Seattle Looks Ready to Repeat

(AP Photo / Elaine Thompson)

Let's play a game of "Guess Who"?

I'm thinking of a team that won the Super Bowl last year in astounding fashion. They held the #1 ranked offense in the game to a measly 8 points and forced future hall-of-famer Peyton Manning into three turnovers. They were the league's best defense a year ago, and they were the league's best defense this year too. They are the team that went 6-0 to end the season and gave up just 39 points in that span-- an average of 6.5 points per game.

Kam Chancellor leads the Legion of Boom
(Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images)

They are the Seattle Seahawks. Remember them?

Yes, the same team that started the year 3-3 finished the year at 12-4 to take the division and the #1 seed in the NFC. Somehow their run has flown under the radar, as there are certainly plenty of other playoff story-lines to follow:

• Brady vs. Flacco
• Peyton Manning's closing window
• Aaron Rodgers' calf muscle 
• The revival of the Dallas Cowboys

But let me direct your attention back to the defending champs, because there was a whole lot of noise made during their trouncing of the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night. And I'm not just talking about the 12th man.

The Panthers played well and kept the game close in the first half. Cam Newton was finding Kelvin Benjamin and the Carolina defense was doing a great job containing Marshawn Lynch. But as the game clock ticked away the pressure mounted, and one team responded better than the other. Can you guess which one?

I'll give you a hint: it was the team that had the Super Bowl rings.

The Seahawks went on a tear to score 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and blew the game wide open. The Panthers did have a chance late in the game and had driven down to the 19 yard-line, but Kam Chancellor intercepted Newton and returned it 90 yards for the defensive score to put the game out of reach.

Russell Wilson is now 25-2 at home,
including the playoffs
(AP Photo / Elaine Thompson)

The defense also forced two other turnovers: one fumble recovered and one more interception, courtesy of Richard Sherman. 

On offense Russell Wilson looked on point, throwing darts, rainbows, and a variety of dimes to different receivers on his way to a three touchdown performance. Marshawn Lynch, kept in check for most of the game, still managed to rip off multiple tackle-breaking runs that ignited both the team and the fans into a frenzy. And they did not turn the ball over once.

It was a team effort, and the team aspect was evident.

The win ensures that the NFC Championship will be played in Seattle, and the Seahawks await the winner of the Packers-Cowboys game tomorrow morning. No matter who they wind up facing, the pressure will certainly be on the visiting team, as the Seahawks seem to have everything on their side: the experience, the momentum, the home-field advantage, and the chip on their shoulder.


They are not "America's Team", nor do they reside in "Titletown, USA." They play in the cold and rain, they hit like a ton of bricks, and they will bring the smack talk whether you like it or not. They are a group of misfits and draft-snubs, led by a coach who has won championships in college and at the professional level, and to me, they look ready to repeat.

Richard Sherman asks, "Who's Next?" (Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images)