COLUMN: Seahawks ready for a Super Bowl run?

Ahead of their Thursday night showdown against the Los Angeles Rams (11-3), the Seattle Seahawks are currently 11-3 and one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The sea birds are on a four-game win streak.  

Their last loss? 

Well, that came against the Rams in a 21-19 shortfall on the road. Sam Darnold did not play his best game, threw four interceptions but somehow, they almost found themselves in the win column.  

Fast forward four weeks, and they meet again. This time, fans may get a foreshadowing of which team is most ready for the playoffs. The winner of this game could not only seal the NFC West division champion, but also the top seed in the conference. 

Even though both teams are arguably operating at their best, the Seahawks have the most to prove.  

The last time these two met, Seattle produced a stinker of a game on both sides of the ball. They had bright spots like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kenneth Walker. However, Darnold did not throw a single touchdown, and the defense did not get after Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.  

As they head into round two, Seattle needs to show they have learned from that game and have grown since then. How they perform on Thursday will indicate how realistic a Super Bowl run is for this team. Aside from the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, the Rams are the biggest threat to the Seahawks' season.  

Three things will be key to their success on Thursday. First, Darnold needs to show up against the Rams. While he had a great season with the Minnesota Vikings last season, the way he finished the season added some unwanted blemishes and raised questions about whether or not he can rise to the occasion in big moments. If he can play at his best against the Rams on Thursday, that can be a confidence booster that could propel them into the postseason.  

Next, Seattle needs to win in the trenches. The offensive line needs to keep Darnold clean and give him time to give Smith-Njigba or Cooper Kupp the ball. When a quarterback has time in the pocket, they can dissect defenses all day.  

The Rams do have a challenging front line in Byron Young, Jared Verse and Kobie Turner. The Seahawks' offensive line did not allow a sack the last time they met, but they will need to strive to do that again this time around, which will be no easy task.  

Lastly, the Seahawks' defense needs to make Stafford miserable in the pocket. He has been on fire as of late. He has thrown over 3,700 yards, 37 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Most importantly, he has only been sacked 19 times this season. 

Demarcus Lawrence, Bryon Murphy II, Uchenna Nwosu and Leonard Williams are capable of destroying the pocket will need to give Stafford as little time as possible in the pocket to make sound decisions and give the rest of the defense time to capitalize on that. If they can do that on Thursday, there is no doubt the Seahawks could run away with this game.  

If the Seahawks can win today, and do so in a convincing fashion, they will undoubtedly become a Super Bowl favorite.