Seahawks throw away miracle comeback in Super Bowl XLIX

Super Bowl XLIX had many on the edge of their seat: The New England Patriots’ 28-24 roller coaster victory over the Seattle Seahawks was one of the greatest endings in Super Bowl history.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Patriots found themselves in quite the hole. They trailed the Seahawks by 10 points, 24-14, and were facing the stingy Seattle defense that rarely allowed opponents to score in the fourth.

On the biggest stage, in front of 114.4 million viewers, New England quarterback Tom Brady did what he does best, finding wide receiver Danny Amendola on a four-yard score with 7:55 left in the game: 24-21, Seahawks.

Soon after, Brady moved the Patriots down the field in 10 plays, eventually finding Julian Edleman for a four-yard touchdown, his fourth passing touchdown of the day.

The score gave the Patriots a four-point lead with 2:02 left to play.

Now trailing, the Seahawks had only one option: score a touchdown or go home empty-handed.

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson started off the drive finding a streaking Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch down the left side of the field for a 31-yard gain.

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle: A Wilson deep pass to Jermaine Kearse was batted down by Patriot cornerback Malcolm Butler. Yet, somehow the ball landed in Kearse’s lap, following several juggles of the ball. He pulled down the catch for a 33-yard gain.

Following the amazing snag by Kearse, the ball sat on the five-yard line with just over a minute to play. A Lynch run set the Seahawks up on the one-yard line.

At this moment, I slumped in my seat, realizing that the Seahawks would be hoisting up the Lombardi Trophy. Boy, was I wrong!

On second-and-goal from the one-yard line, a “Beast Mode” run seemed destined. Yet, mind-blowingly the Seahawks decided to throw the ball. Wilson quickly darted a ball to a crossing wideout Ricardo Lockette, and to the despair of Seahawks fans, Butler jumped the route. picking off the pass to seal a Super Bowl victory and a fourth ring for the future Hall-of-Famer, Brady.

Interestingly enough, Butler wasn’t originally supposed to be part of the game-saving play. Patriots assistant coaches noticed three wideouts in the Seahawks huddle, and quickly subbed in Butler. Butler felt that the Seahawks were up to something, and capitalized on the instinct – instantly becoming a Super Bowl legend.

Not many important games have ended like Sunday’s. The game reminded me of the time that Chris Webber called a timeout that Michigan didn’t have during the 1993 NCAA Championship basketball game against North Carolina. The play cost them a last-second shot at winning.

The comeback victory in Arizona only helped Brady’s case as the greatest quarterback of all-time.  Only two other quarterbacks have won as many titles: Terry Bradshaw and Brady’s childhood hero, Joe Montana. I think it’s fair to say that Brady is the greatest. He owns basically all of the postseason passing records and boasts the most Super Bowl victories. The really impressive thing about him is that he still has the ability to win another.

The game hurt badly for many Seahawks fans, I’m sure, but honestly, that was the greatest Super Bowl I’ve ever seen. Sunday wasn’t a blowout or an uneven matchup, but a competitive battle that came down to the final drive. I think I speak for all football fans in saying that is the way Super Bowls should be. Last Sunday was a gift of a game to the fans.