This Week in Seahawks Historical past: It’s 10 years since that ill-fated Tremendous Bowl

This will probably be a weekly article sequence all through the season trying again on what occurred for the Seattle Seahawks 40, 30, 20, and 10 years in the past this week.

The title says all of it, so let’s get this over with.

40 Years In the past
*Remaining 1984 report: 13-5. Misplaced in AFC Divisional Spherical*
30 Years In the past
*Remaining 1994 report: 6-10*
20 Years In the past
*Remaining 2004 report: 9-8. Misplaced in NFC Wild Card Spherical*
10 Years In the past
Sunday, February 1, 2015

Recreation Log

Effectively, I at all times knew at the present time would come as we couldn’t keep away from it ceaselessly. Up till this level, I’ve by no means rewatched Tremendous Bowl 49 in opposition to the New England Patriots nor even checked out a field rating. Simply excited about this sport and the eventual ramifications nonetheless makes me sick to my abdomen to at the present time. Perhaps this will probably be therapeutic?

Uncertain, however right here we go anyway.

One factor I need to level out is how injured the Seattle Seahawks secondary was earlier than the sport even kicked off. Earl Thomas had dislocated his shoulder and was enjoying with a harness. Richard Sherman broken elbow ligaments within the NFC Championship sport in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers. Then, simply two days earlier than Tremendous Bowl 49, Kam Chancellor was injured within the second-to-last play of observe, sustaining a torn MCL and deep bone bruise in his knee. Three quarters of the Legion of Growth was severely compromised.

And it might get even worse early on within the contest at College of Phoenix Stadium, a harbinger of issues to return at that venue. The Patriots received the ball first and gained just a few yards earlier than punting to the Seahawks who went 3-and-out. New England had the ball once more and drove all the way down to the SEA 6 earlier than Tom Brady was picked off by Jeremy Lane on the objective line. Lane, Seattle’s glorious nickel nook, was injured on the return each tearing his ACL and breaking his wrist. There goes a key member of the secondary together with the host of accidents that the others have been enjoying by means of.

Seattle managed a primary down earlier than punting again to the Patriots who marched down the sector, ending with an 11-yard TD cross from Tom Brady to Brandon LaFell for the 7-0 lead about 5 minutes into the 2nd Quarter. Each groups went 3-and-out on their subsequent drives, as Seattle took over on offense at their very own 30. They have been nonetheless sputtering a bit, garnering solely brief beneficial properties till Russell Wilson discovered Chris Matthews for a 44-yard acquire. That gave the offense the spark they wanted and three performs later, Marshawn Lynch rumbled into the tip zone from 3 yards out to tie the sport at 7-7. Tom Brady wasn’t fazed, nevertheless, and he led one other scoring drive culminating in a 22-yard TD cross to Rob Gronkowski for the 14-7 lead. Seattle received the ball again with 36 seconds left earlier than halftime. Perhaps they might play for the sector objective? Nope. With chunk performs coming from surprising gamers like Robert Turbin and Ricardo Lockett (aided by a facemask penalty), the Seahawks had the ball on the NE 11 with 6 seconds left. That was simply sufficient time for Russ to seek out Chris Matthews for the 11-yard TD to knot the sport at 14-14 on the break.

The Seahawks took the primary drive of the 2nd Half down into the Patriots purple zone, helped alongside as soon as once more by an extended Chris Matthews catch of 45 yards, however the drive stalled and so they settled for a 27-yard FG and their first lead of the sport at 17-14. Bobby Wagner picked off Brady on the subsequent drive, nevertheless, Cliff Avril was injured on the play. He entered concussion protocol and by no means returned to the sport, one other big blow to an already beat up protection. Seattle began in New England territory and drove proper down the sector with Russ discovering Doug Baldwin for a 3-yard TD and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for pretending to drop a deuce on the ball.

Sadly, that was not the one sh–ty factor to occur to the Seahawks as the sport would proceed.

The groups went on a punting spree with the subsequent notable drive coming within the arms of Tom Brady starting on the NE 32 with 12:10 remaining within the sport and Seattle nonetheless holding a 24-14 lead. The drive truly began off nicely with an 8-yard sack by Bruce Irvin on 1st down. Then, Brady did Brady issues as he discovered Julian Edelman for 2 separate 21-yard catches on the drive that might finally find yourself ultimately zone with a 4-yard TD cross from Brady to Danny Amendola to make the rating 24-21. Let’s get again to Edelman as a result of he was smacked by Kam Chancellor on a type of receptions and was clearly concussed on the sector. Did they take him out of the sport to guage him just like Cliff Avril? Nope. Do I consider he would’ve been let again into the sport? Completely not.

Why is that vital? Effectively, after Seattle went 3-and-out, Brady took over on offense once more with 6:52 left within the sport at his personal 36 yard line. Once more, he led them proper down the sector and threw a 3-yard TD cross to – guess who – Julian Edelman because the Patriots went forward 28-24 with 2:06 left within the sport. The Seahawks nonetheless had life and loads of time. The drive received off to a very good begin with a 31-yard cross from Wilson to Beast Mode on the primary play. Seattle transformed one other third down with an 11-yard catch by Ricardo Lockette to place the ball on the Patriots 38. Then, got here what possible can be remembered as top-of-the-line catches in Tremendous Bowl historical past had the sport turned out a special method. Russ threw a deep shot to Jermaine Kearse who, after just a few deflections, ended up catching the ball whereas mendacity on the bottom and received up making an attempt to attain earlier than he was pushed out on the NE 5 yard line.

That might be vital, people.

It was 1st and Purpose from the 5 with 1:06 left and Seattle was all the way down to their ultimate timeout. They ran the ball with Beast Mode who was barely tripped up on the 1. New England surprisingly didn’t take a timeout and the clock was nonetheless working.

Now, right here’s the place I interject with my very own ideas and emotions. It’s 2nd down, the clock is working, and Seattle has only one timeout left. They’re on the 1 yard line, but when they run the ball and don’t get it there goes the final timeout. Then, you’re nearly definitely passing on third down. Right here, the Patriots introduced of their objective line bundle, so it made sense to throw the ball and protect the timeout the place you could possibly run it on back-to-back performs if want be. I agree with that logic. What I don’t agree with was the kind of throw that was known as nor the personnel within the sport at that time. If you wish to throw it to Doug in a pivotal state of affairs, I’m all for it. No offense, Ricardo Lockette.

Everyone knows what occurred. Brandon Browner acknowledged the play from the beginning and blew up the tried decide by Jermaine Kearse which allowed Malcolm Butler to interrupt on the ball and decide it off. The gamers have been shell shocked and so have been we, as followers. The sport ended with some combating and Bruce Irvin was thrown out of the sport.

Russell Wilson was 12/21 for 247 yards, 2 TD, and 1 game-defining INT. Marshawn Lynch had 24 carries for 102 yards and 1 TD. Chris Matthews got here out of nowhere with 4 catches for 109 yards and 1 TD.

Bobby Wagner and Jeremy Lane every had 1 INT. Bruce Irvin had 1.0 sack, which was all of the protection may muster on Tom Brady

Yeah, in order that wasn’t cathartic for me in any respect. I felt bodily sick after watching that sport for just a few days and even simply writing this text is elevating my blood stress. This sport for all intents and functions broke the Seahawks and precipitated irreparable rifts between gamers and coaches. Had they gained the sport, they very nicely may have saved the practice rolling and dominated the 2010’s.

As such, it’s a painful reminiscence that can in all probability by no means heal. I need to thank all of you for studying these articles all through the season. I hope you’ve loved them and intend to proceed them subsequent season if the demand is there, which would be the 20 12 months anniversary of the 2005 Seahawks. At the very least they gained’t have a soul-crushing second to jot down about like we had this 12 months with the 2014 squad, proper?

Proper?!?