The Seattle Seahawks have made franchise history once again- two Super Bowls in two years after back-to-back NFC championships. Last year’s Seahawks win over the 49ers in the same championship game was likely the most exciting win in franchise history before being immediately one-upped by their win of Super Bowl XLVIII against the Broncos; the Hawks’ first Super Bowl win ever. Will they claim the Vince Lombardi trophy once again? After last night’s game, it’s very possible- even if it didn’t seem that way until the last few minutes.
Byron Maxwell catches an interception on Randall Cobb of the Green Bay Packers
The last time the Packers and Seahawks fought was in September of last year, and Seattle won with a 20 point margin of victory. While not quite a blowout, it was still a dominant victory over one of the NFL’s consistently biggest franchises. Things were a bit different this time, though, with Percy Harvin now on the Jets and the Packers having weeks and weeks to study holes in the Seattle offense and defense.
Russell Wilson gets down the field
Green Bay’s research certainly seemed to pay off, practically right from the beginning of the game. Despite taking place in Seattle at CenturyLink field and having the full force of the 12th Man behind them, Seattle spent the first quarter struggling. Richard Sherman managed to capture an interception on an Aaron Rodgers pass, but Ha Ha Clinton-Dix of the Packers did the same just three plays later. Before the quarter was over, Seattle had allowed two field goals and a touchdown- and the score was 13-0 going into the second.
The second quarter ended up mostly being a holding pattern for both teams, but the Packers did manage to get the ball to the 22 at one point. This ended in a field goal, putting the score at 16-0 going into half time. It didn’t seem to phase the 12th Man fans, though, who continued their thunderous contributions to the Hawks’ morale- and the points the Packers missed by opting for the field goal instead of a touchdown could well have cost them the game.
12th Man Pride!
As the second half started, Green Bay’s offense finally started to seem to be letting up at the same time Seattle was turning it up. The Hawks finally made it on the board after turning a 37-yard fake field goal attempt into a 19-yard touchdown. CenturyLink field exploded with joy as Seattle finally got on the board with a score of 16-7. This score would remain through the end of the quarter, along with the crowd’s intense enthusiasm for a comeback by their own team.
Kearse celebrates after catching a touchdown
But as the fourth quarter went on, a comeback started to seem more and more distant. Green Bay got another field goal on the board, extending their lead to 19-7. An interception caught by the Packers with five minutes remaining in the game seemed to some to be the end of things, as the Hawks were still down by two touchdowns with 3 minutes remaining. And that’s when the miracles started happening.
Luke Wilson & Jermaine hug after the 2-point conversion
Marshawn Lynch is known for his Beast Mode runs, and he dialed it up to 11 during the final minutes. He picked and the team up 62 yards across 4 plays, including a 24 yard run that would give them a touchdown for the lead. Not too long before this, Russell Wilson would take a 1-yard step to score another touchdown. Seattle managed to convert Lynch’s play into a very narrow 2-point conversion, ensuring that the Packers would need a full touchdown to win the game- a field goal would just tie it. And that’s exactly what happened- after the Hawks led Green Bay 22-19, their first lead of the game, the Packers managed to squeeze in one last field goal. The game was forced to Overtime.
Overtime didn’t last long- Seattle won the coin toss and started off with posession. Seattle started from their own 13 yard line, but managed to get the ball across the field in just six plays. Wilson would eventually hit Doug Baldwin for a 35-yard gain on a 3rd and 7 from his own 30 yard line, and then Jermaine Kearse for a 35-yard touchdown pass to win the game.
Ricardo Lockette celebrates after overtime
Six plays, 87 yards. Three minutes, nineteen seconds. NFC Championship victory. The 12th Man Fans exploded, and could he heard blocks and blocks from the stadium. After an absolutely exhausting 3 and a half quarters, Seattle made the turnaround that no one expected… except the real 12ers, who never doubted them for a minute.
The Seahawks vs Packers game was immediately followed by the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, in which the Pats absolutely decimated the Colts. As AFC Champions, Seattle will face them in the Super Bowl on February 1st, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It should prove to be the game of the year, and not just for the usual reasons. Go Hawks!
Seattle Seahawks vs. New England PatriotsNFL Super Bowl XLIX
