For the first time ever, two 11-3 teams will go to battle on Thursday Night Football as the Los Angeles Rams head to Seattle to play the Seahawks tonight in the biggest game of the 2025 NFL regular season.
If the Rams win, it might not only lock up the NFC West divisional crown but the NFC as a whole, with the Seahawks possibly doing the same if they can defend their home turf.
Here are the three biggest storylines going into tonight’s heavyweight bout.
1. What in the World is Going on With Puka Nacua?
Nacua is coming off two of the best individual wide receiver games in NFL history, per Pro Football Focus, but no one is talking about his play on the field. Off the field, he has been embroiled in drama. First, by illegally livestreaming his teammates in the locker room after a big win in Arizona, and now by trying to bring internet personalities into the Rams facility days before the biggest game of the year.
One of the biggest rising stars in the game, Nacua has gone from feel-good story to now headline news with every word that comes out of his mouth. From bad mouthing referees about how they call flags to get television time to saying concussions aren’t real, Nacua is under the public thumb heading into tonight’s game.
If he delivers another incredible performance and leads the Rams to a win, the antics and drama will be pushed aside. If they lose, though, and especially if he doesn’t have the best game, Nacua is going to become the media’s punching bag for the next week and for the foreseeable future.
2. Can Sam Darnold Conquer His Ghosts?
Darnold was an MVP frontrunner alongside Matthew Stafford when these two teams first met at SoFi Stadium earlier this season. While neither quarterback had a good game, Darnold’s four interceptions were so outwardly poor that it knocked him out of the race entirely. Since then, his confidence has been shaken, and he’s stopped throwing into tight coverage in fear of getting picked off.
To beat the Rams, Darnold will need to be at his best, and that means he’s going to need to make some big throws that aren’t check-downs or broken coverages. If he can hit those important passes and get the monkey off his back, the Seahawks can take control of the NFC West.
3. Is this Matthew Stafford’s Coronation?
With three games remaining, Stafford is in the driver’s seat for MVP. After Drake Maye had a poor finish to his last game when the Buffalo Bills made a miracle comeback from a 0-21 hole, the award seems to be Stafford’s to lose. In the biggest game of the regular season in primetime, if Stafford can put together a win and have a strong night against one of the best defenses in the league, the MVP could be wrapped up for the 37-year-old potential Hall of Famer.
L.A.’s last two games are against the Falcons and the Cardinals. This is Stafford’s final giant hurdle for the most prestigious individual award in football, and Thursday will either be the night he wins it or the race officially opens up for Maye, Josh Allen, and Jordan Love.
