THE UGLY

Another controversial end: Seattle’s season effectively ended with 2:00 left in the fourth quarter, when officials awarded former Seahawk Jimmy Graham the game-clinching first down after linebacker Bobby Wagner appeared to tackle him just short of the line. The call stood after replay review, infuriating Pete Carroll after what seems like an entire season of controversial calls that went against the Seahawks. Most recently, in Week 17 against San Francisco, Seattle fans raged when 49ers linebacker Fred Warner was not flagged for pass interference in the end zone. This time, the spot of the ball seemed a little too generous to many, acting as yet another chapter in a familiar narrative.

That being said…

They punted?!: The Seahawks had all the makings of an epic second-half comeback, outscoring the Packers 20-7 in the last two quarters. They got the ball down 23-28 with 4:54 left on the clock – plenty of time to score with all of the momentum on their side. Seattle was able to take plenty of time off the clock, but an unfortunate third-down sack by Green Bay’s Preston Smith, who completely overwhelmed tight end Jacob Hollister on the right side, brought the Seahawks to fourth-and-11 with 2:41 left in the game.

Bafflingly, Pete Carroll made the call to punt the ball away. Yes, the Seahawks were on their own 36. Yes, they needed 11 yards for that crucial first down. Yes, the Packers defense would undoubtedly be ready for a pass – after all, the only Seahawk who had run for over 10 yards that night was Russell Wilson himself. It didn’t matter. Aaron Rodgers is a future Hall of Fame quarterback, known for coming up big in the clutch. Davante Adams had been having his way with Seattle all night, and Jimmy Graham was feeling good with 40 yards on just two catches. Giving them the ball back with that little time on the clock ensured that they only needed two first downs to ice the game and send Green Bay to the NFC Championship – and that’s just what they did, with methodical precision.

Even if Graham had been called short of the first down on that very last play, the Seahawks defense would have needed to stop the Packers from gaining just a few precious inches – a tall order against either a highly-favorable QB sneak or a rush from the excellent Aaron Jones. The Seahawks needed to put the game away earlier – instead, they put themselves in the worst possible situation, depending on a defense that has been inconsistent at best this season against one of the top players in the league. It was an inexcusable call, and it was an absolute momentum-killer in a must-win situation.

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