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.
Seattle, WA
FC Seattle: The Bridge Between the Eras
Overseas tours, matches versus national teams and first division clubs from abroad makes Football Club Seattle seem almost exotic nowadays. Yet in truth, it was simply an effort to keep local pro soccer’s flame flickering when the light had all but been extinguished.
For seven seasons, FC Seattle more than just kept the lights on.
• It provided a platform for the best male and female players in Puget Sound to pursue their craft and vie for a place on the national team.
• It gave fans a traditional alternative to the thumping beat, laser lights and frenetic pace of the indoor game, then at its peak.
• It became the first Seattle pro or semipro club to play outside North America.
• And it reinforced the region’s image as a bastion for the game by contending for multiple league championships and winning one.
Dark Times
To understand just how important FC Seattle was to the creation of what we now take for granted as an American soccer capital, top MLS market and 2026 World Cup city, one needs to take the time machine back to the dystopian landscape of American footy in 1984.
Imagine a day when professional, traditional soccer has gone dark. No MLS, no USL. And there’s no telling when it will return. Where crowds had regularly numbered about twentysomething-thousand, there are vast swaths of empty seats. Once an adored club, the Sounders’ name and reputation was in tatters.
Suddenly, the game had retrenched. Franchises had folded, leaving a frayed fabric across the continent where, just a few years before, crowds had been huge, and young U.S. talent was just beginning to bloom.
FC Seattle owner Bud Greer had flirted with rescuing the Sounders prior to their demise in 1983. Instead, Greer was gung-ho on providing his existing network of youth clubs and premier men’s and women’s teams what was lacking: professionally run programs that would test themselves against the very best.
The Challenge
A cadre of ex-Sounders would guide the men, beginning with an ambitious challenge series. Coaching director Jimmy Gabriel and head coach Tommy Jenkins, both Sounders alums, picked a team of college stars and ex-pros to face Vancouver, Minnesota and New York of the North American Soccer League at Memorial Stadium.
The four-game series would culminate with a sendoff match against the U.S. Olympic Team. Those matches, starting with a 2-2 draw versus Vancouver, were all competitive, and attendance averaged nearly 7,000.
“The opportunity is the biggest thing it presented the college guys in the area,” observed Tad Willoughby, who played five seasons with FC Seattle, “because the NASL folding hurt our cause, our hope of playing professionally anywhere. It gave us that footing, that opportunity to play those professional teams.”
Notable Names and Feats
International teams and nominal pay were brought into the mix in 1985. Among those who found playing for their hometown teams against all-comers were some recognizable figures. Tacoma native Jeff Durgan, captain of the U.S. national team and 1980 NASL Rookie of the Year, declined offers to stay with the Cosmos to come home. After winning an indoor championship with San Diego, Brian Schmetzer joined his twin younger brothers.
But a FIFA ban on English clubs following the Heysel Stadium disaster prompted FC Seattle and three like-minded clubs to form a league, the Western Soccer Alliance. The WSA would expand each summer, eventually becoming the Western Soccer League, with 11 teams in seven states. Seven WSL players would represent the United States at the 1990 World Cup.
Greer, who back in 1984 had considered the Sounders brand damaged, added a nickname in 1986. The Storm were runners-up in the WSA their first three seasons before a dominant 1988 season was capped by a 5-0 demolition of the San Jose Earthquakes. All 11 starters in the final had attended either high school or college in Puget Sound.
Life Experience
In lieu of pay, Greer gave players a life experience. The Storm embarked on postseason tours of Britain in 1987 and 1988, playing five preseason friendlies against clubs from various divisions, including Middlesbrough, QPR, Portsmouth and Bournemouth.
“When we went to England, that was huge,” said Jeff Koch, Storm goalkeeper from 1986-89. “You’re playing against all those teams you might’ve only heard and read about. To go over there and experience English professional soccer at a young age and realize we’re not that far off, that we can play. I would take that trip in a heartbeat over pay.”
More Than A Team
FC Seattle was funded to the tune of about $1 million per year ($2.7M in 2024 dollars) and that money was spread beyond the Storm.
“Bud Greer deserves a ton of thanks and love for what he gave all of us,” said Peter Fewing, who played six years with the club. “Bud made it first class and lost a lot of money on that deal.”
The organization brought a women’s premier team into the fold in 1987. The Cozars, founded by Booth Gardner before he was elected governor and featuring future World Cup stars Michelle Akers and Shannon Higgins, then won the WSA women’s tournament and were national runners-up.
The FC Seattle City League featured men’s and women’s teams in six Puget Sound cities and fed talent to the senior teams. There were school assembly demonstrations, day camps and clinics throughout each year and fundraising and promotion for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Washington Special Olympics. A 1988 Sounders reunion game resulted in FC Seattle’s largest attendance in four years.
Locals Hold Their Own
“In the beginning it was all guys you grew up playing with on clubs, a chance to play meaningful games against quality opposition. Unfortunately, we didn’t get paid for it,” said Peter Hattrup. “In ’88 I wish there had been a final against the ASL winner, because I think we were better than anybody we would’ve played.”
In its final two seasons, FC Seattle brought in more proven pros. Among them were USMNT captain and former Cosmos regular Ricky Davis and Tacoma native Brent Goulet, the 1987 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year. Both were bidding, unsuccessfully in the end, to become part of the World Cup squad.
“People talk about (the WSL) not being first division and that, but before MLS, all the players were playing in the MISL (indoor), WSL, APSL or whatever leagues were happening at the time,” said Chance Fry, a U.S. international who played for the Storm as well as both the NASL and A-League Sounders.
Rising Costs
Just as the sun seemed to be rising on American soccer’s horizon, with the prospect of hosting the 1994 World Cup, FC Seattle would pass into history.
The WSL and East Coast-based ASL agreed to merge and form a national circuit, the APSL, a.k.a. the A-League. That would require owners to ante up still more money for salaries and travel, and Greer was unconvinced it made financial sense. After a year of dormancy, the Storm was shuttered in 1991.
“The Storm’s never been really recognized because we weren’t called the Sounders,” claimed Eddie Henderson. “That’s all. It wasn’t because of the quality of players. I would even argue that the FC Seattle team was as good as any of the A-League Sounders teams that won championships.”
What’s In A Name?
However, FC Seattle left a weighty legacy. The WSL, which was run by Storm management, is at the root of the A-League and the USL, which is still thriving. A handful of those players proceeded to become successful college head coaches, while countless others are involved in youth clubs and academies. Chris Henderson, Wade Webber and Schmetzer have been immensely influential and involved in the success of the MLS Sounders.
The most direct effect of FC Seattle on the Sounders’ trajectory came only a few years after the final match. Nine alumni eventually played for Seattle’s next A-League team, and when the Sounders claimed their first of two consecutive championships in 1995, Webber, Fry and Hattrup (the league MVP) were vital cogs.
“FC Seattle was a great vehicle to bridge the gap until the A-League Sounders emerged on the other side,” noted Bruce Raney, an NASL draftee out of Seattle Pacific and scorer of FC Seattle’s first goal. “It was a fantastic bridge between the original and the next stage which finally led to Major League Soccer.”
A three-part FC Seattle series is available at Frank MacDonald’s blog, frankmacdonald.net.
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.
Los Angeles Rams: Protection for Matthew Stafford
A month ago, the Rams looked like a near-complete team. Special teams aside, they had answers everywhere. Coaching. Quarterback. Playmakers. A defense that could steal a game if necessary. They’re still a formidable opponent, but cracks have started to emerge.
The Rams barely survived their divisional round game against the Chicago Bears, and Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford spent the aftermath conducting a public inquest into their own performance. McVay admitted he had been guilty of “bad coaching” against the Bears. Stafford acknowledged he needs to play better. Neither was wrong. And yet, in the game’s final moments, Stafford still delivered the throws that mattered, and the Rams escaped thanks to their defense creating a decisive turnover.
McVay, belatedly, rediscovered the rushing game against the Bears. He ran the ball 19 times in the fourth quarter and overtime after barely doing so for three quarters. It was less an adjustment than a confession: McVay had been too pass-centric. His gameplan was wrong. And that has been the Rams’ greatest strength on offense this season: they can switch up their strategy during a game. But their two playoff games have shown fractures within the offense.
Stafford is not playing well. Against Chicago, he looked rattled and confused as the Bears sent every manner of blitz his way. He made late – and poor – decisions, offering the ball up for grabs or refusing to let it go. On Sunday, he had 11 off-target throws, according to ESPN, his most ever in a playoff game. More than that, he looked uncomfortable in the pocket against a blah Bears pass-rush, moving into pressure and struggling when pushed off his spot. It’s true that McVay didn’t give him enough answers, but Stafford is a limited player at this stage of his career when players are not open by design and he’s forced to create on the fly.
Stafford is taking significantly more sacks in the postseason than he did in the regular season. His offensive line has allowed four times as many free runners on the quarterback as it did before the playoffs. To win it all, the Rams will have to get past relentless pass rushes.
First up is the sternest test. It’s Seattle, on the road. The Seahawks are a tough matchup for anyone. They are particularly tough for the Rams. For as flexible as McVay and Stafford can be on offense, the Seahawks can match them. It will fall on the offensive line, McVay’s play calling, and the team’s protection plan to keep Stafford clean. No team creates as much confusion or crafts as many free runners as the Seahawks. They force the offensive line to communicate and roll out pressure from every conceivable angle.
The Rams can limit some of the blows to Stafford with their run game. They led the league in rush success rate this season and were the only team to crack 50%. In both playoff games, it’s the run they’ve turned to when things have been tight. If the Rams’ offensive line can keep Stafford clean and push the Seahawks’ defensive front off the ball, then the game will be in the hands of a great quarterback and his two star receivers.
Seattle Seahawks: Defense
After hammering the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, the Seahawks are firm favorites to win the Super Bowl. There are no holes with this team. Sam Darnold, playing through an injured oblique, barely had to do anything against San Francisco. From the opening kickoff, the Seahawks controlled the game and led by three scores at half-time.
It’s small margins that often matter in the playoffs, and all those things tilt in Seattle’s direction. They’re running the ball better than at any point this season – and have the No 1 special teams unit in the playoff field.
Still, this is a team who flow through their defense. The unit finished the regular season first in EPA/play, and was again dominant against the Niners last week. Everywhere you look, there are game-wreckers: DeMarcus Lawrence, Byron Murphy II, Leonard Williams, Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori. But it’s the non-household names such as Ty Okada, Uchenna Nwosu, Josh Jobe and Julian Love who push this group from being great to one of the best in the past 26 years. They are violent. They rush the passer. They shut down opposing run games. In coverage, they are tricky to decipher and play with all-out effort.
Darnold in the second half of the season may not be at the same level as Stafford or Drake Maye, but his defense is the great equaliser.
Denver Broncos: Pass rush
Bo Nix’s injury is cruel. He put together the best performance of his young career to beat the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round. Now, he’s done for the season with a broken ankle.
Enter Jarrett Stidham, who hasn’t thrown a meaningful pass in two years and has never played in the postseason. At center, Denver could be down to a third-stringer, depending on the health of Alex Forsyth. None of this is ideal, particularly for an offense that lives on its pass protection.
If the Broncos are to survive and advance, their pass rush must step up. It ran a little cold against the Bills, but it has been the team’s superpower all season.
The Broncos led the league in pressures and sacks in the regular season. Vance Joseph, the team’s defensive coordinator, has become more selective about when he blitzes, but the group almost always gets home when he adds extra spice. When sending five or more pass-rushers this season, the Broncos have a 50% pressure rate. Creating havoc in the backfield and forcing turnovers is the Broncos’ best path forward. They cannot expect Stidham to go on a Nick Foles-type run. (He did look good in preseason, Broncos fans!) Edge rusher Nik Bonitto is liable to swing a game on any given snap. He isn’t the most efficient pass rusher, but he is the most explosive remaining in the playoff field. Without timely blitzes and constant pressure from Bonitto, Zach Allen, Malcolm Roach and Jonathan Cooper, the Broncos have no shot.
Denver’s defense has been strong all season. It will need to be special on Sunday and, possibly, beyond. Without Nix, the margin is too thin.
New England Patriots: The good version of Drake Maye
The Patriots were not dazzling against Houston. They were, however, effective at the right times. Now they are one win away from the Super Bowl. Again.
New England’s defense deserves credit. Sure, CJ Stroud threw up on himself last week. But it was the same with the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert, whom the Patriots faced the week before. In both games, the Patriots’ defensive line wrecked shop, with the secondary helping out by masking coverage. The offense did enough against the Chargers and Texans. That has been New England’s formula this season. You can point out the favorable path, the injuries to opponents and the fortunate breaks. None of that is wrong. This is not a juggernaut. Then again, neither was the team that shocked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI to kick off the Brady-Belichick run.
The Patriots’ defense is good, but it is vulnerable. Against the Chargers, the defense conceded a 38% (!) wide-open target rate to receivers, the highest in a playoff game in six seasons. Herbert simply made poor reads and struggled to maintain his composure as his offensive line melted down. Stroud pieced together one of the worst single postseason performances in history, lobbing the ball up to the Pats defense even when he had receivers open. There will be opportunities for Sean Payton and Stidham down the field. And if New England make it to the Super Bowl, the Rams or Seahawks will be a different magnitude of challenge.
Which means the decisive plays will be in the hands of their own quarterback. Maye could wind up being the league’s MVP. He has been spectacular all season, and he can create plays out of nothing or rip a defense apart by sticking to the scheme. But he has not been as solid in the playoffs as he was during the regular season. Yes, he’s played two outstanding defenses, but it’s also not getting any easier from here on in.
Maye has been at fault for too many negative plays. He has a 50% pressure-to-sack rate in the playoffs and has doubled his turnover-worthy play rate, per PFF. Sure, his offensive line has been beaten up, but he’s also held on to the ball too long. For Maye, that’s usually fine. He can offset those negatives with spectacular throws for chunk yardage. In both playoff games, he has made timely big-time throws – often for scores – to help mitigate the down-to-down struggles.
Taking sacks is one thing. Turning it over is something else. In the playoffs, Maye has contracted a vicious case of fumble-itis, coughing up the ball six times in two games. If it’s going to be in his hands to decide a tight contest, he cannot put the ball in harm’s way. If he can be the quarterback he was in the regular season, the Patriots have a good shot at their first championship of the post-Belichick/Brady era.
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