Fair warning to all the 12’s out there, as this article will be discussing the most tragic moment in Seattle Seahawks history.
In life, there are always major moments where you’ll always remember where you were when they happened. Moments that burrow so deeply into your memory you almost become hyper aware of your surroundings, and everything gets etched into your brain for the rest of your days. Such a moment lives in the collective memory of the 12th Man, and it was the ending to Super Bowl XLIX.
Only two yards away from NFL immortality, the Seahawks’ chances of becoming the first team since the ’03-’04 New England Patriots to repeat as Super Bowl champs was dashed in an instant. Thanks to cornerback Malcolm Butler snatching Russell Wilson’s ill-fated pass at the goal line, the same Patriots defended their own honor by defeating the Seahawks 28-24.
For as painful as this memory is for the 12’s, for as often as it intrudes the thoughts of fans everywhere, it can only be infinitely worse for the players and coaches who lived through it. Specifically head coach Pete Carroll, and the player who should have gotten the ball, Marshawn Lynch.
Recently, Marshawn Lynch has launched a podcast with his agent Doug Hendrickson and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Their latest guest was Lynch’s old coach, Pete Carroll himself. The topics included Carroll’s return to USC, as well as the unfortunate Super Bowl XLIX.
Lynch opened up, discussing how the moment has forever impacted his life. Meanwhile, Carroll acknowledged the missed opportunity and the fact it perhaps derailed Seattle’s chances of going for three-straight.
While there is no way to know for certain if the Seahawks could have pulled off three-straight Lombardi’s, the ending to XLIX will forever be one of the greatest “what if?” moments in NFL history. Although Seattle kept it together for years after the Super Bowl loss, they were never truly quite the same, nor did they have anywhere near the same level of postseason success. To this day, the Seahawks have not progressed past the divisional round, or even won a playoff game where their opponent has scored at least one touchdown.
A snippet of the conversation can be found in the tweet below, and it is well worth a watch, as well as a full listen on their full podcast.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1830657642349703629
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