If Sam Darnold has a nemesis, it’s the Los Angeles Rams.
Which, along with Darnold’s oblique injury, lends another level of intrigue to the NFC Championship game on Sunday in Seattle.
“Just attacking rehab these last couple days,” the Seattle Seahawks quarterback said. “Obviously, will be throughout the week; just got to continue to prepare and get my body right for Sunday.”
Darnold tweaked his oblique in practice last week. It didn’t seem to hinder him last Saturday as the Seahawks pummeled the visiting San Francisco 49ers 41-6 in the divisional playoffs.
Of course, Darnold wasn’t called on to do much, as the Seahawks’ running game, defense and special teams were dominant. Darnold was 12-of-17 passing for 124 yards and a touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and was turnover-free.
The Rams have had Darnold’s number. In a playoff game last year while with Minnesota, Darnold was sacked nine times and committed a pair of turnovers, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in a 27-9 defeat in Inglewood, Calif.
In Week 11 this season, Darnold threw four interceptions in a 21-19 loss to the host Rams, though he nearly rallied Seattle to a victory before Jason Myers’ 61-yard field-goal attempt as time expired faded wide right.
On Dec. 18 in Seattle, Darnold was sacked four times and threw a pair of picks as the Seahawks fell behind by 16 points in the fourth quarter. He then led a miraculous comeback and found backup tight end Eric Saubert for a two-point conversion in overtime of a 38-37 victory.
Darnold credited the Rams’ defense for having a “really good scheme” that disguises their coverages. He said a key will be “staying on schedule … staying positive on first and second down.”
“It’s win or go home at this point,” Darnold said. “But we look at it as another game. We trust our process throughout the week.”
Backup running back Zach Charbonnet, who led the Seahawks in the regular season with 12 rushing touchdowns, suffered a serious knee injury against the 49ers and is out for the rest of the season. Starter Kenneth Walker III carried a heavier load, rushing for 116 yards and three touchdowns.
The Seahawks (15-3) also have an injury concern at left tackle, with the top three candidates ailing. Starter Charles Cross left in the third quarter last Saturday with a foot injury and didn’t return. His backup, Josh Jones, wasn’t active against the 49ers with knee and ankle woes, and third-stringer Amari Kight, a rookie, played the final 17 snaps but missed practice time this week with a knee issue.
The Rams (14-5) have won two straight playoff games on the road to get to the conference title game. They dispatched Carolina 34-31 on Jan. 10 and Chicago 20-17 in overtime last Sunday.
They’re relatively healthy, with only safety Quentin Lake (illness) and linebacker Byron Young (knee) missing practice time this week.
The Los Angeles offense, which led the league in yards (394.6 per game) and scoring (30.5) during the regular season, struggled with a cold and hostile environment in Chicago.
It will be even louder Sunday in Seattle.
“When you go into the environment that we’re going into here on Sunday in Seattle, everybody’s gotta be on the same page and communicate,” said Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a leading MVP candidate. “That’s what offense is all about. You gotta have 11 people working as one.”
The Rams’ Davante Adams, who led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns in the regular season, missed the last game against Seattle with an injury.
“This is the biggest game,” Adams told reporters this week. “Whatever game you’re currently in is the biggest game of the year. But this is, obviously, the biggest game right here. They took care of business against us last time. It’s tough being on the sideline … even though we did take care of business on offense and had a good day. But it’s time to finish it off this time.”
