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ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 07: Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold 14 reacts with running back Kenneth Walker III 9 during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons on December 7th, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire NFL: DEC 07 Seahawks at Falcons EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon251207079

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ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 07: Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold 14 reacts with running back Kenneth Walker III 9 during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons on December 7th, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire NFL: DEC 07 Seahawks at Falcons EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon251207079
The Conference Championships are over. There is just one more game left in the NFL season, but before we get to that, we have to talk about these two Conference Championship thrillers.
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Both of these games delivered absolutely in different ways. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots were in a defensive battle in the blizzard, while the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks found themselves in a shootout on a clear night.
In the playoffs, there are countless players who step up and deliver for their teams, and this weekend was no different. Here were some of the key players who defined Conference Championship Sunday.
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Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks
I was very impressed by Sam Darnold on Sunday. I was worried about him heading into the postseason after last year’s disaster, but he delivered on Sunday, throwing for 346 yards and three scores to help send Seattle to the Super Bowl. The Seahawks had no run game to speak of, but it didn’t matter because Darnold was so great.
Stats: 25-for-36, 346 passing yards, 3 TD
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Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams

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CHARLOTTE, NC – JANUARY 10: Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford 9 walks off the field after the NFC Wildcard playoff game against the Carolina Panthers on January 10, 2026 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 10 NFC Wildcard Rams at Panthers EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon573260110143
I feel bad for Matthew Stafford. The MVP frontrunner did just about everything the Rams could’ve asked of him. Outside of not converting that fourth down in the red zone, he was nearly flawless, throwing for 374 yards and three scores with no interceptions. We got one hell of a quarterback battle in the NFC Championship, which we can’t say about the AFC Championship.
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Stats: 22-for-35, 374 yards, 3 TD
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
As always, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was on the receiving end of most of Darnold’s passes. The NFL’s leader in receiving yards balled out in the NFC Championship, hauling in 10 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. Without much of a run game to speak of, JSN stepped up in the biggest game of his career.
Stats: 10 receptions, 153 yards, TD
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Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Just like JSN was Darnold’s complement, Puka Nacua was Stafford’s. This was the first game in NFL playoff history where two 1,500-yard receivers went head-to-head, and both of them went nuclear. JSN had the edge until the Rams’ final drive, where Nacua caught two passes for 44 yards, bringing his total for the game to 165 yards, 12 more than JSN. But I’m sure Nacua would happily trade those 12 yards for a Super Bowl appearance.
Stats: 9 receptions, 165 yards, TD
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Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England Patriots

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FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 18: Christian Gonzalez 0 of the New England Patriots during an AFC Divisional Round game between the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans on January 18, 2026, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 18 AFC Divisional Round Texans at Patriots EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon482260118178
Christian Gonzalez was one of the standout defenders of Sunday’s AFC Championship game. After he was burned on the second possession of the game, Gonzalez was locked down on the outside, and he even came down with the game-sealing interception. He was one of the main reasons Jarrett Stidham hardly cracked the 50 percent completion mark.
Stats: 6 tackles, sack, INT
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Christian Elliss, LB, New England Patriots
Another Christian who deserves recognition for his performance on Sunday is Christian Elliss. New England’s starting linebacker stepped up when Robert Spillane got hurt, racking up four tackles, a sack, and a game-changing forced fumble, which set the Patriots up in the red zone and helped them score their lone touchdown of the day. Without that play, New England isn’t heading to Santa Clara in two weeks.
Stats: 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
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D.J. Jones, DT, Denver Broncos
We can’t forget about the Denver Broncos, who played a great game defensively. If it weren’t for that fumble, they would’ve held New England to three points, and D.J. Jones was a large reason why. Denver’s defensive tackle logged six tackles, two tackles for loss, two QB hits, and 1.5 sacks. He was putting pressure on Drake Maye all day long and was a huge reason why Maye was held to under 100 yards passing.
Stats: 6 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1.5 sacks
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