1-7-11
“WOW! Did that just happen?!”
Those are the words uttered throughout the country after watching one of the biggest upsets in NFL postseason history. Everyone seemed to mock the Seattle Seahawks for being the first team with a losing record to make the playoffs. Nobody expected Saturday’s matchup against the reigning Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints to be competitive despite playing at Qwest Field in front of the loudest fans in football. The Seahawks reminded everyone that records do not matter once the playoffs start.
The Seahawks overcame an early turnover and 10 point deficit to stun the Saints with a dominating 41-36 win in the NFC Wildcard game Saturday afternoon. Marshawn Lynch put an explanation mark on the game with a determined 67 yard touchdown run with just 3:22 left that exhilarated the crowd while dejected the “Who Dat Nation.”
After sitting out the playoff clinching win last week, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck saved his best game of the year for the playoffs. The 12-year veteran threw for 272 yards and four touchdowns for his fifth playoff victory. His experience, poise and guts in the pocket gave Seattle the confidence to play at the highest level at the most opportune time.
Hasselbeck was effective throwing the ball on third and short. On third and two, he threw a deep fade pass to Mike Williams right on his fingertips, who dragged two defenders into the end zone for a 38 yard touchdown in the third quarter extending Seattle’s lead to 11.
Seattle built a two touchdown lead by the third quarter, but ex-Seahawk Julius Jones scored his second touchdown of the game for the Saints in the third quarter to cut the lead in half. Jones, filling in for two injured running backs, became the first player in NFL history to score a touchdown in the playoffs against a team that cut him earlier in the year.
After a Saints field goal narrowed the deficit to four points, it appeared Seattle lost its grip on the game and Brees would put together another comeback win. Instead, Lynch went into “BEAST MODE” on the biggest play of the game. After picking up the first down, Lynch would not go down. He broke free from eight missed tackles, stiff armed Saints cornerback Tracy Porter to the ground, found a lane up the sideline and willed his way into the end zone, igniting an already boisterous crowd into euphoria. At that moment, the underdog became the alpha dog.
The Saints were able to drive down the field and score another touchdown, but then failed to convert the two-point conversion. The Saints then misplayed the onside kick and the Seahawks completed an epic team performance that will be remembered in Seattle lore forever.
“We expected to win,” Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said. “It sounds crazy, but we expected to win.”
Both teams got into an offensive rhythm in the first quarter, setting the tone for an exciting slugfest. The Saints scored on their first three possessions to build a 17-7 lead. The Seahawks were not intimidated and answered through the air with two John Carlson touchdown catches. Seattle took the lead for good late in the second quarter on a Brandon Stokley 45 yard touchdown pass on third and short with just more than a minute to play in the first half.
Despite what the score would indicate, the Seahawks defense came up big when needed. The Saints did not have a problem marching down the field in the passing attack, but settled for three field goals in the red zone. Drew Brees threw for 404 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. In a key sequence late in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks sacked Brees on third down, and then denied the Saints on a fourth down, giving Seattle back possession. Seattle also forced a fumble, setting up a field goal that tied the game at 17.
It appeared the Saints took Seattle lightly after they finished with a 7-9 record, the first time a team with a losing record made the playoffs. This season, Seattle was outscored by 97 points, the largest deficit of any playoff team in NFL history. With the upset win on Saturday, the Seahawks make history again becoming first playoff team with a losing record to win a playoff game.
Throwing stats and records out the window, Seattle looked determined to win and the Saints were not ready. With aggressive play-calling and pure heart, Seattle outplayed the defending champs. It just goes to show when a team is motivated and has the support of the 12th man, anyone can win. For a season that looked lost and forgettable, Seattle seized their moment for redemption and broke the losing culture sports fans in the Great Northwest have come to expect. Not everything is what it seems, underdogs can bite too.
*Stats obtained from ESPN
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