porky88
  • porky88
  • Veteran Member Topic Starter
9 years ago
The quest for a repeat is alive and well.

The Seattle Seahawks overcame a 16-points halftime deficit to stun the Green Bay Packers in front of a rowdy crowd at CenturyLink Field. The victory sends Seattle to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season, making them the first NFC team to go to back-to-back Super Bowls since the Packers did it in 1996-97.

An abnormal journey gave us the expected outcome. Turnovers allowed Green Bay to jump out to an early lead. The Packers intercepted quarterback Russell Wilson three times in the first half, but their inability to finish in the red zone kept Seattle in the hunt. Green Bay made three trips to the red zone, scoring just one touchdown and settling for two field goals. Early in the first quarter, the Packers faced a fourth and goal from the one-yard line. Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy opted to kick the field goal instead of going for the touchdown. McCarthy’s decision to kick will receive its share of scrutiny this week, but the Packers didn’t blow a 16-point lead because they didn’t go for a touchdown six minutes into the game. They lost because Seattle made the key second-half plays.

In my preview  of this game, I picked Seattle because I thought they’d make the big play in crunch time. The Seahawks needed more than just a big play or two, though. Nearly everything had to go their way in the second half, and that’s exactly what happened.

They converted a key third-and-19 midway through the third quarter when Wilson found a wide-open Doug Baldwin. Four plays later, they scored a 19-yard touchdown on a fake field goal when holder Jon Ryan hit Clint Gresham for the score. After cutting Green Bay’s lead to 19-14 in the fourth quarter, they recovered an onside kick after Green Bay tight end Brandon Bostick failed to secure the ball. This led to Seattle taking their first lead of the game with less than two minutes remaining. Green Bay managed to force overtime, but the Packers never saw the ball in the extended period, as Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 35-yard touchdown to send the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.

In many ways, the Packers blew it more than Seattle won it. Green Bay mishandled two crucial plays late in the game. Wilson threw his fourth interception of the game with about five minutes remaining. Safety Morgan Burnett, who caught the ball off a deflection, went to the ground immediately after making the play. You don't go to the ground with five minutes left, and Burnett just learned this lesson the hardest of ways. He had a lot of open field to gain yards. A decent return would've put the Packers in field goal range.

Burnett’s running mate in the secondary, rookie Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, had a pair of interceptions on the afternoon, but his judgment on Seattle’s two-point conversion was bizarre. The Packers heavily pressured Wilson on the attempt. He scrambled to his right before throwing the ball across the field. The ball lingered in the air long enough for Clinton-Dix to make a play on it, but he never did. Instead, it landed safety in the arms of tight end Luke Wilson, and Seattle’s improbable lead extended to three.

With less than two minutes remaining, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers drove the Packers down the field, putting them in position to tie the game. Kicker Mason Crosby connected on a 48-yard field goal, sending the game to overtime. Had Clinton-Dix made a better play on the ball just minutes earlier, Crosby’s kick may have sent the Packers to the Super Bowl.

Wilson is now 10-0 against Super Bowl winning quarterbacks, owning wins over Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Eli and Peyton Manning. However, Wilson was not the hero of this game. Sure, he made two crucial overtime throws, but Green Bay clearly rattled him early. Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell recognized this, and turned to running back Marshawn Lynch.

In a performance that’ll surely come up when the Hall of Fame debates Lynch’s candidacy for enshrinement, the Seattle running back steamrolled his way through the heart of Green Bay’s defense. He finished the game with 25 carries for 157 yards and a touchdown.

Seattle’s defensive effort also deserves commendation. Green Bay’s early start had more to do with their field position advantage than their execution against the Seahawks defense. The Packers gained just 306 total yards, with Rodgers throwing for 178 on just 19 completions. Running back Eddie Lacy, who had 100 or more yards in 10 consecutive games, gained just 73 on 21 carries.

The Packers return to Green Bay devastated. They were less than five minutes away from reaching their sixth Super Bowl. Losing in Seattle goes down as one of the most excruciating defeats in the franchise’s history, arguably more so than Super Bowl XXXII and the 2007 NFC Championship.

History awaits Seattle two weeks from now. With a victory, they’ll be just the eighth team in the history of the NFL to win back-to-back Super Bowls, and the first to do so since the 2003-04 New England Patriots.

They’ll also have a legitimate claim as the team of the decade.

Visit Row12.com  for more playoff coverage.

Click here for a recap of New England's thumping of Indianapolis.  
Mucky Tundra
9 years ago
I didn't even realize Lynch ran for 157 yards. Just goes to show how fast things flipped in the 2nd half.
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dhazer (22h) : Steelers sign Patterson because of new kickoff rule interesting
Zero2Cool (28-Mar) : Former #Packers TE Josiah Deguara is signing a 1-year deal with the Jaguars, per source.
Zero2Cool (28-Mar) : They do not do it for "content sake".
dfosterf (28-Mar) : For the record, I enjoy Beast and Mucky drafts
Zero2Cool (27-Mar) : Haha
Mucky Tundra (27-Mar) : No time for talking! Back to work beast!
beast (27-Mar) : You saw only 4,201 of my mocks? 🥺 I think that means you missed more than half of them 😢
dfosterf (27-Mar) : Does anyone know what Lambeau field improvements got put on hold? My guess would be for the 2025 draft
Zero2Cool (27-Mar) : It's like listen, you made 4,201 mocks, no shit.
Zero2Cool (27-Mar) : Cuz during the draft "I had them mocked there!" as if it's amazing.
Zero2Cool (27-Mar) : They're fun to do once in awhile. It's people who think they are "content" that annoy me.
dfosterf (27-Mar) : Against tbd
dfosterf (27-Mar) : Answer to your question is yes, it's a Thursday, will be the Chiefs aga
dfosterf (27-Mar) : Luckily for all concerned, I don't post them. I did one, but that was like 25 mocks ago
Zero2Cool (27-Mar) : NFL 2024 gonna start Sept 5th isn't it???
Zero2Cool (27-Mar) : Ugh... kids these days!
dfosterf (27-Mar) : I'm gonna go do some more mock draft hell instead 🤪
Zero2Cool (27-Mar) : Did we do one of those prediction threads yet for 2024 season?
dfosterf (27-Mar) : In my city, they are playing the nimby game, in order to keep some railroad tracks vs. 2 professional sports teams and a concert venue.
dfosterf (27-Mar) : And/Or a city council, of which I haven't seen a good one in a very long time
dfosterf (27-Mar) : That sounds like a Mayor, not a city.
buckeyepackfan (26-Mar) : Packers halt scheduled 80mil upgrade of stadium until lease agreement talks are restarted
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : City of Green Bay puts Packers' Lambeau Field lease talks on hold
buckeyepackfan (26-Mar) : Packers 1 of 3 teams to vote no on new kickoff rule.
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : Packers sign another Kicker
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Lengthy explanation at PFF if you click the link
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Kickoff rules officially changed.ngthy explan
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : lol
Cheesey (26-Mar) : 2009? No thanks! One open heart surgery is enough!
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Good for you!
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : Yes. That's the one.
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Is that "Lady Dugan" per chance?
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Crystal?
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Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : Alan posts. Crystal back in my life. It's 2009 all over again! Lol
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Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Shouldn't be penalized cuz official screwed up
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Yeah, challenge until you are incorrect twice.
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Fining them is the goal, per the people who made the rule anyway.
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Still waiting on the kickoff rule changes. Did hear yesterday that the touchback proposal will now be the 30 yard line, not the 35
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Probably speed of game issues with your proposal
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Hopefully the refs don't get in the habit of throwing flags on this
beast (25-Mar) : I think when it comes to Challenges should get two strikes, so unlimited challenges as long as they keep winning them, but 2 wrong then done
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Still subject to the fines etc
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Yes, I should have been more specific. Also, they are now saying it would be a 15 yard penalty. That makes more sense .
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