In yesterday’s rendition of Tyler’s Take, I dissected the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos ahead of the AFC Championship matchup on Sunday.
Now, it’s time to turn to the highly competitive NFC Conference.
Unlike the AFC, where only two franchises looked like Super Bowl contenders, nearly every NFC playoff team played their hearts out.
When it came to deciding the postseason seeding for the NFC, it was no easy job. Until Week 18, nothing was set in stone, as six games determined where squads would play.
Not to mention, fans witnessed the injured San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks fight to the end for a first-round bye week.
As for the NFC North, the Chicago Bears returned to the top of the mountain with quarterback Caleb Williams and first-year Head Coach Ben Johnson paving the way. For the first time since 2018, the Bears clinched the division.
With that being said, in part two of Tyler’s Take, I discuss everything fans need to know before watching the NFC Conference Championship.
No. 5 Seed Rams (12-5) vs. No. 1 Seed Seahawks (14-3):
Similar to the Patriots and Broncos, neither team performed flawlessly the entire year.
In the first half of the campaign, it seemed like nothing was stopping the Rams from returning to the promised land.
With shot-caller Matthew Stafford throwing to trusted wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, moving the chains was not a problem. Collectively, the wideout duo combined for a total of 2,504 receiving yards.
In the back field, running back Kyren Williams racked up 1,252 rushing and punched in 10 touchdowns. Compared to backup running back Blake Corum, the former Michigan Wolverine rushed for 746 yards and crossed the goal line six times.
Despite the dominating offense, finding wins took a turn for the worse. On the back half of the 2025-2026 stretch, three meetings cost them the No. 1 seed.
In their three losses, Stafford threw a total of five interceptions, while the offensive line conceded five sacks for a loss of 37 yards.
Turning to the Seahawks, other than falling in three one-score contests, not much has stopped the franchise from steamrolling through the league. It is worth mentioning that the squad ranks No. 22 in strength of schedule.
Outside of a weaker schedule than other opponents, gunslinger Sam Darnold has been nothing but stellar.
For the first time in NFL history, the 28-year-old became the first quarterback to post back-to-back 14-3 records on two different teams. To end the 2025-2026 regular season, Darnold registered 4,048 yards, the fifth-most in the league, for 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
In the air, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba turned into a true No. 1 wideout. Through 17 outings, the league crowned the former Ohio State Buckeye the receiving yards leader with 1,793 yards. Additionally, the 23-year-old tied for sixth with 10 endzone appearances.
Defensively, the Seahawks landed at No. 6, giving up slightly under 286 yards and ranking No. 1 in fewest points allowed with just over 17 points.
Scouting the Rams:
In the regular season, the two franchises split their pair of in-division games. In the Rams’ victory, the squad won defensively, forcing Darnold to throw four picks.
In all four botched plays, not one of them was intended for a deep pass. If the Rams can pressure the pocket quickly, the franchise could pull off the upset.
Injury-wise, cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. is questionable with a shoulder injury, linebacker Byron Young is questionable with a knee injury and safety Quentin Lake is questionable with an illness.
Scouting the Seahawks:
In the last week, Seahawk fans almost received gut-wrenching news that Darnold was out versus the 49ers with an oblique injury.
However, the former USC Trojan proved to be fine after blowing out the NFC West rivals 41-6 in the divisional round last Saturday.
As of now, the veteran is expected to play, but this is something to keep an eye on during the NFC Championship.
In the running back room, the squad lost running back Zach Charbonnet. While facing the 49ers, the powerful runner suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Over the 2025-2026 stretch, Charbonnet contributed 730 rushing yards for 12 touchdowns.