder if this was his last, best chance at a second Super Bowl title.

Seahawks: Seek their second Super Bowl title after winning it all in the 2013 season with coach Pete Carroll and the “Legion of Boom” defense.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) celebrates after a win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams (99) celebrates after a win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold lifts the winner's trophy next to Michael Strahan, left, after a win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) leaps over Los Angeles Rams cornerback Cobie Durant (14) after a catch during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) slides under Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) makes a touchdown catch past Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Seattle Seahawks' Dareke Young (83) celebrates after recovering a fumble by Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith during a punt return during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champion Madison Keys was knocked out of the Australian Open by fellow American, and podcast pal, Jessica Pegula on Monday in the fourth round.

The sixth-seeded Pegula will next face another American after fourth-seeded Amanda Anisimova made it to the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time.

Pegula's 6-3, 6-4 win at Rod Laver Arena ended Keys' first Grand Slam title defense in a tough section of the draw.

Anisimova, runner-up at the last two majors in Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, advanced 7-6 (4), 6-4 over Wang Xinyu as the temperature started rising at Melbourne Park, and organizers triggered the heat stress policy which allowed for extra cooling breaks.

Pegula is into the quarterfinals for the fourth time in Australia but has never previously gone beyond that round at the season-opening major.

She took a 4-1 lead early and needed only 32 minutes to clinch the first set. She broke to open the second set and again surged to a 4-1 lead as Keys struggled on serve.

“I’ve been playing really well, seeing the ball, hitting the ball really well this whole tournament, and I wanted to stay true to that,” Pegula said. “Then just lean into a couple things that I felt like she would do, and I felt like I came out doing it pretty well

“Even when she got a little rhythm back, I just really tried to focus on what I needed to do and patterns to look out for.”

Pegula and Keys had played three times previously, and Keys had won the last two. But on Monday it was Pegula that had the upper hand almost throughout on the back of her serve accuracy and few unforced errors.

Keys said Pegula dictated from the start.

“I felt like if I didn’t hit a really good ball immediately, she was in charge of the points," she said. “I was kind of struggling to kind of get that dominance back.”

Pegula's best performance in a major was making the U.S. Open final in 2024, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. The top-ranked Sabalenka is aiming for a third title in four years.

Anisimova was getting frustrated toward the end of the second set, hitting herself with her racket when she missed a service return. She also damaged a shoe.

Just as the No. 4 seed was about to serve for the match, the tournament's heat stress index scale hit 4, which means extra cooling breaks are allowed after the second set in women's singles and third set in men's singles matches.

It didn't become a factor, with Anisimova closing with an ace.

“What a battle out there. Tough conditions against a really good opponent,” she said. "There were a lot of fans from China today, but honestly, it made the atmosphere great.

It wasn’t for me but I was pretending it was just getting rowdy out there."

As for her next assignment, Anisimova said it would be fun.

“Sucks that one American has to go out in the quarterfinals,” she said. “Jess is such a great player, so I’m sure it’s going to be a great battle.”

Lorenzo Musetti reached the quarterfinals for the first time in Australia with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win over No. 9 Taylor Fritz.

The fifth-seeded Musetti has had a disrupted run, with one of his coaches and a physio having to return to Italy for personal reasons. He also had to leave his family behind after the birth in November of his second son.

“I feel more mature on the court. I’m playing better for that, and for them,” he said. “I didn’t get much sleep in the offseason. But we found a way to work and to practice really well on and off the court.

"Now it’s more than 20 days that I’m alone and it’s not easy, but I feel their presence also here.”

His next mission is against a rested Novak Djokovic. The 24-time major winner had been scheduled to be the feature night match at Rod Laver Arena on Monday but had a walkover into the quarterfinals after his opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew from their scheduled fourth-round match with an abdominal injury.

In night matches, second-ranked Iga Świątek was up against Australian Maddison Inglis, and the eighth-seeded man Ben Shelton faced Casper Ruud.

Lorenzo Musetti of Italy celebrates after defeating Taylor Fritz of the U.S. in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Wang Xinyu of China plays a backhand return to Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. plays a backhand return to Wang Xinyu of China during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Jessica Pegula, left, of the U.S., is congratulated by her compatriot Madison Keys after winning their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Madison Keys of the U.S. plays a backhand return to her compatriot Jessica Pegula during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Jessica Pegula of the U.S. plays a backhand return to her compatriot Madison Keys during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Madison Keys of the U.S. reacts during her fourth round match against her compatriot Jessica Pegula at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Jessica Pegula of the U.S. plays a backhand return to her compatriot Madison Keys during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)