Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on the sidelines against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

One Interesting Storyline That Could Influence Rams-Seahawks

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Jan 21, 2026 11:30 AM ET

The Los Angeles Rams will head to Seattle this Sunday with a lot of momentum on their side. The Rams will face the Seahawks for the third time this season and this time it is for a trip to the Super Bowl.

It does not get any bigger than this and it is going to be a classic NFC West matchup. Both teams have a shot at winning and the Rams are looking to make sure they do everything they can to win this game and play for the opportunity to bring another championship to Los Angeles.

There is one interesting fact going into this game, and it favors the Rams. The Rams will have a ref on the field in the NFC Championship game that they are undefeated with. The Rams will not look into that, but it is something key to take about heading into this big game. When it comes to this point of the season, some teams, if not all, want any advantages they can get.

David Banks-Imagn Images

NFC Championship ref: Clay Martin

This is the seventh playoff game for the 50-year-old Martin, who has been an NFL official since 2015. Before this year, his most recent postseason assignment came in a 2024 divisional round game that saw the Chiefs beat the Texans," said John Breech of CBS Sports.

"Martin was originally hired by the NFL as an umpire and he held that job for three seasons before being promoted to referee in 2018."

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Here's a look at how the Rams and Seahawks have fared over the past five seasons when Martin has served as the ref in one of their games (stats via Pro Football Reference).

Rams: 7-0 (1-0 in 2025)

Seahawks: 4-3 (1-0 in 2025)

One other thing to note is that Martin does have some experience with this rivalry. He was the ref for a game between these two teams back in 2024 that the Rams ended up winning, 26-20, in overtime. That was actually a flag-filled game that saw 20 penalties called.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Rams were penalized eight times for 83 yards while the Seahawks were flagged 12 times for 95 yards. The 178 combined penalty yards were the eighth-most in any game during the 2024 season. Most fans would probably prefer not to see such a flag fest Sunday.

Of the six previous playoff games that Martin has been the referee for, one of them actually involved the Rams. During the Rams' Super Bowl-winning season in 2021, he was the ref for their 34-11 win over the Cardinals in the wild card round.

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This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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