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Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson walks off he field after throwing the game-clinching interception to Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler in Super Bowl XLIX. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks sat around their locker room deep inside University of Phoenix Stadium Sunday night, seemingly unable to believe what had occurred just moments earlier.
The Seahawks had just lost Super Bowl XLIX in heartbreaking fashion, when on the cusp of victory, quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception to New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler with 20 seconds left in the game. Butler’s pick gave the Pats their fourth Super Bowl title under head coach Bill Belichick, and sent the defending champs back to Seattle seemingly unable to digest their fate.
Linebackers K.J. Wright and Bruce Irvin sat in chairs in front of their lockers in full uniform, staring into space. General manager John Schneider went around and consoled each player individually, slapping defensive end Cliff Avril on the back as he walked away, before turning around and telling him: “We’ll be a better team next year. I promise you that.”
All-Pro safety Earl Thomas sat facing his locker with his head in his hands, seemingly unaware of the throng of people moving around him. His Legion of Boom mate Kam Chancellor reluctantly got dressed, ready to head out and face questions from reporters just as bewildered as he and his teammates were.
In the end, Super Bowl XLIX was one of the greatest in history, but it will be remembered forever by Seahawks fans as one they rightfully should have won. Here’s what we took away from the Hawks’ heart-wrenching loss.
What we learned: Super Bowl XLIX
1. “The Call” will be forever questioned …
The Seahawks had the ball on the Patriots’ 1-yard line with under a minute left, but facing second-and-goal with one time out remaining, they decided to attempt a pass play instead of running the ball with Marshawn Lynch against a heavy New England defensive formation. It would prove a fateful — and disastrous — decision, as New England cornerback Malcolm Butler jumped in front of Hawks receiver Ricardo Lockette to steal the ball — and the game.
Afterward, head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell each took the blame for the call that ended the Seahawks’ scoring threat, but some players couldn’t come to grips with the decision.
“We had it,” linebacker Bruce Irvin said after the game. “I don’t understand how you don’t give it to the best back in the league on not even the 1-yard line. We were on the half-yard line, and we throw a slant.”
2. … but it was just the final swing in a back-and-forth affair
It’s easy to look at the Seahawks’ final offensive play and wonder what might have been, but Sunday’s game was one of momentum swings throughout.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Patriots jumped out to 7-0 and 14-7 leads in the second quarter, using the underneath passing game and running the ball with LeGarrette Blount to move the ball against Seattle’s top-ranked defense.
The Hawks battled back, scoring on a 11-yard Wilson pass to Chris Matthews to cap off a five-play, 80-yard drive in just 29 seconds. They carried that momentum through Katy Perry’s halftime performance, scoring 10 points in the third quarter to take a 24-14 lead.
Then it was New England’s turn to battle back, scoring on two Tom Brady touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to take a 28-21 lead.
The Seahawks looked poised to jump in front at the last second in part because of a miraculous 33-yard catch from Jermaine Kearse where he snagged the ball out of the air while lying on his back after falling down on the catch. That reception set Seattle up at the Patriots’ 5-yard line with just over a minute left, but the final momentum swing was yet to come.
3. Offensive game ball: WR Chris Matthews
The first-year player entered play on Sunday with exactly zero NFL catches — his onside kick recovery against Green Bay in the NFC Championship game doesn’t count — but he was the Hawks’ big-play threat against the Patriots.
Matthews jump-started the Seattle offense with a 44-yard catch halfway through the second quarter which led to the Hawks’ first touchdown. After New England responded with a scoring drive of their own, Matthews was on the receiving end of Wilson’s touchdown just before halftime.
He added a 45-yarder on the Seahawks’ first drive of the second half, and finished with four catches for 109 yards and the touchdown.
4. Defensive game ball: LB Bobby Wagner
Wagner received a lone league MVP vote for his excellent 2014 season, but through much of Sunday’s game, it looked like he should have garnered a lot more. The first-time All-Pro totaled a game-high 12 tackles (10 solo) and came up with one of Seattle’s biggest defensive plays on the night.
After the Seahawks took their first lead of the evening with a Steven Hauschka field goal in their first drive of the third quarter, Wagner stepped in front of a Tom Brady pass intended for tight end Rob Gronkowsi, wrestling the ball away from “Gronk” for the Hawks’ second turnover of the night.
Seattle would go on to score on a Doug Baldwin 3-yard touchdown in the ensuing drive, giving them a 10-point lead that at the time looked almost insurmountable.
5. Injuries finally catch up to Hawks
The Seahawks entered Sunday’s game with nagging injuries all over the roster. Three-fourths of the Legion of Boom secondary came into the game banged-up, including cornerback Richard Sherman, who reportedly played with a torn elbow ligament.
But two injuries suffered by players on Sunday reduced the Hawks’ top-ranked defense’s effectiveness — and both came on Seattle interceptions.
Late in the first quarter, nickel cornerback Jeremy Lane picked off Brady in the end zone, ending a Patriots scoring threat and giving Seattle its first momentum of the game. But as Lane was tackled along the Seahawks’ sideline by New England receiver Julian Edelman, his wrist bent back in a gruesome angle, and he wasn’t able to return to the game. Outside corner Byron Maxwell was shifted inside to replace him, while second-year player Tharold Simon played Maxwell’s usual outside spot.
Brady and the Patriots were able to take advantage of the diminished secondary, but what really hurt Seattle was the apparent concussion suffered by defensive end Cliff Avril during Wagner’s interception return.
The Hawks’ pass-rusher lay on the ground after the play, and eventually entered the locker room to undergo the league’s concussion protocol. He wasn’t able to return, meaning that Brady had more time to throw on the Pats’ final two fourth-quarter scoring drives.
6. Seattle could be back soon
This loss will stay with Seahawks players, coaches and fans for a long time, and though they should — and undoubtedly will — mourn their chance to establish the NFL’s newest dynasty, the fact remains that Seattle has all the pieces in place to be playing in Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
The young nucleus of the team — including Russell Wilson, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, etc. — will remain intact, and probably locked up for the long-term with more contract extensions to come over the offseason. The rookie classes of the past two seasons each contain some players who look ready to become full-time contributors, and they’ll add another crop in May’s draft.
Yes, there are some decisions to be made, including what to do with Lynch and how to improve a sometimes suspect offensive line and receiving corps, but the future looks bright for the Seahawks.
Even if they can’t see it right now.
Game photos: Super Bowl XLIX
Visit seattlepi.com for more Seattle Seahawks news. Contact sports reporter Stephen Cohen at stephencohen@seattlepi.com or @scohenPI.
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