NEWS

All season long the Seattle Seahawks have relied on their defense — led by the Earl Thomas and the Legion of Boom — to lock down opponents’ passing games.

It was a recipe for success, leading to a franchise-best 13 regular season wins as well as a playoff victory last week. On Sunday night with a berth in the Super Bowl on the line, Seattle again had to depend on its pass defense and the LOB came up with the play that sent the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.

With just 22 seconds remaining in the NFC Championship game and the Seahawks clinging to a 23-17 lead, All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman batted a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree in the end zone. The tipped ball was hauled in by Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith, who went down for a touchback, effectively securing the NFC title for Seattle. After the game, ET III praised his defensive teammates.

“I just think everybody was on it, technique wise, and we forced the ball to one of our strengths,” he said. “That’s what we harp on as a secondary. We want our players to always be at the point of attack and that was just a great play by Sherm. Look how long that guy is. I think they kind of pushed him in the back and he was still able to get one hand on that ball. When you run to the ball, good stuff always happens and Malcolm did a great job of buzzing underneath and taking advantage of his opportunity.”

All it took from there was a few kneel downs from quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks were NFC Champions. Seattle heads to the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history and the first time since drafting Earl in the first round back in 2010.

“I love this game so much. It’s a dream come true,” he said afterward. “I always dreamed about this as a little boy. You can write your story. I’ve been keeping a journal since Week 2 and to see the words come to life, it shocks me. I’m just happy. It’s a great feeling. It’s been a good year. Somebody needs to pinch me or something. It just feels good.”

Their win on Sunday locked up the Seahawks spot in Super Bowl XLVIII where the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense will meet its No. 1 pass offense the AFC Champion Denver Broncos led by quarterback Peyton Manning. Manning broke the NFL single season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns this year.

“It’s good on good. As a competitor, you always want to knock out the top dog. Just like we did today,” Earl said of the upcoming matchup against Denver. Being a safety — they love to throw the ball a lot — this is my game. I love games like that.”

Super Bowl XLVIII will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, February 2, 2014.

EARLY ADVERSITY

To get there, No. 29 and his teammates had to traverse several roadblocks and unfortunate bounces in the NFC Championship. Several moments throughout the contest made it seem like the dream of ET III and his teammates wouldn’t come true.

The Seahawks offense began the game with the ball and the first bit of adversity came on the first play from scrimmage. The 49ers got heavy pressure on Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and although he spun out of a sack attempt by Aldon Smith, the second-year signal-caller dropped the ball in the process. Smith pounced on it, giving San Francisco the ball on the Seattle 15-yard line.

Already deep in its own territory, the Seahawks defense faced a daunting challenge but linebacker Bobby Wagner came up big, stuffing a Colin Kaepernick run on third down to force SF into a field goal attempt after just three plays. Wagner, who Earl called a “hidden gem” in his blog entry previewing the game finished with a game-high 15 tackles.

Niners kicker Phil Dawson connected on a 25-yard chip-shot, giving San Francisco an early 3-0 advantage, But ETIII left the field pleased with his squad’s performance in the face of early adversity.

“That’s a sudden change moment and we practice those,” he said. “I think that’s why we’re so good. We never leave any stone unturned. We’re always on any detail, anything that can happen to us in a ballgame. We’ve learned from previous adverse situations back in Atlanta [last year’s playoff loss] and you never want to feel that kind of pain again.”

After Dawson’s field goal, the teams swapped field position and punts, and at the end of the first, San Francisco still led 3-0.

Seattle nearly caught a huge break at the outset of the second quarter when 49ers punt returner LaMichael James muffed the punt. But San Francisco jumped on the loose ball and began the drive at their own 14.

The Seahawks also nearly got off the field on the first series of that drive when Kaepernick’s third-down target of Crabtree fell incomplete. However, Sherman was called for holding in coverage, and the 49ers would take advantage of the fresh set of down.

On second down, Kaepernick got loose up the middle on a scramble and slid just short of ET in pursuit for a gain of 12 yards to move the chains. On the very next play, the San Francisco signal caller broke free again, this time up the right side. He was chased down by Hawks safety Kam Chancellor, but not before he tore through the Seattle defense for a 58-yard gain taking the Niners down to the Seattle 10.

The running abilities of Kaepernick gave Seattle fits throughout the game, and it was San Francisco’s biggest source of offense. The former Nevada quarterback, who happens to be Earl’s brother in the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, tallied 130 of the team’s 161 rushing yards, earning some postgame praise from ET III.

“He’s an athlete,” Earl said. “That’s my frat brother, so we make them like that. He played a hell of a game. You have to take your hat off to him. He made some incredible runs. It’s hard when you have a dual-threat quarterback. That’s what’s so special about him and Russell, they can run and pass.”

After Kaep’s big scramble, running back Frank Gore put the Hawks defense back on its heels after an eight-yard run on first down. On second down the Niners gave it to Gore and the back ran up the middle again. For a moment it looked as though Gore would break into the end zone. But the goal line happened to be located inside Area 29 and Earl burst into the play to stop Gore short of a touchdown.

San Francisco ran a dive on the next play and Anthony Dixon leapt over a pile on the goal line for what was originally called a touchdown. However, the play was reviewed and the replay showed that again No. 29 had contacted the runner at the goal line and Dixon’s forearm touched the turf before he crossed the plane of the end zone.

Despite his valiant effort the first two attempts, ultimately ET III was unable to keep the 49ers from the end zone as they ran the same play on fourth and goal, Dixon leaped even higher over the pile and landed well over the goal line, putting San Francisco ahead 10-0.

The Seahawks appeared primed to strike back on their next possession, when Russell Wilson escaped the San Francisco rush and threw a bomb down the field that was hauled in by Doug Baldwin at the 11 for 51 yards. But the Niners defense stiffened and the Hawks had to settle for a 32-yard Steven Hauschka field goal to get on the board.

ETIII made his presence felt on San Francisco’s ensuing drive helping to force a quick three-and-out. On 3rd & 12, Kaepernick found Quinton Patton for a short pass but the Niners receiver wasn’t going anywhere as Earl flashed down from his free safety position and popped Patton, driving him back for just a two-yard gain.

Seattle mounted a strong drive over the final four minutes of the half but got bogged down in a scoring dead zone. The drive ended with a turnover on downs at San Fran’s 38-yard line and the Niners took a knee, ending the half ahead 10-3.

MOMENTUM SWINGS BACK AND FORTH

The 49ers began the game’s second half with possession, but the Seattle defense forced them off the field after just one first down.

The put the ball in the hands of Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks offense, a unit that tallied just 126 total yards in the first two quarters, 51 of which came on Wilson’s big connection with Baldwin. At halftime, FOX analysts speculated that the conservative offense that had served Seattle well all year might be the route to a loss to San Francisco.

But the Seahawks were adamant about establishing the run and avoiding turnovers, and it wound up being that smart, conservative offensive play — along with an opportunistic defense — that decided the game.

After being limited to just 33 yards on 12 first half carries, Lynch went into Beast Mode early in the second half. On the first touch he saw, he bruised his way through the Niners defense for 11 yards. On the next play he picked up five more. The Seahawks gave him a break on a second down pass play, but on 3rd & 1 they went back to him seeking a first down and got a whole lot more.

Lynch took the handoff running right and cut it back left for first-down yardage—but he wasn’t done. He then bounced back around the right side and ran away from the Niners’ defense all the way to the end zone. His 40-yard touchdown run tied the game at 10.

After being taking out of the game early by the 49ers’ success on offense, the Seattle 12th man was awakened by a jolt of energy from Beast Mode and the raucous crowd let its Seahawks know they were still behind them. However, just when momentum seemed to be favor the Hawks, the Niners were able to swing it right back their way. As ET attested afterward, neither side was able to take and keep the momentum.

“I think this is the game that we all expected,” Earl said. “Two great defenses going at it. We knew what type of offense [they run] and how they wanted to attack us. I don’t think the momentum ever really turned fully.”

San Francisco answered Lynch’s game-tying touchdown run with a six-play, 83-yard scoring drive engineered by the legs and arm of Kaepernick. First the quarterback found Crabtree for a 22-yard gain. Then, on the next play he got loose again and ran for 22 yards to the Seattle 28. The Hawks defense got to Kaepernick on the next play, causing a fumble, but the lucky bounce not only went San Francisco’s way, it gained them two yards.

Undeterred by the scare, Kaepernick took a shot to the end zone while scrambling to his right on the next play. ET was in coverage on San Fran’s most physical receiving threat, Anquan Boldin and Kaepernick fired a missle their way.

Earl was in solid position in the end zone and skied to swat the pass down, but Kaepernick’s throw never lost any steam and though Earl got his fingertips on it, it continued right on through to Boldin for a 26-yard touchdown to put the 49ers ahead 17-10. After the game, ETIII explained the subtle techniques displayed by the veteran receiver on the touchdown grab.

“Receivers do a good job of not really pushing you in the back, but using their forearm [to get separation] and when your momentum is taking you somewhere it’s kind of hard for you to adjust back,” ET said. “That’s what happened to me there. I was in mid-air, tried to go up with one hand, kind of like Sherm, but I’m not as long as Sherm.”

Despite giving up the touchdown, Earl focused forward, displaying a trait of any good defensive back: a short-term memory. That same short-term memory that would help Seattle keep San Fran off the board for the rest of the game.

“You just have to stay in it,” he said. “As a DB, bad plays are going to happen, good plays are going to happen. You have to stay even keel. That [play] doesn’t define me because I know what type of ballplayer I am.”

HAWKS TAKE CONTROL

San Francisco’s touchdown was deflating at first, but Seattle loudly answered right back. Baldwin nearly took the ensuing kickoff the distance down the right side and was corralled only after an electrifying 69-yard gain.

Seattle got another Hauschka field goal out of that possession to make it 17-13 and the defense took the field with a chance to tip the weight of the game in Seattle’s favor. The Legion of Boom answered in-kind, keeping the San Francisco offense from picking up even a yard.

After Gore was stuffed up front on first down, Chancellor laid a crushing hit on 49ers tight end Vernon Davis causing a second down pass to fall incomplete. On third down Seattle had good pressure on Kaepernick and his pass attempt to Crabtree, who was blanketed in coverage by Byron Maxwell also fell incomplete forcing a punt.

Seattle’s next drive took the game into its final frame and an intentional grounding penalty loomed large. After a 3rd-and-22 play picked up just 15 yards gain the Seahawks sent Hauschka out for a 52-yard field goal attempt. But before the ball was snapped, head coach Pete Carroll called a timeout and after some contemplation, Carroll sent his offense back out to go for it on 4th & 7.

The Hawks caught the Niners offsides, essentially giving them a free play—and Wilson took advantage of that chance. They ran three verticals off of a trips-right formation, with three receivers bunched to Wilson’s right. He launched a pass just over the San Francisco defenders and into the hands of Jermaine Kearse who landed with it in the end zone to put Seattle ahead 20-17 and send the 68,454 in attendance at Century Link Field into a frenzy.

Seattle’s first lead marked a big shift, essentially putting the game in the hands of the No. 1 defense in the NFL and in the biggest moments of the season, the Seahawks defense lived up to the billing.

The Hawks forced turnovers on each of San Francisco’s next two drives and although all Seattle had to show for it in points was one more Hauschka field goal to make it 23-17, they made that score stand up by forcing one more turnover to put an end to the game.

“All you can ask for is an opportunity and the good thing about it is [learning] how are you going to react, if you’re going to take advantage of it. We go for it,” Earl said. “You have to be fearless. You can’t have any doubt. You can’t be second-guessing yourself. That’s why practice and walkthroughs and meetings are so important.

“When you’re in walkthroughs and you take it very seriously, that’s muscle memory. That’s what we understand. We understand how to win. We understand how to take coaching. We understand how to keep evolving as football players.”

Kaepernick began the drive from the Niners 22 and took what he could get from a Hawks defense that was determined to bend but not break. That included a fourth down throw to Frank Gore on a rollout where ET teamed up with Wagner for the cleanup tackle. Earl ended up with six combined tackles. After the game he explained his mentality on that last attempt from San Francisco.

“I was into it. I was really just trying to be on my role, my specific role in that situation,” he said. “That’s a two-minute situation in the red zone. That’s just being a situational football player and understanding how they want to attack you. You can’t get distracted or you could get burned. I think we did a great job of staying true to who we are, staying disciplined, playing disciplined football, and we finished. When you finish, good things like that happens. We love those type of situations as a defense.”

Though Seattle was keeping the Niners in front of them, Kaepernick and the offense continued to make clutch plays. He linked up with Gore, Crabtree and Davis for first-down conversions on the drive and ventured just inside Seattle’s red zone with just a minute to go.

The Niners found themselves 18 yards and an extra point from ending the Hawks’ Super Bowl hopes. But the LOB — after being put through a crucible by Kaepernick on the ground and through the air — came up with the all around play — from Sherman’s coverage and breakup on Crabtree to Smith’s interception — to send them to the Meadowlands.

ET didn’t pull in either of his team’s clutch picks, but he’s just fine with that. As he told the media afterward, he and his teammates all put egos aside and trust in their roles on the defense, resulting in its No. 1 ranking.

“All of my life I’ve been the top dog on every team,” Earl explained. “I’ve been able to change the players around me just by being myself. I kind of got away from that because I didn’t know what to expect in the NFL at first. But when you really get comfortable with everybody, [you realize] everybody’s not out to get you, you trust. You have to trust. You have to buy in. Coach asked all the DBs what was our goal for the season and my goal was to just be the best that I can possibly be. Guys can feel that. I really learned a lot this season about just expressing myself, just getting out of your bubble. I’m an introvert, but no I’m not. I’m coming. I’m trying to take over the world.”

SUPER MATCHUP

ETIII and the Seahawks will have their chance at becoming World Champions in two weeks against the Broncos.

Like Seattle, Denver ended the regular season at 13-3 and earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. And like the Seahawks, the Broncos followed their strengths through the divisional and conference rounds and into the Super Bowl.

ET, named All-Pro for the third straight season, explained that his focus has been on enjoying the journey that was the 2013-14 season. The Hawks certainly had their share of fun, building a 15-3 record on the way to the Super Bowl. Now, they’re face-to-face with their ultimate goal.

“I’ve been saying since Day 1, when you enjoy the journey, the destination is always going to take care of itself. That’s what happened in this situation. The destination is New York and we’re there.”

Seattle’s Super Bowl XLVIII showdown with Denver is set for a 6:25 p.m. EST kickoff on Fox from MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and Jets, in East Rutherford, N.J.

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