It is really easy to throw around statements full of hyperbole, but the second half of San Francisco-Seattle felt like the best football of the entire year. It had everything you wanted from a football game including a dramatic conclusion to the game. San Francisco started to drive the ball down with under four minutes left in the game and found themselves on Seattle's 30 yard line with under a minute left. Heartbreak was on its way for one of these teams, and when they needed it the most Seattle's defense stood big with their best player on the defense making an excellent play.
Earlier in the week, we noted Colin Kaepernick appears to have a problem with vertical routes and
underthrowing them. We saw in both games against Seattle this season in the regular season that Kaepernick had this problem. He once again to the vertical route to win this football game, and Richard Sherman batted the ball away from Michael Crabtree leading to Malcolm Smith picking off the pass ending the game and clinching Seattle's first Super Bowl appearance since 2005-2006 season. Sherman made a stunning play leading to him bumping Crabtree afterwards and gesturing a choke signal to Kaepernick basically another day in the life of Sherman.
underthrowing them. We saw in both games against Seattle this season in the regular season that Kaepernick had this problem. He once again to the vertical route to win this football game, and Richard Sherman batted the ball away from Michael Crabtree leading to Malcolm Smith picking off the pass ending the game and clinching Seattle's first Super Bowl appearance since 2005-2006 season. Sherman made a stunning play leading to him bumping Crabtree afterwards and gesturing a choke signal to Kaepernick basically another day in the life of Sherman.
Everyone now probably has an opinion on the former Stanford cornerback. Many people did before today. I said it when he started making the gestures that 'He is such a prick but dammit if I don't respect him.' I still think he acts like a dick, but that's totally okay because that's his personality on the field. I doubt he acts that way off it. Sherman's post game reaction drew all sorts of criticism, but this man is an animal. Crabtree and Sherman hate each other where this means so goddamn much to him. I find it hard to believe just yelling into a camera can classify a guy as a 'thug.' What a world we live in. Sherman made the play of the year, and people still found a way to shit all over it. The fact Sherman is not a robot is the exact reason why you should love him. Sports is not supposed to be an uptight thing. We have fun watching sports, and Sherman is having a blast out there not giving one single f--k about any of you, remember that when you reach to type something dumb on social media. Enough about Sherman though, it was one play in a fantastic football game. Russell Wilson is a player I have been critical of in the last couple of weeks given his recent struggles. It seemed like once again Wilson could not make a play in this game minus this ridiculous scramble for a 53-yard gain to Doug Baldwin. The narrative appeared to be shifting and First Take desk was ready to deliver some #HotTakes about Wilson until he benefited from a free play as San Francisco jumped offsides. The former 'Pack full of Badgers' delivered a beautiful pass to Jermaine Kearse for the touchdown to give Seattle their first lead of the game again. Wilson made plays when Seattle needed it the most. That's what good quarterbacks do, and it will be great to see him on the biggest stage in two weeks.
Marshawn Lynch did not disappoint either in this game. He deserves a ton of credit for being the spark plug of this Seattle offense at the start of the second half. Seahawks did nothing in the first half, and it felt like San Francisco had out-matched them on both sides of the ball. Lynch really did not make his presence felt until busting out for a big 40 yard run for a touchdown. Mr. Skittles finished 109 yards on 22 carries giving him exactly a five yard average. One thing is becoming clear in this rivalry whether they are playing in Seattle or San Francisco, Lynch finds a way to rush for a big number against the usually strong Niners rush defense, and that's a problem they need to solve in the coming years.
Even though he played in a Super Bowl last year, can we all agree the big moment suffocated Kaepernick? He played great in the first half tearing up Seattle for 100 yards on the ground, he made a Favre-like pass for the touchdown to Anquan Boldin yet his fourth quarter was a complete disaster. It started with a strip sack as he rolled out near his own end zone holding the ball loosely only to have Seahawks linebacker Cliff Avril swat the ball out of Kaepernick's hands leading to Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett making the recovery. Thankfully for the third-year quarterback, no harm happened from that turnover as Seattle could not get points on the following drive. But it kept getting worse for Kaepernick as he underthrew a ball on the sidelines leading to Kam Chancellor picking it off. Basically it was the same play Micah Hyde did not make two weeks ago. Excuse me while I drink cyanide. We all know the last interception too. Three turnovers in 15 minutes is complete hell for any quarterback. People completely forget how well you played for the first 45.
Seattle heads to the Super Bowl which is something people believed they would do in late November. Everyone about Seattle makes them the enemy to popular culture. They are brash, mouthy and everything Denver is not. It sets up beautiful for two weeks of great trash-talking fun. It should be tremendous. Related, I cannot wait until Seattle and San Francisco meet again.
Charlie.
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