This is the backstory to one of the great moments of Week 3, the Seattle Seahawks' thrilling overtime win over the Denver Broncos. The Seahawks withstanding the Broncos' incredible rally, as well as the Dallas Cowboys matching a franchise-best comeback against the St. Louis Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles making history with a third rally from a 10-plus point deficit in as many games against the Washington Redskins are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Moments of Week 3.
The Seattle Seahawks steamrolled the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, prevailing 43-8 in one of the most lopsided Super Bowls in NFL history. Sunday's showdown of the Super Bowl combatants was a rarity; it was just the sixth time in NFL history that the previous season's Super Bowl teams met for a rematch in the following season. While the tightly contested showdown many expected to transpire in February at MetLife Stadium in reality developed into a dump trucking of epic proportions, the rematch was a thriller that lived up to its immense offseason billing.
Here are the key moments before the moment:
Seahawks off to flying start
The play:Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson catches a pass from receiver Jermaine Kearse for a 17-yard gain.
The aftermath: The rematch opened much like Super Bowl XLVIII did for the Broncos ... with misfortune. On their first play from scrimmage, the Broncos fumbled the ball and the Seahawks recovered in glorious position to get a score. Wilson's first career NFL reception* placed the Seahawks inside the Broncos' 10-yard line, but three runs by Marshawn Lynch failed to put Seattle into the end zone and the team settled for a 3-0 lead.
- During his season at the University of Wisconsin, Wilson caught a touchdown pass. That reception came on a pass from the player who fumbled the ball to the Seahawks, Broncos running back Montee Ball.
'Hawks add score right before half
The play: Wilson connects with Lynch for a 5-yard touchdown strike with 17 seconds remaining in the first half.
The aftermath: That score came on the drive after Wilson and Ricardo Lockette connected for a 39-yard touchdown play. Given the impenetrable nature of the Seahawks' defense, those two scoring plays gave Seattle a seemingly insurmountable 17-3 lead. It was the third time that the Broncos were held to just three points in the first half, and two of those games were against the Seahawks (the other, of course, was Super Bowl XLVIII).
Safety helps turn tide
The aftermath: After a scoreless third quarter for both teams, the Broncos' defense provides a glimmer of hope early in the fourth quarter. While the Broncos failed to capitalize on the safety, the Broncos forced another Seahawks miscue on the following drive, as Chris Harris picked off a Wilson pass intended for Percy Harvin. That led to a Peyton Manning touchdown pass to Julius Thomas that trimmed Seattle's lead to 17-12.
Broncos' incredible rally is complete
The play: After a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Tamme and a successful two-point conversion try from Manning to Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos tied the game at 20-20 with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
The aftermath: The Seahawks added to their lead when a Steven Hauschka field goal with minute left gave the team a 20-12 lead. Needing a touchdown, plus two-point conversion, the Broncos embarked on an 80-yard drive to tie it up. Manning completed a 42-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders and a 12-yarder to Demaryius Thomas to set up Tamme's touchdown. That touchdown pass was Manning's 100th with the Broncos, and it marked the fastest any quarterback reached that total with one franchise (35 games, vs. Dan Marino doing so with the Miami Dolphins in 44 games). It also pushed Manning another touchdown closer to the all-time record held by Brett Favre; Manning is now nine away from tying Favre's mark (508 to 499).
The moment
The play: Lynch caps the opening offensive drive of overtime by diving into the end zone for the deciding 6-yard touchdown play.
The aftermath: The Seahawks won the overtime coin toss, took possession of the ball and kept one of the NFL's all-time most-prolific passers on the sideline to preserve a hard-fought 26-20 victory. Wilson was at his playmaking finest on the 80-yard, 13-play drive. Twice on third down Wilson scrambled to extend the drive. Wilson also completed four passes, including a 7-yarder to Harvin that set up Lynch's game-winning run.
The Seahawks continued to own their home-field advantage, improving to 17-1 in home games since 2012. After stumbling to defeat in San Diego in Week 2, Wilson still has only lost two consecutive games once in his career (in 2012, Weeks 7-8).
While Super Bowl XLVIII deteriorated into a dump-trucking mess, the rematch provided the edge-of-your-seat theatrics that never materialized on Super Sunday. The sixth Super Bowl rematch in NFL history turned into the first such game that was decided in overtime.
Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter @jimreineking.
