Seahawks return to Super Bowl after improbable finish
The “12” jerseys will be laundered and folded away for another season. Woodrow Wilson won’t have to cede the naming rights to the local elementary school to the glamour-puss quarterback. Big-screen TVs at South Hill house parties may switch over to the Puppy Bowl at halftime and never switch back.
All because the Seattle Seahawks cratered and …
Wait, what?
No, they did not.
They what?
Not possible.
But how?
A punter-to-tackle touchdown pass? Onside kick? More Marshawn Lynch crotch-grab hijinks? A 2-point Hail Mary?
Yes, all of that and an overtime missile from Russell Wilson to Jermaine Kearse – until that moment the day’s worst combination other than roadkill chili and Fireball shooters at the tailgate party – rescued the Seahawks from a Monday of being a national punching bag. Down 12 points with three minutes to play, the Seahawks shelved their Meathead Rob Lowe act to subdue the Green Bay Packers, 28-22 in overtime, and confirm their reservation for Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots two weeks hence in Arizona.
But here’s the outrageous part of Sunday’s NFC Championship Game:
As confetti fluttered through the rain and the Seahawks reveled at midfield, the CenturyLink Field speakers pumped out … Journey?
Alice in Chains had better get into the studio and drop a cover of “Don’t Stop Believin’.” This sort of thing will not stand.
Otherwise, the Seattle celebration was all that you might expect. Wilson teared up. Coach Pete Carroll and owner Paul Allen wrapped each other in manly embrace. Some 12 ran onto the field and dropped trou. And defensive end Michael Bennett grabbed a bicycle from one of the security cops and did a Butch Cassidy ride around CenturyLink Field.
“When you win a Super Bowl,” Bennett said, “you can do anything in this city.”
They certainly got away with murder Sunday – that is, murdering the concept of championship football.
Start with five turnovers – including four interceptions by Wilson, all on passes to Kearse that the receiver either deflected into the hands of Packer defenders or didn’t do much to break up himself. A slew of untimely penalties. Dropped passes.
Throw in significant injuries to superstar defensive backs Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, who stayed in the game regardless, and the iron will of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and it looked as if the Seahawks might have to hike over the Himalayas barefoot to get to Glendale.
As it was, the 16-0 deficit could have been worse, had the Seahawks defense not persuaded the Packers into settling for three red-zone field goals.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of folks changed the channel,” said linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Worse, more than a few of the purported never-say-die 12s headed for the exits when Wilson threw his fourth pick with five minutes to play – and then were peering through the glass doors at concourse monitors as their heroes mounted the comeback.
And what a comeback, built on a foundation of small defensive stops, rabbits produced from special team hats and bold offensive strokes. The three biggies:
• Punter-holder Jon Ryan’s touchdown pass to tackle-eligible Garry Gilliam out of field goal formation that finally got the Seahawks on the board late in the third quarter.
“The Charlie Brown play,” Ryan called it.
• After Lynch’s brilliant 24-yard touchdown run (capped with his personal below-the-belt salute) gave Seattle its first lead, Wilson improvised when the Packers blew up his two-point conversion play and sent a ridiculous desperation lob toward the goal line. Fans at home were able to head to the fridge for refills while the ball hovered, but somehow Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix – who’d had two interceptions previously – couldn’t track it and tight end Luke Willson collected it for the two points.
• And, of course, the winning pass to Kearse in overtime.
“I didn’t even see the play,” said defensive end Cliff Avril. “I had my head down. Then I see everyone going crazy and coaches getting stumbled on and falling and I was like, ‘Oh, this game might actually be over with.’ Then my defensive line coach said to me, ‘Hey, we’re going to the Super Bowl!’ ”
To a man, the Seahawks insisted there was no doubt, no panic – and obviously no quit. But there were also no answers.
“I’m clueless right now,” Thomas admitted.
This much is certain: However big the party for last year’s Seahawks Super Bowl, it’s likely to be just a warm-up for this one, given the preposterous way the Seahawks got there.
“We’ll cherish this one for a while,” Gilliam acknowledged, “but we’re not done yet.”
An encore? To this?
But how?