It’s coming soon…
NFL regular season returns, it is what we have all been waiting for. Who else has been gritting their teeth, waiting in anticipation for the next season to start up and reveal who will be topping the scoreboard this year?
We all have. But, before we all get too wrapped up in what is to come, and end up glued to our screens, or avidly buying tickets to the games, we should take a moment to look back at the moments we have fallen in love with over the years.
The NFL is rife with moments we will never forget: Brady’s many comebacks, insane kicks, the helmet catch… so many moments. One that we do not want to forget is the ‘Beast Quake’.
This was a moment that happened over a decade ago, but it still lives fresh in our minds to this day, and it is no wonder why. It was a moment like no other. We have all seen epic runs before, but this one took the cake.
NFL spreads go crazy for these moments, so before we get hyped up on whether or not we will be seeing anything quite like that this year, let’s remember a moment that had everyone on the edge of their seat.
Over A Decade Later
It has been a decade since it happened. Back 11 years ago, all the success the Seahawks have seen: their Super Bowl title, their 9 winning seasons, their NFC West championships, were all a dream away.
However, what really changed the game for them was a crazy 41-36 Wild Card victory over the Saints. A moment that would forever go down in history as being one of the maddest, most intense upsets in the history of playoffs.
And… One of the greatest runs we ever saw!
The Seahawks had managed to win the NFC West with a record of 7-9, which made them the first team to enter the playoffs with a losing record. The Saints were an 11-win Wild Card, and they were also the defending champions of the Super Bowl, so there was loads of talk about how the Seahawks did not deserve to be in the playoffs.
Before Lynch Ran The Defense
It can be pretty tricky to remember how before Lynch ran the whole defense for the Saints, and before Hasselbeck out did Brees in his final Seahawks game, it started out just how you would expect the game to go.
The Saints started with a field goal, and then on the first possession for the Seahawks, Hasselbeck was intercepted.
The Sainted turned an interception into a 10 to nothing lead halfway into the first quarter, and no one was shocked, it was just what everyone expected really.
Playing Lights Out
For fans of the Seahawks, the day of this game will always be remembered for the run Lynch made, and for a very good reason. He basically caused a whole earthquake in how he frenzied the crowd that day.
However, what tends to be overlooked is that because of this run, Hasselbeck has his final game overshadowed. He was playing with a cast on his left wrist as it was broken, and he had missed the game before after pulling a gluteal muscle.
But still, Hasselbeck played anyway, and he gave one hell of a game for his finale. He threw 272 yards, and made 4 touchdowns to get the Seahawks where they needed to be. He looked for lynch and his offense to run the clock.
He answered every lead that New Orleans made with touchdown passes, and in the later part of the second quarter he gave Seattle their first lead. He did so well, while so injured, but it was overshadowed.
You could say, Lynch stole his thunder (maybe even literally!).
No Ordinary Run
However, it was in no small amount of brilliance from Hasselbeck, and his defense that after they gave up 3 scores early on, made a turnover, forced 3 punts, and made a turnover on downs on five of the Saint’s 6 possessions, they were in a position from ahead in the 4th.
The Saints eventually got to the end zone again to make it 4 points in the 4th, but the Seahawks got the ball back with only 4:20 left on the clock, and it was game on!
Lynch took the second & 10 from Hasselbeck at the 33-yarder, and he was met by many Saints defenders. It looked bad, but Lynch was not having it. With Gibson pulling, he had more room, and hit the middle.
He bounced the run into traffic.
It was not long after that Lynch, his team, the Saints and everyone watching to realize that this run was no normal run.
By the time that he crossed midfield, 5 defenders of the Saints had a hand on him, then as he got to the 35-yarder, it turned epic. Porter tried to bring him down, but got tumbled to the floor.
It was obvious Lynch did something epic as he launched himself into the Southern end zone, he punctuated the run in form and went down in history.
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