For the whole week, we have heard about the Seattle Seahawks as the first 7-9 team make the playoffs and win their division. Every football fan, knows that the NFC West as both the punchline of the season and a joke to boot. In addition, it started the calls for a Playoff system to be based on record no matter if any team won their division.
Every football fan outside of Seattle were picking and putting tons of money against them. Nobody gave them a chance to win and were expected by many to go out in a whimper i.e. get absolutely obliterated. This was despite the fact that they had the home field, which happens to be the loudest in the NFL. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that the they were playing the Defending Super Bowl Champion, New Orleans Saints.
Tonight, they did the unthinkable and beat the defending champions. I gotta say that the Seattle Seahawks played their hearts out and deserved to win. Credit should go to Coach Pete Caroll's motivational skills, coaching and tactics. Also, Matt Haselbeck turned back time with a great performance despite being mostly injured the last couple of years. It was both magical and an entertaining game to watch. Yet, no moment summed it up better than Marshawn Lynch's Herculean run.
In that game, Lynch, a castoff of the moribund Buffalo Bills, made a run with the game hanging in the balance. Seattle was hanging on to 34-30 lead with just three and half minutes left. It was second and 10 at their own 33 yard line. The Seahawks are trying to the run the clock out and they set up an I-formation run play. As you will see in this clip: A moment of human will and sacrifice ensues followed by bedlam at Qwest Field.
Lynch breaks nearly half a dozen tackles as he sprints across the field. The biggest stiff-arm was to Super Bowl Hero Tracy Porter. The same Tracy Porter who made big plays against Brett Favre and Peyton Manning. Anyway, Lynch absolutely slams Porter to the ground like he's a life-size cardboard cutout. He runs to the end zone for a 67 yard touchdown that put the game away for good.
Another thing of note: The entire Seattle Seahawks offensive line as well as the QB and receivers were running with Lynch blocking anybody that tried to tackle him. It was a shining example of teamwork and kinda like a scene in a sports movie about an underdog team playing as one.
Seattle wins 41-36 and will play next Sunday in the NFC Divisional Round. They made many people including me look absolutely foolish. On Monday, I guarantee the majority of us will be eating our words to the delight of Seattle Seahawks fans.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
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