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Sean McVay turned 40 on Saturday.
Not that the Rams’ ninth-year coach planned to celebrate.
“What’s a good birthday?” he said on Friday. “When I’m working on my birthday — and if I’m working next week.
“That would be a hell of a birthday. That’s the only present I want.”
McVay was busy this week preparing for Sunday’s NFC championship game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
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Gary Klein breaks down what to watch for Sunday when the Rams face the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship game.
After splitting their NFC West games this season, they will meet for a third time to determine who will represent the conference in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
McVay is 2-0 in NFC championship games, having led the Rams past the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 playoffs and past the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 playoffs.
The Rams and Seahawks are playing for the third time. That’s nothing new for McVay.
The Rams have been in this situation twice before — and both times they advanced.
In the 2020 season, the Rams and Seahawks split their NFC West games, and the Rams won a wild-card game, 30-20, at Seattle.
In 2021, the Rams lost both regular-season games against the San Francisco 49ers, and the Rams won the NFC championship, 23-20, at SoFi Stadium.
This season, the Rams beat the Seahawks, 21-19, at SoFi Stadium, and lost to the Seahawks, 38-37, in overtime at Seattle.
“It is an added layer but it’s really just the familiarity,” McVay said of playing the Seahawks three times this season. “Let’s put together the best plans that we can for our guys and let’s understand what type of execution and what type of competitive stamina it’s going to take for us to go get the job done against as complete a football team as there is in this league and as hot of a football team as there is in this league.”
The Rams defeated the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round, and advanced to the conference championship with a 20-17 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Puka Nacua are first-team All-Pros, and finalists for NFL most valuable player and offensive player of the year, respectively. Receiver Davante Adams led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.
Edge rusher Jared Verse, lineman Kobie Turner, linebacker Nate Landman and safety Quentin Lake lead the defense.
The Seahawks, as the top-seeded team, had a first-round bye. They advanced by defeating the 49ers, 41-6, at Lumen Field.
Quarterback Sam Darnold and All-Pro receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba lead the offense. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones and cornerback Devon Witherspoon were second-team All-Pro.
Special teams blunders played significant roles in the Rams’ loss to the Seahawks in December. Have they finally fixed those issues heading into the NFC championship game?
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Key injuries
Rams: OL Rob Havenstein (ankle, out); OLB Byron Young (knee, questionable but expected to play).
Seahawks: OL Josh Jones (knee/ankle, questionable); OL Amari Kight (knee, doubtful); FB Robbie Ouzts (neck, questionable); LB Chazz Surratt (ankle, out).
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How to watch and listen to Rams vs. Seahawks
The Rams and Seattle Seahawks will play at 3:30 p.m. PST on Sunday. The game will be shown on Fox and Fox Deportes (Español). In Southern California, fans can listen to the game on 710, 93.1 FM and 1330 AM (Español).
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Betting odds and lines for Rams vs. Seahawks
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Who will win Rams vs. Seahawks?
Gary Klein’s pick: The Seahawks looked formidable in their divisional-round rout of the 49ers. But the Rams are primed for their first complete game, and Stafford will continue an MVP-level season with another clutch performance.
Rams 30, Seahawks 27
