Gary Klein covers the Los Angeles Rams for the Los Angeles Times.
Rams receiver Davante Adams knows what it’s like to come close. The 12th-year pro played in four NFC championship games with the Green Bay Packers. And lost every time. “It feels almost like a mythical thing to me at this point,” he said of reaching the Super Bowl.
“You do everything you can to get there and it's been so hard and I’ve been working so hard at it.” Adams gets another opportunity Sunday when the Rams play the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship game at Lumen Field in Seattle. Adams is part of a Rams offense led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, a finalist for the NFL most valuable player award, and receiver Puka Nacua, a finalist for NFL offensive player of the year. But Adams, 33, could be the X-factor for the Rams. After stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets, Adams signed a two-year contract with the Rams that included about $25 million in guarantees. It took a third of the season to establish a consistent connection with Stafford, but Adams led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches despite sitting out three games because of a hamstring injury. His returned for the wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers, and had a key catch last Sunday during the winning drive against the Chicago Bears. “I started off with a great experience with the Packers and didn't have anything else to compare it to so you don’t, in a sense, take it for granted,” Adams said of participating in the playoffs. “Being back in a position where you're with a great team and in a great situation, you definitely have a greater appreciation for times like this.” In four NFC championship games, Adams has 22 catches for 228 yards and two touchdowns. In 2015, he had one catch for seven yards in a 28-22 overtime defeat by the Seahawks in Seattle. The next season, he caught three passes for 16 yards and a touchdown in a 44-21 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta. In 2020, he caught nine passes for 138 yards in a 37-20 defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara. And in 2021, he caught nine passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in a 31-26 loss to the Buccaneers in Tampa. “A guy like Tae, a Hall of Fame player like him, you want a guy like that to experience getting a Super Bowl,” Rams safety Kam Curl said. “So that gives us a little bit more motivation, especially what he brings to this team. He deserves it.” Because of the hamstring injury suffered four days before against the Detroit Lions, Adams was not on the field on Dec. 18, when the Seahawks defeated the Rams 38-37 in overtime at Lumen Field. Stafford passed for 457 yards and three touchdowns and Nacua amassed 225 yards receiving and two touchdowns. But it wasn’t enough against a Seahawks team that would go on to claim the No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs. “It crushed me,” Adams said of not being able to play, adding, “It’s not a good feeling as a receiver, especially as one that has been relied on a lot in the past to be able to put things together and ultimately get you where you want to be as a team.” Rams coach Sean McVay is happy to have Adams back for the third game between the teams. “Everybody feels and notices when he's on the grass,” McVay said. “He's just got this swag that I think elevates the energy of our overall group and team.” The Rams are aiming to win and advance to the Super Bowl for the third time under McVay. Stafford, a 17th-year pro, played 12 seasons with the Lions before he was finally able to play for a chance to advance to — and win — a Super Bowl. Adams has a fifth opportunity. “He got a lot closer than I did for a long time,” Stafford said, laughing, and adding, “I don't have that same experience, but I do know that as you get older in this game and longer in the tooth a little bit, you just appreciate these moments.” Adams does as well. Now he and the Rams must close the deal. “We're close,” he said. “We just have to finish it off.”
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