Ernest Jones IV stood there, cigar in his right hand, wearing a new hat and T-shirt declaring the Seahawks NFC champions, and sporting a big, satisfied grin when a question came up about his quarterback.

Ten weeks ago, Sam Darnold had a rough game in Los Angeles, a big factor in a close Rams win. Jones made it clear after that game that he and the rest of the team had his back, mixing in some well-timed profanity to get his point across, and the Seahawks haven't lost since.

And now, thanks to a huge game from Darnold in the biggest moment of his NFL career, the Seahawks are headed to the Super Bowl after a 31-27 win over the Rams in the NFC championship game.

"Very. Very," Jones said when asked how satisfying it was to see Darnold show the world what he could do on this big of a stage.

"Everything that I said, I stood on it. Sam, what did he have, like three hundred-some yards? Hooping. Sam's a baller, like I said, man. You can doubt Sam if you want to, but Sam's going to show up every time. That's what we know, and that's why I stood on that night for him and I'll do it all over again."

There have been plenty of different narratives about Darnold in his NFL career since he came into the league as the No. 3 overall pick in 2018. First, he was deemed a bust after failing to find success where pretty much no quarterback has found success this decade. Then he was a backup and a part-time starter in Carolina, a backup for the 49ers, then finally, Darnold had his breakout, Pro-Bowl season with the Vikings in 2024. And yet, for all Darnold did last year in Minnesota, for a lot of fans and pundits, that year was most remembered for the Vikings' final two games, a Week 18 loss to the Lions that cost them the No. 1 seed, and a wild-card loss to the Rams in which Darnold was sacked nine times.

Darnold signed with the Seahawks after the Vikings decided to let him test free agency, and all he did was lead another team to 14 wins while earning Pro-Bowl honors. And yet, the questions persisted. After four interceptions in that loss to the Rams, and after two more in a Week 16 win, people outside of the organization—there was never doubt from his coaches or teammates—wondered if he could win the big games. Wondered if he could be the type of quarterback who can lead his team to the Super Bowl. Wondered if he could solve a Rams defense had given him trouble in past meetings.

Well wonder no more. Sam Darnold proved emphatically that he can shine under the type of pressure that comes with an NFC championship, and as a result, the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl.

"You can't talk about the game without talking about our quarterback," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. "He just shut a lot of people up tonight. Really happy for him."

Said veteran defensive tackle Leonard Williams, "I was so happy for him... To show up in a game like this when there's still so many doubters, it's big time for him. I'm so proud of him, so proud of my team."

Darnold, who, along with the entire offense, has played turnover-free football in three straight games, was good last week in Seattle's 41-6 win over the 49ers, but with the defense so dominant, and with the running game so effective, Darnold didn't have to do a ton, going an efficient 12 for 17 for 124 yards and a score.

Against the Rams, one of the only teams in the league that has shown it can move the ball well against this Seattle defense, Darnold and the passing game needed to be more than efficient. He needed to be great, and Darnold answered that call, completing 25 of 36 attempts for 346 yards and three touchdowns, giving him a 127.8 passer rating.

"It doesn't say anything that we didn't already know about him," said receiver Jake Bobo, who had one of Seattle's three touchdown catches. "He's the man. Obviously, you see the arm talent out here every Sunday. But his leadership is what makes him special. Everybody in this locker room wants to play for him and it takes a special dude to be able to pull that off and then do what he does on the field. I can't say enough about him. Hopefully he doesn't see me saying this because I'll get shit for it, but he's a great dude.

"He's the best in the world. It didn't surprise anybody, I'll tell you that. Just the way he came out and got it done for us. Obviously, he's got one more in him. I think this is going to be fun to watch him enjoy this one especially."

With All-Pro quarterback Matthew Stafford putting up similar numbers, showing why he's an MVP favorite, the Seahawks needed Darnold and their offense to match the Rams score-for-score. And for as good as the Seahawks' defense was all season, what really put this team over the top was the way they could win in all three phases. There have been games this season where the defense led the way in low-scoring wins, and there have also been high-scoring wins that required a lot more from the offense, or big plays on special teams. That was the case in Seattle's Week 16 win over the Rams, and it was the case again with the Super Bowl on the line, and all Darnold did was play one of the best games of is career following a week in which he was limited in practice due to an oblique injury.

"He showed us exactly who we always thought he was," Williams said. "Since Day 1, this whole organization, this whole team, everybody in the locker room has trusted him, regardless of the doubts or the ups and downs or anything we've had throughout the season, one thing that's always stayed true is our trust in our quarterback. He's a great leader, and he really saved us today."

Added cornerback Devon Witherspoon, "He does all the time. When you see a guy work the way he works and go about his business the way he goes about it. The plays he made today, I'm like, 'I remember seeing that play in practice, he executed that in practice.' Shout out to our ready squad, they gave him a great look. He was prepared for this game, he really was, and those who doubted Sam, now you've to look yourselves in the mirror, bro. Shout out to Sammy D, man, we know we ride with you.'"

And no, it's not a coincidence that this story is full of quotes from defensive players. Darnold is the kind of player and leader who has made a positive impact not just on the offense, but on the entire team. And in a season in which the team's closeness has helped define Seattle's success, players having each other's backs in all three phases of the game has been one of the key ingredients to make it all work.

"I mean, 300-something yards, three touchdowns, no picks," Macdonald said. "Every time they went and scored he came back, made some big time throws on third down, two-minute drive, four-minute drive. Guy barely practiced all week. Just really happy for him. He deserves it. Just been a rock for us the whole year, so just really happy for him.

"He was confident and to come out the way he played barely practicing, just barely throwing the ball, is really incredible. It should go down as one of the best performances in playoff history I would imagine. I mean, hard to stack it. I can't imagine anybody playing any better."

Added safety Nick Emmanwori, "Sam's a dog. That's what he does. That's what Sam does. Go out there, run the offense, make big plays. I hate how he has a lot of criticism on his name. He's a stone-cold killer. Nothing ever phases Sam. He's the same dude every day. He goes to work every day and I'm glad he's my quarterback. I'm glad we got him from the Vikings. We see the value in him as a team and so I'm glad we got Sam. Hell of a quarterback."

Darnold's performance would have been impressive under any circumstances, but as Macdonald pointed out, it was made all the more impressive by the fact that he has missed a significant amount of practice time over the past two weeks since injuring his oblique on the Thursday before Seattle's divisional round game against 49ers. Darnold was listed as questionable for that game but played and got through it without incident, then he was limited in what he could do throughout this past week leading up to Sunday's game. Earlier in the season, those missed practice reps might have been a problem, but after a full season, Darnold and his receivers were able to be on the same page even with less preparation.

"I've actually talked to my teammates about this, but middle of the season, Week 9 or 10 it might have been a bigger problem," Darnold said. "But with all the reps that we've accumulated throughout the season and throughout training camp, OTAs, all that stuff, I wasn't really concerned about timing or anything like that on certain routes."

And 10 weeks after the Seahawks lost after a four-interception performance by Darnold, he validated all the support his teammates showed him back then, erased any doubt about his ability in big games, and led the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl.

"It's great that I feel that support not with only their words, but just with how everyone treats each other in the building," Darnold said. "There is a lot of respect that goes around the building. Everyone respects the work we all put into this great game. I'm just happy to be a part of this team, this group and this coaching staff. I'm really happy to be here, happy to be in this position. I'm just going to continue to do the best that I can to put this team in positions to win football games."