The Seattle Seahawks are in arguably the best division in football; at least last season it was, given that the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers made the playoffs.
Moreover, the Seahawks’ games against the Rams and 49ers were among the most entertaining last season, given how close the games were, especially toward the end of the regular season. The only blow was Seattle’s win over the Niners in the divisional playoff round.
Ahead of the 2026 season, Seahawks’ Nick Emmanwori reflected on the Super Bowl-winning campaign and noted that his welcome-to-the-NFL moment came in the games he played against the Rams and 49ers.
“I’d say my welcome-to-the-league moment was probably just the physicality of our division,” Emmanwori said on the June 30 episode of “Making a Champion.” “Playing the Rams and the 49ers, it’s a tough division. I think we might’ve even set a record or something for the most wins within a division.”
Last season with the Seahawks, Emmanwori played 765 snaps and earned a 71.0 overall PFF defensive grade. Moreover, he recorded one interception, broke up 8 passes in coverage, allowed a 97.5 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks, and surrendered 56 receptions in coverage. Emmanwori also contributed 63 solo tackles in run support and open-field situations.
Nick Emmanwori on Playing the Rams
Moreover, Emmanwori went into specifics about the games against the Rams, as the Seahawks had a thrilling overtime win last December and then beat Los Angeles in the NFC title game.
“Playing the Rams three times was like every game was a chess match, and it was physical,” Emmanwori added. “It was tough; it was real war out there. It was real football being played compared to maybe some of the other teams.
“So the loss to the Rams was a turning point for the season in a couple of different ways. I think it cemented the team as this really close-knit unit. That defense went on a run.”
Loss to Rams Fueled Seahawks’ Super Bowl-Winning Run
Emmanwori also noted that Seattle’s 21-19 loss to the Rams on Nov. 16, 2025, was a turning point that helped fuel their run that ended in a championship.
“When we lost the game against the Rams, before that game, I think we were on a crazy roll,” Emmanwori said. “For me, I thought we were untouchable. We were invincible. Leading up to that Rams game, we were always confident.
“We were super confident, and that was the first game of the Rams series. That game kind of caught me by surprise because it was like, ‘All right, this is real football.’ We didn’t play our best in that game, but we barely lost. As a team, we took a step back and said, ‘Listen, we know what we have to do from here on out. We know what our goal is.’
“After that game, I remember we didn’t really have any big moments or come-to-Jesus moments. We just told each other to lock in. The games after that were about knowing what we had to do as a team and as a defense.”
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