Is the Legion of Boom set to repeat as champions?
Sunday afternoon, the Seattle Seahawks returned home for an NFC Championship meeting against the Green Bay Packers. With Aaron Rodgers injured from calf issues for mobility, the Seahawks would surprisingly open the game in a serious hole. Both quarterbacks would see back-to-back interceptions on the initial drives down the field, but Rodgers would redeem himself – enabling his team to score their first points of the game.
Down 0-3, Seattle would see an unfortunate fumble on their kick-off return, putting the Packers in extremely good field position. For the second consecutive series, Green Bay was held to just a FG. With the air sucked out of the CenturyLink Field stadium, fans on hand became nervous in the midst of the rainy affair.
Before the first quarter ended, Aaron would finally get his first touchdown of the game, on a short pass to Randall Cobb, to push their lead to 13-0. Following a Mason Crosby 40-yard FG (first of many) to end the first half, the Seahawks were on the brink of failing to complete another red-zone drive, as head coach Pete Carroll called one of the gutsiest plays in team history on a fake FG for Jon Ryan to Clint Gresham.
Now behind only 9, the Packers would see the 12th man finally come alive at the end of the 3rd quarter. The fourth quarter would start on a 48-yard FG from Crosby to push the lead back to 12. Seattle would finally strike back to score a touchdown on a nearly 2-minute drive, that saw Russell Wilson score a 1-yard rush. They soon attempted an on-side kick and was successful to recover the ball from Green Bay.
Beast Mode would see a resurgence, as Marshawn Lynch would rush for a 24-yard TD to give Seattle their first lead of the game at 22-19. With only a minute and 25 seconds left to tie the game, Rodgers would lead the team quickly down the field, capped off by another 48-yard FG from Crosby. The championship would see an overtime, with the entire Green Bay organization shocked and confused they blew a 16-0 lead. In the opening drive of OT, Russell Wilson would end his horrific 4 interception affair, with a game-winning TD pass to Jermaine Kearse for 35 yards.
Seattle corner-back Richard Sherman and free safety Earl Thomas were both injured during the NFC Championship and will be reevaluated tomorrow in MRIs. Luckily for the L.O.B., they have two weeks to properly rest up for their second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl, this time against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.