The Seattle Seahawks won't have it as easy against the Los Angeles Rams as they have in their last two games against the San Francisco 49ers. LA is simply a more complete and healthier team than San Fran. This should make the NFC Championship game a tough one for fans of both teams.
If the game goes like the regular season matchups, Mike Macdonald versus Sean McVay could make for one of the better conference championship games in recent memory. In Week 11, LA defeated Seattle 21-19, but the Seahawks came from behind to win in Week 16. The last one was a classic game that will be remembered for many years.
The win helped Seattle eventually take the NFC West title, and that was no small feat. Besides the terrible Arizona Cardinals, the Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers formed arguably the three best teams in the conference. Each won at least 12 games. No other NFC team won more than 11.
Mike Macdonald sums up the Seattle Seahawks matchup with the Los Angeles Rams perfectly
In other words, the NFC Championship game featuring two teams from the NFC West is not surprising. It is likely expected. Mike Macdonald thinks so.
Speaking on Monday after learning that his team would play McVay's, Macdonald said of the matchup between the Seahawks and Rams, "We really wouldn’t want it any other way."
Football fans shouldn't want it any other way, either. Not only were Seattle and Los Angeles the two best teams in their own conference for much of the season, but they were also arguably the best teams in the NFL. Whoever wins the NFC Championship game will likely be favored against whoever wins the AFC Championship game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.
For the Seattle Seahawks to earn the victory on Sunday, the team will need to limit what McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford do offensively, while Seattle QB Sam Darnold needs to limit his turnovers. While LA has a solid defense, the team is at its best when the offense is humming. Stafford is also a proven quarterback in the postseason, unlikely to let his team down.
This means the ultimate matchup will be Mike Macdonald's defense against Sean McVay's offense. Macdonald was hired in large part to slow what McVay's Rams and Kyle Shanahan's 49ers offenses can do. If Macdonald succeeds on Sunday, the Seahawks will likely be headed toward the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history.