The Seattle Seahawks displayed the heart of a champion

Every once in a while, you know the moment unfolding is an instant classic. The 2006 Rose Bowl and 2007 Super Bowl immediately come to mind, and now the 2014 NFC Championship game joins them. The Seattle Seahawks punched their ticket to a second consecutive Super Bowl on Sunday, beating the Green Bay Packers 28-22 in an overtime thriller.

Seattle looked dead and buried, trailing 19-7 with under three minutes remaining in regulation. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had thrown four interceptions, and Richard Sherman, the NFL’s premiere corner, badly injured his left elbow in the second half. Sherman tucked his arm into his body the rest of the way, refusing to leave the field.

Behind Wilson, Seattle scored a touchdown to cut its deficit to five points before the turning point of the game. On the ensuing onside kick, Packers tight end Brandon Bostick attempted to catch the ball but missed badly, allowing it to split his hands and hit his helmet. The ball dropped to the turf, the Seahawks recovered, and the game swung.

Marshawn Lynch gave Seattle the lead less than a minute later, scoring on a 24-yard scamper. Lynch was his typical belligerent self, rushing for 157 yards on 6.1 yards per carry. The Seahawks then converted a two-point attempt, pushing the advantage to 22-19 with 1:25 to play in the fourth. Incredibly, Green Bay would send the contest into overtime on a Mason Crosby 48-yard field goal. It only delayed the inevitable.

After winning the coin toss, Wilson marched Seattle to the Packers 35-yard line before launching a perfect pass, finding the arms of Jermaine Kearse despite impeccable coverage by Tremon Williams. Kearse popped up, ball in hand, conference championship seized.

It was a snapshot to behold not only for Seahawks fans, but football fanatics around the globe. The game was seemingly over, and yet Seattle continued to battle back until victory was secured. The effort was a monument to fortitude, a testament to what can happen when perseverance trumps all.

The reward for these Seahawks is a chance to become immortal. Few teams win one Super Bowl, and even fewer make it back the following season. Seattle is the first with a chance to repeat since the 2003-04 New England Patriots. Ironically, the Seahawks will play the architect and quarterback from that dynastic Patriots squad in Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

Seattle will be tested, with most seeing this matchup as an even heat. Oddsmakers have the Seahawks listed as one-point favorites at Glendale for Super Bowl XLIX, a line certain to move over the next two weeks. But let’s save that talk for later.

For now, enjoy what you witnessed on Sunday. It was a championship team showing why it has hardware. It was not about talent, but heart displayed in the face of incredible odds.

About Matt Verderame

Matt Verderame, 26, is a New Yorker who went to school at the frozen tundra of SUNY Oswego. After graduating, Verderame has worked for Gannett and SB Nation among other ventures.

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