Seahawks can't pull off another onside kick miracle

By Sam Gardner
Published

On Jan. 18 2015, the Seattle Seahawks overcame a 16-0 halftime deficit to beat the Green Bay Packers in overtime for the NFC championship, a game that only went to overtime thanks to a stunning onside kick recovery by receiver Chris Matthews.

Nearly a year later to the day, the Seahawks were once again in a position to recover a potentially game-saving onside kick following an even more improbable rally against the Carolina Panthers in the NFC divisional round on Sunday.

However, this time around, the ball didn't bounce Seattle's way, as Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis did what Packers tight end Brandon Bostick couldn't and corralled Steven Hauschka's onside try to send Carolina to the NFC title game.

Whereas last year's comeback against the Packers at home was never a certifiable blowout, Sunday's game most certainly qualified, as Carolina went up 14-0 in the game's first three and a half minutes and took a 31-0 lead into the locker room following a dominant first half in Charlotte.

The Panthers' lead prompted Oregon lineman Tyler Johnstone to caution Carolina against feeling comfortable with such a huge advantage, and much like TCU in the Alamo Bowl, Russell Wilson and Co. came storming back, eventually cutting the lead to 31-24 on a Hauschka field goal with no timeouts remaining and 1:16 to play.

Seahawks fans could be forgiven if they were feeling a little deja vu at that point, but this time it wasn't meant to be. Instead, the veteran Davis, in his 10th season with the Panthers, showed the hops of a much younger player, snagged Hauschka's kick out of the air and held on despite being flipped on his head by Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman.

For the Seahawks, Sunday's loss ends a run of two straight Super Bowl appearances. The Panthers, meanwhile, will play the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday for a spot in Super Bowl 50. But it took a fantastic effort from the hands team for Carolina to get there -- one that you half-expected to end as poorly as the Packers' attempt at the same play 364 days ago.