This is the Championship Matchup We Hoped For | MMQB

What this episode is about

The matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams showcases a clash of elite offense and defense, featuring the second-best NFL offense facing off against the top defense. With both teams having faced off multiple times this season, their familiarity adds intensity, as the Rams focus on being tougher and more resilient to counter their rivals' strategies.

Key takeaways

• Ram vs. Seahawks: where explosive offense meets impenetrable defense—it's like watching a heavyweight bout!
• Built to conquer the Niners, the Rams might just find a surprise win against the Seahawks instead.
• Coaching chess match: Can McVay outsmart the Seattle D with tight end heavy sets? Let the mind games begin!
• Seattle's run defense: tougher than finding a parking spot in downtown—good luck Rams!
• This game is Matt Stafford's moment; less reliance on the run could be the wild card for success.

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Kobe Turner, Kyle Shanahan
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Matthew Stafford
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Kenneth Walker, Sam Darnold, Kobe Turner, Zach Charbonnet
5. 12:00 – 13:23: Sam Darnold

Notable quotes from "This is the Championship Matchup We Hoped For | MMQB"

• This Rams team was built to beat the San Francisco 49ers, right?

  about Los Angeles Rams · at 1:19

• Like their whole thing was getting tougher and more rugged. Puka Nakua is part of that, right? Like because he is a mother bleeper as a run blocker, the tight ends. So like you've got this team like that if you took the horns off.

  about Puka Nakua · at 2:09

• Those two tackles in the secondary and score against Seattle because in both games, I want to say the Rams rushing offense was generally non-existent. But that's true for…

  about Seattle Seahawks · at 3:53

• Yeah. Do you change what you're doing and try to get that running game going or do you say like this is a Matt Stafford game? You know what I mean?

  about Matthew Stafford · at 4:41

• Sit here and we could talk about third tight end and inside run and big nickel. What if Kobe Turner gets a shot right at the rib cage and just completely blows up that, it blows up everything, right?

  about Sam Darnold · at 9:26

• Cool. Okay, so yeah, here it is. before he was hurt on Saturday. The last time a back other than Charbanet or Kenneth Walker carried the ball in a game for Seattle was on December 7th.

  about Kenneth Walker · at 10:41

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Sam Darnold — Person · Referenced player · 3 mentions · first at 9:04
  Central to the Seahawks’ outlook due to an oblique injury and play-style constraints; also noted as the only QB left with positive playoff EPA per play in the hosts’ stat discussion.
• Kenneth Walker — Person · Referenced player · 2 mentions · first at 10:48
  Positioned as Seattle’s primary healthy RB and a top-tier talent; the hosts emphasize Seattle “cannot afford to lose Walker,” tying his health to play-action and overall offensive rhythm.
• Zach Charbonnet — Person · Referenced player · 1 mention · first at 11:45
  Discussed as a key part of Seattle’s two-back run game; his injury is framed as a major constraint on Seattle’s offensive balance and ability to spell Kenneth Walker.
  How big a loss do you think Zach Sharon is?
• Matthew Stafford — Person · Referenced player · 3 mentions · first at 4:45
  Framed as the Rams’ late-game “trump card” and the potential pivot point if the Rams abandon the run: “this is a Matt Stafford game.”
• Kobe Turner — Person · Referenced player · 3 mentions · first at 2:05
  Cited as part of the Rams’ “tougher, more rugged” defensive build; later invoked as a potential game-changing hitter who could worsen Darnold’s injury with one shot.
  Kairen Williams. They draft Blake Cororum. They draft Jared Verse, Byron Young, Kobe Turner, Braden Fisk.
• Kyle Shanahan — Person · Referenced coach/strategist · 1 mention · first at 1:28
  Used as the benchmark rival strategist: the Rams roster-building approach is described as being designed to counter Shanahan’s 49ers, which then (by extension) helps vs Seattle.
  Like this Rams team over the last three years or so has been built to combat Kyle Shanahan and the ners. And so what does that mean? Well, they wanted to get tougher. They wanted to get more rugged.
• Puka Nakua — Person · Referenced player · 1 mention · first at 2:11
  Highlighted as emblematic of the Rams’ physical identity, especially as an elite run-blocking WR; also mentioned as a YAC/coverage-shell answer vs Seattle’s two-high looks.

Companies & orgs

• Los Angeles Rams — Company · Business focus · 2 mentions · first at 1:19
  Central to the discussion, the Rams are analyzed for their offensive strategies and how they were built to compete against teams like the 49ers and Seahawks.
• Seattle Seahawks — Company · Business focus · 2 mentions · first at 3:34
  One of the main teams discussed in the podcast, highlighted for their defensive strengths and strategic gameplay against the Rams.
• San Francisco 49ers — Company · Referenced team · 1 mention · first at 1:19
  Mentioned as a rival team that the Rams were specifically built to compete against, providing context for the Rams' strategic development.
  This Rams team was built to beat the San Francisco 49ers, right?

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Seattle and the Rams. This is the game I wanted all along. Uh I I wanted round three. I'm very very excited that I got it. Um these teams, like this is what you want, right? This is arguably the second best offense in the NFL all year versus the best defense, right? It's like a top five passing offense against a top five passing defense, a top five rushing offense against the best rushing defense in the NFL. All of it. I mean, we're the actually, this is interesting, second best explosive play offense in the NFL for the Rams. Second best team at preventing explosives in the Seahawks. Then we were blessed enough to get

0:46 Why you lift all this? Why you lift all all them weights? That's why we lift all those weights, baby. Um, this is uh, you know, we were blessed enough to get this game twice already and I think that it's so like that that makes it better in my opinion because these coaches have now downloaded so much on each other and they're going to go into this game h like there's so like every snap carries the weight of all that pressure and I love it. What I love about this one, this is really interesting to me from that st from this standpoint.

1:19 This Rams team was built to beat the San Francisco 49ers, right? Like this Rams team over the last three years or so has been built to combat Kyle Shanahan and the ners. And so what does that mean? Well, they wanted to get tougher. They wanted to get more rugged. and they're very sports center science ccentric there. But over the last three years, longer practices, more contact in camp. And if you look at how they've drafted and where they've signed guys, they signed Kevin Dodson, they signed Jonah Jackson. That didn't work out, but they did sign him, right? They invest in Kairen Williams. They draft Blake Cororum. They they draft Jared Verse, Byron Young, Kobe Turner, Braden Fisk.

2:09 like their whole thing was getting tougher and more rugged. Puka Nakua is part of that, right? Like um because he is a mother bleeper as a run blocker, the tight ends. So like you've got this team like that if you took the horns off their helmets, it wouldn't look like the same sort of team, right, that you saw four years ago win a Super Bowl.

2:35 And it was built to beat the NerS. and I think is similarly equipped to deal with the Seahawks for those reasons, right? It's almost like you stumble you you you built a team to beat one rival and now you've stumbled in a solution to deal with another rival. Does that make sense?

2:51 It does. Yeah. You know, I think that that's like that's why I think they've got a chance here, a chance against a ro a team I think's got a better roster, right? To go in there and get the game into the last five minutes and then lay number nine down as their as their as their trump card. I love it. I am uh I'm looking at so to me this game comes down to how tough and whether it's Kobe Parkinson who I think is going to be a big part of this and you know I think it's too much of a platitude to say Puka but Devonte Adams in a certain respect where Seattle's going to sit in that too high shell

3:39 and what you're going to need to do is you're going to need to get your receivers the with a chance to gain yards after the catch. And you're going to have to hammer them in a way that, you know, you're going to have to break those two tackles in the secondary and score against Seattle because in both games, I want to say the Rams rushing offense was generally non-existent. But that's true for everybody that's playing this team, right? I mean, Leonard Williams and, you know,

4:11 Byron Murphy, Byron Murphy. I mean, this team is impenetrable against the run. And so, I'm I'm dying to know what what McVey does here because you either have two options. You can change what you're doing to try to attack and there is no weakness on this defensive line, but they are uniquely good at shutting down a, like you said, a Rams offense, a 49ers offense, even though they're not the same.

4:41 Yeah. Do you change what you're doing and try to get that running game going or do you say like this is a Matt Stafford game? You know what I mean?

4:49 And it might be I mean they're really good on the back end too. Like I I this is like a very complete defense and

4:55 yeah. Um Leonard Williams, Demarcus Lawrence Wosu Murphy, all those guys up front. Um, and then you know I think the key, one of the big keys of the whole thing in the same way Kyle Hamilton was a key for Mike McDonald in Seattle is the rookie Nick Eman Warary who more or less allows them to stay a nickel and play it as if it's a base front against against the um against the again against against the run. And so I this is like where I think the multiple tight end sets are going to be interesting because do the do the Seahawks stay in their nickel then or are the Rams able to force some people onto the field that the Ram that the that the Seahawks don't want to put on the field, right?

5:41 You know what I mean? Like are they forcing the Seahawks to take Tariq Woolen off the field and put another linebacker on the field or another Dlineman on the field? Right? are you going to be in that scenario? And then are the Rams able to take advantage of it by throwing to their tight ends out of those looks? Um I I just there's a really interesting like game of cat and mouse when it comes to the personnel that they're putting on the field. Like the Rams putting a certain a certain set of players out on the field. Okay, we're going to put three tight ends out there.

6:13 Are you going to match that? Okay, if you're not going to match that, then we're going to run at you. if you do match it match that then we're gonna throw it throw to a tight end you know I think there's that piece of it that's going to be really interesting to watch and kind of like one of those things if you're a fan like look at how many tight ends are on the field for the Rams [snorts] and then look at Tar look at whether or not Tariq Woolen is off the field if Tariq Woolen comes off the field right and you know there's a another player for their defensive front who's coming on then you know I think that the it just changes the dynamic dynamic. And so it'll it'll that part of it to me is going to be really really interesting. Um and hopefully we didn't listen lose too many uh listeners there talking about the the third tight end and you know third Dackle or the extra you know the extra linebacker

7:03 coming off the bench. All right, pick it. Let's get the people back. Pick it. [snorts]

7:09 Seahawks. What do you think? I'm telling Sean McVey. No, you're right. I mean, listen, you're right because I I I think I've exhausted all of my Rams excuses. At first, it was like, okay, well, I don't care that they're not playing all that great down the stretch. And then it was, I don't really care that they had to come back and win that game like they did um against the Panthers in the playoffs and rip their hearts out or whatever Matt Stafford said. And then it was, I bet he was saving it all for the divisional game against the Bears. And it it took whatever that breakdown uh the miscommunication on the route from Caleb Williams and I guess you could also say it took literally the most spectacular throw maybe in the history of the NFL playoffs to get this game to overtime.

7:56 So, you know, I I I I acknowledge that there's in that way. I'm like I'm kind of like because of the throws he made the last two weeks, I'm kind of sad that Caleb like nothing against any of the people who made it. Everybody's deserving, but it's kind of like sad that like we don't have Caleb Williams or Josh Josh Allen in in this round for all the WTF moments that they give us, you know?

8:18 I know. Uh I was going to say this earlier, but uh just guess for me. Uh there is um there was four quarterbacks in the NFL playoffs this year. Only four that posted ended up posting a positive EPA per play over the course of either one or two games that they played. Um

8:36 who are the four? No. Who's How many are left of the four? Well, obviously Jared Sidum is not one of them. Correct. So, so see Stafford had the negative plays against the Panthers. May has a bunch of fumbles. Is Darnold the only one?

9:06 You're correct. Sam Darnold is the only one. And which is hilarious because the Seahawks legitimately tried to get him to not throw at all because of the oblique injury. And you know, I think he only took 17 dropbacks against the 49ers because they're trying to just

9:23 to keep him healthy. And if you're the Rams, I mean, that's the thing. We can sit here and we could talk about third tight end and inside run and and big nickel. What if what if Kobe Turner gets a shot right at right at right at the rib cage and just completely blows up that, you know, it blows up everything, right?

9:40 Well, [snorts] here's the other thing. How big a loss do you think Zach Sharon is?

9:44 A big one. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, like I just think like how much you're going to have to lean on Walker now. Walker's been fantastic. Like I I've loved him since he was in college. Like I think he's such a and he usually plays his best in the biggest games and um you know I I just like I I think like what are you doing to spell him now? You know Bis Jones is a converted receiver you know and I actually looked this up like I I think before last week I have it in my notes. I think it had been over a month since a running back other than Charban or Walker got a carry for them. It was something it was something crazy like that. So, like those guys have been their entire run game, you know, and and as and rightfully so. Like if you've got two backs like that, ride them, you know what I mean? But, um, and I'll I've got it right here for you. So, Zack Charbanet again, like lots of research happening

10:39 live on the podcast here. It's pretty cool. Okay, so yeah, here it is. before he was hurt on Saturday. The last time a back other than Charbanet or Kenneth Walker carried the ball in a game for Seattle was on December 7th. That's like that's like pretty significant, you know, and again like Bis Jones

11:01 is not Zack Charbanet, right? You know what I mean? Like and so like I think that piece of it is interest like they cannot afford to lose Walker. [snorts]

11:11 I agree. Uh, and and again it affects everything, especially now with Darnold the way that he is, how play action dependent they are, the rhythm of everything. You know, the being able to run out a fresh back on almost every carry was a major part of especially down the stretch what Seattle was

11:32 and like the gap between the two was not No, it was not that big. Walker's a real Walker's a top 10 back I think is right somewhere in there. like Charbanet might be top 20, you know what I mean? Like so like I think both those guys can really play and like losing one of them is a big deal just because it changes the dynamic all together.

11:50 Who did I pick? I'm going to go to the actual um staff picks for this and the staff picks are are good now because it's just two things. Um I picked Broncos Seahawks. Okay,

12:04 that's what I went with. I guess Patriots Seahawks would be my pick. Although I'm like I'm I'm I I'd say I'm like shakier. Like I think Seahawks Rams is gonna be really good. And I I just I maybe I should flip back to the Rams. Here's the thing. Here's the reason why I regret picking the Seahawks. I just think that either this Darnold thing is like a wonderful false flag that is getting teams, you know, just uneasy about everything and then you want Shawn McVey thinking about Jaylen Milro and Drew Lockach and what's possible out of that offense. They do have a Jaylen Milroe red zone run package by the way that they haven't used yet this year.

12:41 Just saying. Just saying everybody. Um, is he even active though or is he the emergency QB? I don't even remember.

12:47 Let me look it up. I got the game book here. Um, he is the third QB. Yeah. So, he's he's he is not for people who don't know that he cannot be part of a resume package if he's designated the third QB.

12:58 So, um, I know that they put one in a training camp. Uh, unfortunately, we just haven't seen it yet. Um, so I don't know. The thing, the reason I keep going back to it is if this oblique injury is not a false flag, it just takes one hit and Chris Schula can dial up that one hit. I mean, you know, he

13:15 he's got punishers up front. He does. I don't know. Um, we'll see. We'll see what happens.

Questions about this episode

What is "This is the Championship Matchup We Hoped For | MMQB" about?

The matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams showcases a clash of elite offense and defense, featuring the second-best NFL offense facing off against the top defense. With both teams having faced off multiple times this season, their familiarity adds intensity, as the Rams focus on being tougher and more resilient to counter their rivals' strategies.

What is mentioned in this Sports Illustrated episode?

10 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Sam Darnold, Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet, Matthew Stafford. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "This is the Championship Matchup We Hoped For | MMQB"?

The episode runs 13 min; the transcript is about 2,461 words in 32 timestamped sections.

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