The Seahawks (7-2) head to Los Angeles for their biggest test so far this season. The Seahawks, rolling in off consecutive blowout wins in Weeks 9 and 10, look to not only knock the Rams (7-2) off their currently shared NFC West podium, but also make a statement in the game many people are considering to be an NFC Championship preview.
The Rams are no picnic, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has thrown 20 touchdowns without an interception over the past six games, and Davante Adams, who leads the league in receiving touchdowns (nine).
The game starts at 1:05 p.m. PT at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
Here’s what the national media has to say about the matchup and the ongoing MVP race.
Related
Seahawks-Rams: Seattle Times staff’s score predictions for Week 11
Who’s projected to win Sunday’s NFC West showdown?
CBS Sports: Biggest game of the week, slight edge to the Rams
Jordan Dajani writes: “Without a doubt, this is the game of the week. Two 7-2 rivals riding four-game win streaks going at it. What will be the determining factor? I think one of two things. I believeSam Darnold andJaxon Smith-Njigba can take advantage of the Rams cornerbacks. But on the other hand, I thinkMatthew Stafford is the best quarterback in the NFL right now, given he just became the first player ever to throw 20 touchdowns and zero interceptions in a six-game span. The Rams were my preseason pick to represent the NFC in theSuper Bowl, so I’ll take them. Prediction: Rams 30, Seahawks 24”
Jared Dubin: “I absolutely cannot wait for this showdown, which might be the biggest game of the year to date, considering the records of the two teams and the stakes. If this game were in Seattle, I might go in the opposite direction with my pick. But with the way Matthew Stafford is playing right now, it’s hard to go against his team at home — even if the Seahawks are arguably playing just as well, if not better than their rivals. Prediction: Rams 26, Seahawks 21”
"I think the winner of this game is the clear favorite in the NFC and possibly for the Super Bowl."@DanGrazianoESPN sees the winner of Seahawks-Rams winning the NFC and possibly the Super Bowl 👀 pic.twitter.com/anEU266dFm
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 14, 2025
Rams Offensive Grades through Week 10, according to @PFF:
🔵1st in offensive grade (91.8)
🔵1st in passing grade (92.4)
🔵1st in run blocking grade (89.1)
🔵2nd in receiving grade (86.5) pic.twitter.com/MDRuhi759R
— Los Angeles Rams PR (@TheLARamsPR) November 12, 2025
Sam Darnold is the highest-graded QB in… a lot of categories 😅 pic.twitter.com/rkIXkz0VQI
— PFF (@PFF) November 13, 2025
NBC Sports: ‘Coin flip’ type of a game, but not sure the Seahawks are battle-ready
Chris Simms says on Pro Football Talk: “This is going to be an awesome game. It’s a ‘coin flip’ type of football game here…As far as what my thoughts are, this is the first real, ‘oh my gosh’, big moment for this Seattle Seahawks team. Where it’s like ‘Holy crap, we’re in this kind of game, and it could be for a number-one seed.’ The moment’s big, right? There’s a big spotlight on this. This could be an NFC Championship showdown. That’s what we’re looking at. In that environment, in that kind of big game, I trust the Rams a little bit more in that situation. I trust the Rams more on both sides of the ball. And not to say that I don’t trust Seattle, but I just trust the Rams and the fact that I feel like they’re a little more battle tested. They know how to play in these big games, and they’re on fire on both sides of the ball.”
Big matchup on Sunday. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/TpSp0jnMPB
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 14, 2025
Sam Darnold and JSN play like they are telepathically linked https://t.co/b6RX6zcXP6 pic.twitter.com/hOBnNncRWK
— ᴅᴏxx ⚡️ (@new_era72) November 14, 2025
The Athletic: They are the two best teams in the NFL, but 71% of The Athletic’s staff predict the Rams to win
J.J. Bailey writes: “The NFC West finally gets a proper title fight, and it could not come at a better time. Teams ebb and flow throughout a season, but the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams have synchronized their peaks perfectly, and the result is a division-defining clash between the two best teams in the NFL at present. With the vagaries of this season so far, defining who’s strongest came down to a simple process: Judge teams by their best wins and worst losses. At their best, both the Seahawks and Rams have demonstrated they have the horses to run another NFL team off the field in a blowout. At their worst, they have four combined losses. The total margin of defeat in those losses is 17 points, six of which were on a superfluous TD return of a blocked kick. Every other team in the league has at least one fight they lost by knockout, whereas these two have yet to get so much as a black eye. Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams have unlocked every level of the Sean McVay dream scheme, and the result is a Rams offense that’s just as dangerous operating from under center as they are spreading the field. Their defense is ferocious on the interior, and is the NFL’s best against the deep ball, allowing -.32 EPA per pass over 20 yards. Seattle comes in as the gold standard for how the play-action pass game should work, with Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba operating like a two-man hive mind. Their defense is just as complete as L.A.’s, and where the Rams have the edge defending the pass, Seattle has it against the run. If the Super Bowl were held this week, this would be it. As it stands, it’s the measuring stick for every other team with February hopes.”
Lookin’ back at Tae’s last three games. 😮💨
More highlights on https://t.co/ugyQZrawqR pic.twitter.com/C7nMcw5Lg6
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 12, 2025
"I can't believe Demarcus Lawrence is on my team" 🥹
Watch All Access » https://t.co/M4Ee8HiepZ
Presented by @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/sD7BAy7RpO
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 13, 2025
The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Seahawks all the way
Colin Cowherd says, “10 straight road wins, so that’s not an issue. Tied for the fewest sacks allowed and the second-most sacks. Very Denver-like. It’s easy to win games when your quarterback is the more comfortable. Averaging 6.5 yards per play, so they extend drives; keep Sam Darnold, JSN on the field; and not a small note, great special teams…That matters because the Rams’ special teams have been wonky all season. Also, for the Rams, three of their four wins have been against back ups on this winning streak. They’re a little overvalued.”
Who is going to come out on top this weekend?
Don’t make your bets before seeing @colincowherd’s Blazin’ 5 picks for Week 11 pic.twitter.com/Vqa0IQ2kYy
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 14, 2025
Who’s the NFC MVP: Sam Darnold or Matthew Stafford?
CBS Sports: Stafford is the true MVP favorite
Tyler Sullivan writes: “It’s Matthew Stafford who should be looked at as the favorite coming out of Week 10. The Rams signal-caller has been nothing short of prolific. In a 42-26 bludgeoning of the 49ers, Stafford completed 24 of his 36 passes for 280 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. That is the third straight game Stafford has thrown at least four touchdowns with zero picks, making him the first quarterback to accomplish that feat in NFL history. Stafford is currently on a streak of 22 passing touchdowns without an interception, which is the second-longest streak all time. He’s only looking up to Tom Brady in 2010 (26 straight), who he went on to win MVP that year.”
Matthew Stafford is up to +300 for MVP, trailing only Drake Maye (+250) 🏆
He’s in Year 17. His best MVP finish to date was eighth in 2023.
If he wins, he’d be the oldest player ever to win his first MVP (37 years, 331 days) and the third-oldest MVP overall. pic.twitter.com/bZFgtU8SbE
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) November 14, 2025
NFL.com: Stafford (No. 4) ranked above Darnold (No. 7) in Top 10 MVP candidates list
Bucky Brooks writes about Stafford: “This could be the season the football world fully recognizes Stafford for his excellence as a fearless gunslinger with a winning pedigree…Whether dropping no-look dimes to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams or adroitly checking the ball down to Kyren Williams and Tyler Higbee, Stafford’s patience, discipline and arm talent make him a nightmare to defend. Given how performances in marquee games influence voters, Stafford’s play against the league’s heavyweights — like when he completed over 70 percent of his passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 4 win over the Colts — could result in some more hardware on his mantle.”
Brooks on Darnold: “The eighth-year pro continues to impress as a passer and playmaker in a movement-based system that ideally suits his abilities…Though it has taken him years to hit his stride, he’s enjoying his second straight prolific season. In Seattle, Klint Kubiak’s scheme and the supporting cast (most notably, star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba) have enabled him to produce his best football yet. With the Seahawks running roughshod over opponents behind Darnold’s impressive play from the pocket, the league’s top individual honor could reside in the Pacific Northwest by season’s end.”
Does Matt Stafford have the resume when it comes to the all-time greats convo? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/7uWmFbpCcF
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 14, 2025
Sam Darnold is averaging 9.9 yards per attempt this season, most in the NFL and the 4th-highest mark through nine games in NFL history (min 200 attempts).
The only QBs ahead of him:
• 1953 Otto Graham (10.3)
• 1954 Norm Van Brocklin (10.1)
• 2000 Kurt Warner (10.0) pic.twitter.com/HuOQYymYDJ
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) November 14, 2025
The Guardian: Darnold’s aggression wins him MVP, but Week 11 will shape the race
Oliver Connolly writes: “Stafford is on the kind of run that could see him clinch the award by the end of the year. But right now, Darnold is the pick. Adding Darnold has transformed the Seahawks from a feisty team into one of the two best in the league. Darnold has been sensational – not good, not serviceable, but the best player at the league’s most valuable position. He leads the league in QBR and big-time throw rate (9.0%). No one has ripped as many high-level throws down the field under pressure. Stafford and [Patriots QB Drake] Maye have been excellent at driving the ball down the field, but they’ve also had the luxury of open targets more often than Darnold. Darnold has faced a higher pressure rate on deep targets and a higher percentage of tight-window throws overall. It’s the aggression that stands out. Darnold hasn’t met a coverage he isn’t keen to shred. At this stage of his career, he’s seen everything defenses will throw his way and has all the answers. He’s roasted the blitz at a league-leading rate and has an almost perfect passer rating when kept clean in the pocket. At 7-2, the Seahawks have the championship formula. Their defense is humming. They can score on long drives or with chunk plays. And their quarterback has become an elevator rather than a passenger. He has stepped into a new spot and transformed his career for the second season in a row. The two upcoming duels with Stafford will shape the MVP race. But for now, Darnold has the edge.”
He's that guy. pic.twitter.com/gC8TNqtWYu
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 5, 2025
Just a QB doing QB things. 😌 pic.twitter.com/bkap2j2pMG
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 4, 2025
Sophia Vesely: svesely@seattletimes.com. Sophia Vesely is a general assignment sports reporter at the Seattle Times. She wrote for the Dallas Morning News and the Orlando Sentinel before joining the Seattle Times in 2025.