I haven't been this proud of a Seattle team since the Mariners pulled a Houdini back in 1995. Even though the Seahawks lost to the Atlanta Falcons in their Divisional playoff match, they have what it takes to win the Super Bowl in the next few years. In fact, I think it’s the best Seahawks team ever assembled, even better than the 2006 NFC Champion squad. And the scary thing is, they haven’t even reached their full potential.
A wild season ended in fashion, with a wild playoff game. The 13-3 Atlanta Falcons, the number one seed in the NFC, jumped out to a 20-0 lead, and went into halftime with a 99% probability of winning the game. In the second half the Seahawks scored four touchdowns, three of them in the fourth quarter, swooping back to take a 28-27 lead with only 31 seconds left to play. Unbelief clouded the Georgia Dome, the scene in which a 20 point deficit was erased for only the second time in NFL playoff history. After the Seahawks took the lead, there was a 99% certainty they had won the game, and everyone thought it was over. However, Atlanta capitalized on the lackadaisical sense of closure and converted on a couple deep drives, before scoring on an improbable 50 yard field goal with 13 seconds left to win the game. Heartbreak, disbelief, and euphoria on both sides made a 180 degree turn in the span of 20 seconds to completely twist the football realm. Then the Falcon's kicker made one of the most bonehead plays I've ever seen, by kicking the ball straight on the ground, right into the teeth of the Seahawks offense, placing them at the 50 yard line with 6 seconds to go. The Seahawks could have had the greatest fourth quarter comeback in NFL playoff history, but twice they came up just a few yards short, as they opted to go for a Hail Mary pass (instead of a nearly impossible 65 yard field goal), which was intercepted, finally ending their magical run.
The emergence of several young nobodies, including Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch, and Bobby Wagner, have made the Seahawks an immediate favorite in the years to come. Quarterback Russell Wilson is a born leader who always seems to make the right decisions, which is a rare thing to see in a rookie. He’s only going to get better, and so is the Seahawk defense, which held opponents to the least amount of points per game of any team this year, at 15.3. Five of the six Seahawk losses this year came down to the last play, which is astonishing considering that this is the youngest team in the league. With just a few more years of experience touching up on their late-game issues, this is a team that could nearly be undefeated. They especially showed a promising spirit of dominance in the waning phase of the season, when they outscored opponents by 130 points during the span of three games, which approached NFL records in both margin of victory and points scored during said span.
2013 could have been remembered for the infamous, controversial call that occurred early in the season, when the Green Bay Packers were robbed of a game against the Seahawks. An interception was ruled a completion on a Hail Mary pass (now known as the “Fail Mary”), even after the substitute referees reviewed the play, which gave the Seahawks a victory when they shouldn’t have gotten one. Truly great teams aren’t remembered for bad refereeing; the Seahawks would have made the playoffs anyway. The Fail Mary just may have been a lucky omen, marking the beginning of a dynasty in American football.
PS: I forgot about the 2005 Sonics, when they surprised everyone and nearly knocked off the Spurs. They're up there with the '95 Mariners and the '13 Seahawks as having the most heart of any Seattle team in recent memory.
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