SEATTLE — By the time the Seahawks need to strap it up and play again, the roar of their adoring crowd may have quieted, or maybe not. They were the victors Sunday night in one of the most brutal, physically taxing title games in NFL history, outlasting the 49ers 23-17 at CenturyLink Field in a heavyweight NFC Championship Game.
A stadium-record 68,454 witnessed the triumph, which propels the Seahawks into Super Bowl XLVIII against Peyton Manning and the Broncos in the first New York/New Jersey Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium. What the Seahawks lack in style they make up for with wild-eyed defense as second-year quarterback Russell Wilson looks to prevent Manning from adding to his legacy.
At the finish, as the confetti was falling, the sound of Sinatra's "New York, New York'' came cascading down in this Pacific Northwest madhouse.
This intense, not-for-the-faint-of-heart game was not decided until only 22 seconds remained, as Colin Kaepernick mounted a drive that reached the Seattle 18-yard line. The final chance for the Niners went kaput when Kaepernick threw the ball into the left corner of the end zone, looking for Michael Crabtree, but cornerback Richard Sherman leaped to deflect the ball into the air, where linebacker Malcolm Smith intercepted it.
This is the second time in franchise history the Seahawks (15-3) have made it to the Super Bowl. They were edged by the Steelers in Super Bowl XL in Detroit after the 2005 season. Sunday's was a bitter loss for the 49ers, who were in their third consecutive NFC title game and were looking to return to a second straight Super Bowl after a 34-31 loss last year to the Ravens.
Kaepernick threw two second-half interceptions and also lost the ball on a fumble.
Playing on the road in a place they were outscored 71-16 the past two seasons didn't initially deter the Niners, who took a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, but the Seahawks pulled even on Marshawn Lynch's 40-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. Kaepernick had been causing his damage with his legs and he did it again with a 22-yard scamper to help set up a virtuoso play that combined the full range of his athletic ability. He was flushed out of the pocket but never stopped looking down the field.
Kaepernick, on the move, made a jump-pass with a simple flick of his wrist and the ball sailed barely over fully extended reach of safety Earl Thomas and found Anquan Boldin for a 26-yard touchdown strike and a 17-10 Niners lead.
Trailing 17-13 early in the fourth quarter, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll initially sent out kicker Steven Hauschka for what would have been a 53-yard field goal attempt on fourth down. Carroll used a timeout to think about it and reconsidered. Good move. Jermaine Kearse lined up in the slot against cornerback Carlos Rogers, coming off a hamstring injury, and Kearse got the one step he needed for Wilson to drill the ball into him in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown to put the Seahawks ahead for the first time, 20-17.
It looked as if the Seahawks would add to their lead when linebacker Ahmad Brooks came from behind and got a strip-sack on Kaepernick, giving the Seahawks the ball on the Niners 6-yard line. A false start penalty pushed the Seahawks back and on third-and-goal from the 10-yard line, Wilson hit Kearse for nine yards to the 1-yard. It appeared that linebacker NaVorro Bowman yanked the ball away from Kearse and as the play continued, safety DeShawn Shead and Kearse slammed into Bowman's left leg, which was planted in the turf and was bent in horrifying fashion. The cart came out to take off the fallen Bowman, who looked to be in excruciating pain, and despite what looked to be a turnover the Seahawks kept the ball.
Justice may have been served, though, as on 4th-and-goal from the 1 Lynch never got the handle on Wilson's handoff and the 49ers took over. Kaepernick quickly coughed it up on a terrible pass that was intercepted by Cam Chancellor, leading to a 47-yard Hauschka field goal to put the Seahawks up 23-17 with 3:37 left.
The start for the Seahawks offense could not have been worse, as on the game's first play from scrimmage Wilson rolled to his left and was nailed by outside linebacker Aldon Smith, who spun Wilson around for a sack and forced a fumble that he recovered on the Seattle 15-yard line. The damage from the turnover was minimized when linebacker Bobby Wagner stopped Kaepernick short of a first down and the 49ers had to settle for Phil Dawson's 25-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead barely two minutes into the game.
A sack of Wilson by Bowman off a blitz caused an 11-yard loss that ruined a promising Seahawks drive and then, with nothing much going on, Kaepernick took over with his legs. A holding penalty on cornerback Richard Sherman on third-and-9 kept alive a possession, allowing Kaepernick to scramble for 12 yards and, on the next play to use his long, long strides to take off on a 58-yard run, leaving Malcolm Smith, Wagner and finally Sherman lunging at air. The huge gain set up Anthony Dixon's touchdown leap to make it 10-0.
Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
EPA/John G. Mabanglo
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
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