The Seahawks will head to Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX next week, having earned their first NFC championship in 11 years with a win over the Rams. But before heading to the Bay Area for the big game against the New England Patriots, it's time once again to open up the mailbag and answer some questions from you, the fans.

As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions this week, and apologies if I wasn't able to get to yours this time around. And remember, the mailbag is always open for submissions at Seahawks.com/mailbag.

Chris from South Glens Falls, New York asks, "For Mike Macdonald, and really the team as a whole, how does it feel knowing everyone was doubting you from the beginning, except for us 12s, and how does it feel shutting everyone up?"

A: Wait, are you setting me up for this one? This is too perfect.

"We do not care!"

In case you somehow missed it and weren't just setting me up for this answer, that was Mike Macdonald's answer when he was asked during the Halas Trophy presentation about the Seahawks proving people wrong.

"It's about us," Macdonald continued amidst the postgame celebration. "It's always been about us and what we do, and now we're going to the Super Bowl!"

Yes, a lot of people outside of the organization didn't expect the Seahawks to compete with the likes of the Rams and 49ers this year, but confidence has always been high inside the building, so for as much as the Seahawks' success might be surprising some outside observers, players and coaches always thought they were a team capable of doing big things.

@ThatWiiMaster asks, "Conference championships don't have an official game MVP like the Super Bowl, but if you had to pick one, who would you pick?"

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a great game, catching 10 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown, and on the other side of the ball, Nick Emmanwori was fantastic, and Devon Witherspoon came up with two massive plays to help preserve the lead. But the MVP has to be Sam Darnold, who matched first-team All-Pro and MVP favorite Matthew Stafford throw for throw to lead the Seahawks to four touchdowns and a field goal on a day they needed every one of those scores.

Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns while playing his and the offense's third straight turnover free game, putting an emphatic end to the discussions of whether or not he could come through in a big game.

Or as Macdonald put it, “He just shut a lot of people up tonight. Really happy for him.

@hollykeefe06 asks, "Where does this NFC championship game victory rank in terms of all Seahawks victories over your time covering the team? What was one memorable moment that stood out from the game?"

A: I've been fortunate enough to cover all four NFC championship games in Seattle, and all were memorable in their own right. The 2005 team was the first to reach the Super Bowl, so that celebration felt particularly significant. The 2013 team won a classic against the 49ers, a game that included a famous ending, and because that team went on to win the Super Bowl, it makes that win feel even bigger. The following year's win over the Packers was one of the wildest, improbable wins you'll ever see, and that one might top the list had the Seahawks finished the job. Even with the Super Bowl loss, however, that comeback was special. This year's win was also memorable, but how we remember it in the long run will probably be determined by the way the Super Bowl plays out.

As for favorite memories of Sunday's win, during the game itself, Devon Witherspoon's third and fourth-down stops in the end zone will be remembered for a long time, and on the ensuing drive, you could feel the excitement build with each first down as it became more and more clear that the Seahawks were going to close out the win. After the game, just getting a chance to see players celebrate on the field was special, especially when those celebrations included their young children.

@omr-pnw.bsky.social asks, "What's the over/under for how many times we have to rewatch the Seahawks' goal-line interception from Super Bowl XLIX?"

A: I don't know, but if I were a betting man (and I'm definitely not, league gambling rules and such), I'd take the over. It's already been all over TV coverage of the matchup and social media. And on one hand, I get it, it's one of the most famous—or infamous, depending on your point of views—endings in Super Bowl history, and it happened to be in a matchup between the two teams that will face of in Super Bowl LX. But on the other hand, there are no players or coaches on the current version of the Seahawks who were around for that Super Bowl 11 years ago, so for the people actually determining the outcome of the game, that interception is of zero consequence. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that it will still be shown over and over again for the next week and a half, so if you still can't stomach watching it, maybe just log off until kickoff.

@segdeha.com asks, "For a coaching staff going through the lead up to the Super Bowl for the first time, how are they approaching logistics/scheduling and managing all the nuttiness/distractions?"

A: The two weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl are anything but normal for an NFL team, but both teams deal with the same distractions, media obligations, etc., so it's really just a matter of working through those things when they come up and focusing on football when it's time for that. Some teams over the years have believed in getting all the game-planning in during the week at home to have less to do while on location at the Super Bowl the following week, while other coaches want to keep tinkering for the full two weeks. Macdonald didn't disclose how they'd approach that, but said part of the planning process will be having conversations with coaches who have been through the process.

"Working through that," Macdonald said. "Definitely different schools of thought to your point in talking to some folks today, talking to our coordinators on how we want to operate. Still working through how exactly we want to do it. Frankly I think it's going to be something we'll have to navigate as these two weeks present itself, too. So the bulk of the work will happen this week and then go from there."

Macdonald noted that while a ton of extra work has to happen for an NFL team to move its operations to a different location for a week, most of the stress of that is on people who make it all happen behind the scenes, making the process pretty smooth for players and coaches.

"A lot of people have to put in a lot of work to make it happen," he said. "But what's awesome is we don't have to worry. Just kind of show up and do our job. Everybody does a great job setting the table for us."

As for the challenges they'll face during the week, Macdonald said, "The days will look a little bit different. It's really the intent behind what we're trying to do every day. Just staying focused on the things that we can control, because there is so much extra, you know. And that comes with the territory, so it's exciting. It's an opportunity to kind of get it right, and I trust our guys. Our guys will be great. They know that we got one goal in mind. Let's go make it happen."

@tompage asks, "How has the chemistry between the Bison Boys helped the offensive line this season?"

A: Is Bison Boys an official nickname for North Dakota State linemen Jalen Sundell and Grey Zabel? I was unfamiliar with that, but I like it.

And to your question, both players have mentioned throughout the year that there is a benefit of playing next to someone who has been a teammate throughout a college career before the two became teammates with the Seahawks. Both are really good players in their own right and would be playing in the NFL regardless of the other's presence on the team, but it's certainly a nice added bonus for Seattle's line having two young players who have so much experience working together. And really, it's just a cool story that two players from the same FCS program are not only teammates in the NFL, but starting on the same line, side by side.

Jim from St. Petersburg, Florida asks, "I heard a rumor the Seahawks are wearing black carbon jerseys for the Super Bowl? Tell me that's not True!" And @fashion_nfl asks, "What's the uniform combo for the big game?"

A: Don't worry, Jim, that rumor is definitely not true. There will be announcement at some point later this week about what the Seahawks are wearing, but I can assure you it will not be a non-existent black uniform.