After cruising past the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round, the Seattle Seahawks are set for their biggest game in more than a decade against the Los Angeles Rams with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
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NFC Championship Game: 3 players the Seahawks need to step up vs. Rams
Much has been, and will continue to be, made about the stars the Seahawks will need to step up to win this game. From the endless conversations about quarterback Sam Darnold’s turnovers and play in big games to how the team will deal with the loss of running back Zach Charbonnet, the national narratives surrounding the game are set in stone.
However, a unique aspect of the 2025 Seahawks is their ability to compete at a high level while lacking much of the star power that has accompanied previous Super Bowl favorites. It’s those players, the ones who are often overlooked, that will be critical for the Seahawks in these two teams’ third meeting. These three are just a few who will need to step up if the Seahawks are going to return to the mountain top.
In the second Rams game, Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua torched the Seahawks’ secondary to the tune of 225 yards and two touchdowns. It’s safe to say stopping that from happening again will be paramount, and that starts with Jobe and his ability to play outside on either Nacua or Davante Adams.
That could be a scary thought for some, but few players on the Seahawks roster have had the turnaround that Jobe has in his second season with the Seahawks. Jobe rose from a depth piece to a reliable piece of their starting rotation, who has racked up 54 tackles, 12 passes defensed and an interception this season.
If Jobe can keep his man contained, it will free up Mike Macdonald to get in his bag of tricks and use Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori as human wrecking balls. Throwing a wrench in Sean McVay’s offensive gameplan is paramount, and it’ll be on the back of the former undrafted free agent.
The hero from the Seahawks’ overtime victory will once again play a major factor, but it won’t be in the receiving game. Ever since the former 49er returned from an injury in Week 15, the Seahawks have rushed for over 150 yards in all but one game. Not to say Saubert is the direct cause of the run game’s explosion, but it never hurts to have a quality blocking tight end to seal the edge.
With the Seahawks’ three starting tackles injury status up in the air, Saubert won’t only be a factor in the run game. Seattle may need to step in and provide help for a depth tackle outside by chipping incoming edge rushers or staying in a pseudo-sixth offensive lineman to give Darnold a little extra time in the pocket.
The Seahawks offense has found success dominating the trenches in their run up to this point, which is part of the reason they brought in and extended Saubert in the first place. A big game for him might not mean six catches or even hearing his name once on the broadcast, but there’s no doubt the team will feel his impact on Sunday.
I’m still not sure if it’s fair to call a former first-round pick underrated, but on a defensive line with Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawerence it’s easy to be overshadowed. Murphy has been everything the Seahawks thought he would be when they took him out of Texas two years ago, a mean and physically talented defensive tackle.
In their two showdowns with the Rams, the Seahawks’ impressive pass rush has failed to get Stafford on the ground once. That’s going to have to change if they want a chance in this one, and I firmly believe that starts with Murphy using his athleticism to create problems for the Rams’ offensive line and opening rush lanes for Willians and Lawerence to get after him.
The same way Murphy dominated the 49ers’ front and slowed their running game, he’ll need to do so in an effort to make the Rams one-dimensional.
If these three have impactful nights, I’m fairly confident that Seattle will feel like it’s 2015 again with their team on their way to play for a world title.
Three robberies occurred within 30 minutes of each other on Friday in Seattle, with law enforcement believing they were connected due to the timing, proximity, and similar descriptions of the suspects.
The first of three robberies began at 4:30 a.m. in the 200 block of Highland Drive near Kerry Park, when the Seattle Police Department (SPD) received reports of two men pointing guns at a man, SPD told KIRO Newsradio.
As officers arrived on scene, they located a 32-year-old man. The victim was sitting in his car when two suspects parked their car beside his and approached him with guns. The suspects ordered the victim to exit his vehicle and give them his necklace.
The victim claimed he had nothing of value, and the suspects ultimately fled in a dark sedan, possibly west on W. Highland Drive. The suspects were described as Black males, possibly in their late teens to 20s. Each suspect wore a mask and gloves, but the victim could not accurately recall what the suspects were wearing.
Second Seattle robbery came minutes after the first, this time at a store
Two minutes later, at 4:32 a.m., dispatch received a report of a robbery at a convenience store in the 1600 block of Queen Anne Avenue N. At the scene, officers made contact with a 25-year-old man.
The victims stated that two suspects entered the store, threatened them, and took money from two of the cash register drawers.
Soon after, the suspects fled the scene in a dark colored sedan. One suspect was described as a Black male in his 20s, roughly 6 feet, 2 inches tall with a medium build, wearing a mask, gloves, and dark-colored clothing. The second suspect was described as a Black male, 6 feet tall, with a medium build, wearing a mask, gloves, and dark-colored clothing.
Final robbery targeted a Beacon Hill convenience store with two victims
At 4:51 a.m., dispatch received a third report of a robbery, this time at a convenience store in the 4800 block of Beacon Avenue S.
Officers arrived and made contact with two victims, a 55-year-old man and a 24-year-old man. The SPD investigation revealed that one of the victims was in the cooler and the other was behind the counter when the two suspects first entered the store.
The victim in the cooler exited to see what was happening, then shut the door to the employee area and stayed there until it was safe to come out.
The 24-year-old victim was behind the counter when the suspect pointed a firearm at him. The suspect forced the victim to open the cash register and took the cash while the other suspect stood by the main entry door with a handgun.
Both suspects exited the store and fled the scene in an unknown direction. The first suspect was described as a Hispanic or Black male in his 20s, with a medium build, wearing a mask, gloves, and dark clothing. The second suspect was described as a Hispanic or Black male in his 20s, wearing a mask and gloves, with light colored pants and dark shoes.
No victims reported injuries as a result of each of the three robberies, and no suspects have been apprehended as of this reporting.
SPD’s Robbery Unit has been assigned to each case.
Anyone with information is urged to contact SPD’s Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.
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The Mariners have made the first move in what’s sure to be a rip-roaring Trade Deadline season, acquiring INF Buddy Kennedy from the Giants in exchange for cash considerations.
Kennedy was designated for assignment by San Francisco earlier this morning as outfielder Heliot Ramos returned from the Injured List.
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The 5’10” infielder has spent most of the season with Triple-A Sacramento, hitting well, even for the PCL. He’s in the 78th percentile for xWOBA, has a nearly identical K% and BB% (12.6%/12.1%) and rarely whiffs. This all has come out to a .322 batting average and a 152 wRC+. He’s made just a minimal impression in the bigs this season, with 8 plate appearances in 7 games, and zero hits.
Kennedy is likely to head to Tacoma. He can play 3B and 2B in a pinch, and will likely backfill Patrick Wisdom’s role if Wisdom is called up to take over right-handed pinch hitting duties from the currently-employed Rob Refsnyder.
The 27-year-old has not found much traction in the five years since his debut with Arizona in 2022. He’s amassed less than 200 plate appearances across 74 games, with a career 50 wRC+. On the mound, Kennedy has made one appearance this season, pitching one inning and giving up four runs, all earned.
Despite some overcast skies, thousands of Seattleites showed up in rainbow colors and bright smiles to celebrate the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday.The march kicked off at 11 a.m. along Fourth Avenue in downtown, and wrapped up around 3:00 p.m. near Seattle Center.Seattle Pride traces its roots to 1974 and has grown into one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations, drawing hundreds of thousands of people each year. (KOMO)
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