Has everyone caught their breath and fully recovered from last week’s thrilling overtime win over the Rams? You have? Good, because it’s time, once again, to open up the mailbag and answer some questions about your playoff-bound Seattle Seahawks.
As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions this week, and apologies if I wasn’t able to get to yours this time around. And remember, the mailbag is always open for submissions at Seahawks.com/mailbag.
@ThatWiiMaster asks, “Where does last Thursday’s win rank among your favorite regular-season Seahawks wins?” Lianne from Kapolei, Hawaii also asks where Thursday’s game ranks in Seahawks history.
A: It’s definitely up there. The only comeback I can think of that was similar in terms of both the deficit and the quality of opponent is the NFC Championship win over the Packers. Obviously that game was much bigger in terms of the stakes, but Thursday’s win over the Rams was obviously awfully big, and equally unlikely. What happens the rest of the way will also form how we remember Thursday’s win. If the Seahawks can take care of business the next two weeks, earn the No. 1 seed and use homefield advantage to get back to the Super Bowl, then Thursday’s win has to be one of, if not the greatest, regular-season wins in team history.
Even without knowing how things will play out at this point, it’s definitely up there in terms of most meaningful and impressive wins given how late in the season it was and how good the Rams have been this season.
In terms of other contenders for best regular-season wins, I’m only going to focus on the time I’ve covered the team (2009 to now) because I just don’t have as good of a feel for the significance of every regular season game prior to that period. As for a few that jump out, I’d start with the final four games of 2012, and especially the 42-13 win over the 49ers, who would go on to play in the Super Bowl that year. That was when it became clear just how good of a team John Schneider and Pete Carroll had on their hands, and laid the foundation for the Super Bowl run the next year. When it comes to that Super Bowl-winning 2013 season, the Week 13 Monday night win over the Saints stands out. The Seahawks were 10-1 at the time while New Orleans was 9-2, and in a battle between two NFC heavyweights, the Seahawks rolled to a 34-7 win, making it clear that the road to the Super Bowl was going through Seattle. One other I’d point to in terms of impressive regular-season wins was the Seahawks’ 2016 win in New England. The Seahawks were coming off a Monday night game going across the country to face a Patriots team coming off a bye. New England, which would go on to win the Super Bowl that season, was 7-1 coming into the game, and given the extra rest and homefield advantage, were a heavy favorite coming in, but thanks to big games from Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin and C.J. Prosise, and a great defensive effort that included a goal-line stand to end it, the Seahawks handed the Patriots one of their two losses of a championship season.
Az12thman.bsky.social asks, “Do you have a favorite end zone at Lumen Field? South: Gilliam fake FG TD, the tip, Kearse to the Super Bowl Beast Quake. North: F(H)ail marry, Russ’ 2-point moon ball to Luke Willson, Zackward pass, Romo bobbled FG attempt.”
A: As you outlined, for just plain weird plays, nothing tops the north end zone. From Jordan Babineaux’ game saving tackle of Tony Romo to secure a playoff win over the Cowboys to the controversial Golden Tate touchdown to beat the Packers to Kam Chancellor’s punch out to preserve a win over the Lions to that wild 2-point conversion against the Packers in the NFC Championship Game to Thursday’s strange 2-point conversion to, a less positive note, Jacob Hollister getting stopped a yard short of an NFC West title, a lot of very strange things have transpired in that north end zone. And I’m sure I’m missing some on top of that list.
The south end zone, however, has the best Seahawks memories. The Tip, of course, might be the single most important play in franchise history, while Jermaine Kearse’s walk-off touchdown to send the Seahawks to the Super Bowl a year later capped one of the wildest wins in team history. That end zone is also where Marshawn Lynch capped off one of the best runs in NFL history with a famous dive (and grab) on his way into the end zone.
Whichever is your preference, all of those examples above are a good reminder that Seahawks fans have been treated to a lot of great finishes and big moments at Lumen Field.