Seattle, WA
Analysis: Rams finally discover their knockout swagger ahead seismic Seattle showdown
CHICAGO — It wasn’t just the Chicago Bears who had a pattern this season.
The Rams had one too.
Whereas Chicago stacked storybook endings, the Rams failed to finish what they started with disturbing regularity.
Five losses. Five fizzles.
Remember the unsatisfying finale to “The Sopranos”? Swelling crescendo … then abrupt cut to black? That was the Rams. Out of gas. Out of answers.
Said defensive star Jared Verse: “All our losses were self-inflicted.”
Two weeks into the playoffs and the Rams have turned a corner. Suddenly, they close out games.
Sure, there were blemishes to their 20-17 overtime victory at Chicago on Sunday night, just as their three-point win at Carolina had its wild-card warts.
The point is, when the Rams needed to land the knockout blow, they delivered.
That’s just where they want to be heading into the NFC championship game at Seattle, where last month they frittered away a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter and wound up losing in overtime.
Seismologists are at the ready. That’s how loud Lumen Field will be. The ground might be shaking in Seattle, but the Rams won’t be.
“We don’t think about that last game too much,” Rams safety Kam Curl said. “[Seattle] got lucky and won it in the end. I feel like we’re the better team.”
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Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 20-17 overtime victory against the Chicago Bears in the NFC divisional playoffs at Soldier Field.
He then conceded, “It’s going to be a dogfight.”
In football vernacular, Curl was a dawg Sunday night, coming up with a huge interception of Caleb Williams in overtime and setting up the winning field-goal drive.
That turned back the almost-supernatural heroics of the Bears, who won games with fourth-quarter comebacks seven times this season, more than any other team. And the touchdown by Williams at the end of regulation, when he dropped back from the 14 to the 40 — the forty! — and somehow found Cole Kmet in the end zone will live in Chicago sports lore.
Yet on a frigid night, in the swirling snow, these Rams told fate to take a hike.
Rams safety Quentin Lake said the down times this season, the frustration of losing those close games, “gave us the experience and confidence” to turn on the afterburners now.
“We know what it takes to not feel that feeling again,” he said. “The only team that’s beaten the Rams is the Rams, just put it like that.”
Among the cold and imposing bodies in Chicago on Sunday: Lake Michigan and Lake, Quentin.
In the fourth quarter, with the Bears two yards from scoring, Lake caught leaping running back D’Andre Swift in the air and planted him into the turf for no gain. It was a key play in a goal-line stand that stole all the oxygen from the crowd.
“I had to channel my inner Carnell Lake on that one,” he said of his father, the legendary UCLA and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back.
That wasn’t the only channeling the Rams did. They converted a fourth and one in the fourth quarter by handing the ball to receiver Puka Nacua, a play reminiscent of a jet sweep to Cooper Kupp in a similar situation in the Super Bowl.
Rams linebacker Byron Young, left, and defensive tackle Poona Ford (95) tackle Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during the third quarter of the Rams’ 20-17 overtime win in the NFC divisional playoffs on Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
And their win at Chicago had the feel of their divisional win at Tampa Bay four years ago, when they went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. In that 30-27 victory over the Buccaneers, the Rams similarly responded to a gut punch near the end — a Tampa Bay touchdown to tie — then marched 62 yards in the final 42 seconds and won it with a field goal.
Like this season’s Rams, there were all sorts of red flags in the regular season for that team. Those Rams didn’t win a game in November, then got hot.
That path to the Super Bowl is woven into the tapestry of great moments in Los Angeles sports. The Rams beat the Buccaneers, then toppled San Francisco in the conference title game at SoFi Stadium before winning it all against Cincinnati on that same field.
Now, yet another showdown with a division rival for a trip to the Super Bowl.
Speaking of flashbacks, three of the four potential Super Bowl matchups are rematches: Rams-New England, Seattle-New England and Seattle-Denver.
There is a healthy amount of respect between the Rams and Seahawks, and — at least from the Rams in the locker room Sunday night — a feeling that this matchup was fated.
“Something about that moment when we lost that game [in Seattle] that I felt like we’ll be back here again,” defensive lineman Kobie Turner said. “And honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
So after dumping destiny on its head in Chicago, the Rams are cool with it again. They used to freeze under pressure. Sunday, somehow, they thawed.
Seattle, WA
Trio helps Ottawa beat Seattle 2-0, spoiling return of Torrent captain Hilary Knight
SEATTLE (AP) — Sarah Wozniewicz gave Ottawa the lead, rookie Peyton Hemp scored her first goal and Gwyneth Philips posted her first shutout of the season as the Charge blanked Seattle 2-0 on Sunday despite the return of Torrent’s captain Hilary Knight.
Ottawa (6-7-1-9) moved two points in front of the Toronto Sceptres for the fourth and final playoff spot with a match in hand and seven remaining in the regular season.
Seattle Torrent captain, Olympic champion Hilary Knight activated from injured reserve
Wozniewicz was in the right place to bang in a deflection after a shot by Kathryn Reilly hit the skate of a Seattle defender in front of the net at the 9:09 mark of the first period.
Hemp gave the Charge a 2-0 lead when she scored with 1:23 left in the second period. Hemp collected six assists through her first 22 matches.
Seattle began the third period on a two-minute power play after Ottawa forward Brianne Jenner was called for interference in the final second of the second. But Philips was up to the task, finishing with 25 saves.
Corinne Schroeder totaled 27 saves for Seattle (6-1-2-14). She saved a penalty shot by Jenner with 13:58 left to play.
Ottawa came in with a league-high 14 power-play goals but went 0 for 3 against Seattle. The Torrent came up empty on six tries with an extra skater.
Seattle activated Knight from long-term injured reserve before the match. Knight had three goals and seven assists in 14 games before sustaining an injury at the Winter Olympics.
The Charge beat the Torrent for a third straight time following a 4-1 loss in Seattle on Dec. 17.
Ottawa had been the only team without a regulation victory away from its primary home this season.
Up next
- Ottawa: Hosts the Toronto Sceptres on Wednesday.
- Seattle: Visits the New York Sirens on Saturday.
Seattle, WA
Where to watch Cleveland Guardians vs. Seattle Mariners: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Sunday, March 29
The Cleveland Guardians, ranked #1 in the AL Central, face the Seattle Mariners, ranked #4 in the AL West. The Mariners are favored with a moneyline of -170 and a spread of -1.5. Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi (ERA: 4.30) will start against Seattle’s Emerson Hancock (ERA: 4.90).
How to Watch Cleveland Guardians vs Seattle Mariners
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Time: 7:20 PM ET / 4:20 PM PT
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Where: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
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Team Records
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Cleveland Guardians: 2-1 (#1 in AL Central)
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Seattle Mariners: 1-2 (#4 in AL West)
Odds (via BetMGM)
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Spread: Seattle Mariners -1.5
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Moneyline: Seattle Mariners -150 / Cleveland Guardians +125
Starting Pitchers
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Cleveland Guardians: Slade Cecconi (2025 stats: 7-7, ERA: 4.30, K: 109, WHIP: 1.19, BB: 32)
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Seattle Mariners: Emerson Hancock (2025 stats: 4-5, ERA: 4.90, K: 64, WHIP: 1.38, BB: 31)
Weather: 44°F at first pitch
Seattle, WA
COUNTDOWN: Five weeks until you can help West Seattle Food Bank ‘Nourish & Flourish.’ Special guest revealed!
Five weeks from tonight – on Saturday, May 2 – you can help the West Seattle Food Bank “Nourish and Flourish” by being part of its annual dinneer and auction, as an attendee and/or sponsor. This week, a special guest was revealed – here’s the WSFB announcement:
The West Seattle Food Bank (WSFB) is pleased to announce that Seattle comedian Scott Losse will join this year’s Nourish & Flourish gala as a special guest, bringing humor and heart to an evening dedicated to community, compassion, and impact.
Losse — recently featured as an “Undisputable Champion of Comedy” in The Stranger — is known for his sharp, relatable takes on life in the Pacific Northwest and his ability to connect audiences through both humor and honesty.
At Nourish & Flourish, Losse will provide a moment of levity during the program, helping to balance the evening’s powerful stories of need and resilience with laughter—an essential ingredient in bringing communities together.
“This event is about nourishing hope,” said Robbin Peterson, Development Director at West Seattle Food Bank. “Scott’s ability to help people laugh, even in challenging times, reflects exactly what community looks like— showing up for one another with both compassion and joy.”
Losse’s connection to West Seattle Food Bank is deeply personal. His wife Janelle was inspired to pursue a career in social services and nonprofit work after volunteering as a child alongside her grandmother — who was one of WSFB’s volunteers in the early years of the food bank.
“That legacy of service — passed from one generation to the next — is exactly what we see every day at the food bank,” Peterson added. “It’s neighbors helping neighbors, steadfastly across time.”
Nourish & Flourish will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 4105 in SODO, bringing together 300 community members for an evening of storytelling, fundraising, and celebration. Proceeds support WSFB’s vital programs, including food access, housing stability, and essential services for thousands of neighbors across West Seattle.
In 2025 alone, West Seattle Food Bank distributed more than 2.25 million pounds of food, served over 23,000 individuals, and helped keep hundreds of families housed.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at:
westseattlefoodbank.org/nourish-and-flourish or bit.ly/NAF2026
WSB is media sponsor of Nourish & Flourish. See you there!
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