Catch up on all things Seahawks before Super Bowl Sunday with The Post’s handy guide to the NFC champions:
Meet the Seahawks
The Seahawks, who suffered a heartbreaking last-minute loss to the Falcons in the divisional playoffs last season, have recorded back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins for the first time. Tying a franchise record with 13 wins this regular season, the Seahawks clinched the NFC’s best record with only one home loss . They reached the second Super Bowl in franchise history by beating one of the league’s best offensive teams — the Saints (23-15) — and one of the league’s best defensive teams — the 49ers (23-17) — in the playoffs.
Quarterback Russell Wilson followed up a phenomenal rookie year with an even better second season, completing 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,357 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while running for 539 yards. Running back Marshawn Lynch finished sixth in the league with 1,257 yards, tying Jamaal Charles for the league lead with 12 rushing touchdowns. The disrespected receiving corps was led by Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin, who combined for 114 catches, 1,676 yards and 10 touchdowns.
A strong secondary, nicknamed “The Legion of Boom,” led the league’s top-ranked defense, which allowed 14.4 points and 273.6 total yards per game. Michael Bennett led the team with 8.5 sacks, while linebacker Bobby Wagner registered 120 total tackles. The Seahawks led the league with 28 interceptions, including a league-high eight from controversial cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman, along with safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor were named to the Pro Bowl.
Reasons to root for them
- The Seahawks have never won the Super Bowl, appearing only once, in a 21-10 loss to the Steelers in Super Bowl XL. Seattle’s celebrated “12th Man” fans — arguably the best in all of football — are still getting over the loss, in what was one of the worst officiated championship games in football history.
- In the aerial age of the NFL, the Seahawks have dominated in old-school fashion, with an intimidating defense and a hard-nosed running game. If the weather becomes a factor, Seattle gains a serious advantage. Imagine how much fun it would be to watch Marshawn Lynch bounce off defenders and unleash “Beast Mode” in the snow.
- Russell Wilson has made everyone believe after no one believed in him. Picked 53 spots behind Brandon Weeden and 18 picks after Broncos backup quarterback Brock Osweiler, the 5-foot-11 Wilson has reminded general managers and scouts that prototypical size is overrated and players as talented as Wilson should never fall to the third round.
Reasons to root against them
- If you’re not sick of Richard Sherman yet, you will be. Even though the talented cornerback keeps a cliché-ridden league interesting by speaking his mind, if the Seahawks win, the country could have to endure another self-promotional postgame rant and far too many opinions on the matter.
- Coach Pete Carroll can jump around with the enthusiasm of a little kid and pretend he’s all about his players, but he’s still the same guy who earned a $33 million contact and his position with the Seahawks after deserting USC just before crippling NCAA sanctions were handed down. It remains hard to believe he knew nothing of Reggie Bush receiving improper gifts, and even harder to forget he left his players with the program in shambles.
- If this was baseball, the Seahawks might be the most-hated team in the league. Five players have been suspended for the use of performance-enhancing drugs since 2011, and when asked before the season if the team has a problem with PED-use, Sherman — who was suspended last season for testing positive but later won on appeal — said, “It does seem that way.”
Franchise Icon: Steve Largent
A fourth-round pick of the Houston Oilers in 1976, Largent was traded to Seattle’s expansion franchise, where he spent his entire 14-year career, becoming one of the league’s most consistent wide receivers. The first Seahawk to make the Pro Bowl and the first to have his number retired, Largent retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions (819), receiving yards (13,089) and touchdown receptions (100). Shortly after his retirement, Largent served four terms as an Oklahoma congressman.
Week-by-week season recap
Game 1, at Charlotte: Seahawks 12, Panthers 7
Russell Wilson threw for 320 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers held Marshawn Lynch to 43 yards rushing, but Wilson picked up the slack by completing 25 of 33 passes.
Game 2, at Seattle: Seahawks 29, 49ers 3
Lynch ran for two scores and added a seven-yard TD catch in the second half, and the Seahawks flustered 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick into his worst passing game as a starter.
The game was delayed 60 minutes by thunderstorms late in the first quarter. Lynch finished with 135 total yards, including 98 yards rushing.
Game 3, at Seattle: Seahawks 45, Jaguars 17
Wilson matched his career high with four touchdown passes — two each to Sidney Rice and Zach Miller — and the Seahawks overwhelmed the Jaguars
Game 4, at Houston: Seahawks 23, Texans 20, OT
The Seahawks used their vaunted defense to force overtime, and Wilson and the offense finished off the Texans to give Seattle the first 4-0 start in franchise history.
Steven Hauschka kicked a 45-yard field goal in overtime to give the Seahawks the victory. Wilson finished with 123 yards passing and a touchdown, and Lynch had with 98 yards rushing and another score.
Game 5, at Indianapolis: Colts 34, Seahawks 28
Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and Donald Brown scored the go-ahead TD with 8:55 to go to lead the Colts past the Seahawks.
Seattle (4-1) lost its first regular-season game since last Nov. 25.
Game 6, at Seattle: Seahawks 20, Titans 13
Lynch ran for two touchdowns and had 155 all-purpose yards, Richard Sherman came up with his third interception of the season, and the Seahawks finally shook the Titans in the fourth quarter.
Game 7, at Arizona: Seahawks 33, Cardinals 22
Wilson threw for three touchdowns, Lynch rushed for 91 yards and the Seahawks beat the Cardinals.
The Seahawks (6-1) intercepted two of Carson Palmer’s passes, converting both into touchdowns, and sacked him seven times, twice by Chris Clemons, who had been questionable for the game with a hyperextended elbow.
Game 8, at St. Louis: Seahawks 14, Rams 9
Wilson threw two touchdown passes to Golden Tate, and the Seahawks made a dramatic goal-line stand in the final minute.
The Seahawks (7-1), riding the best start in franchise history, were forced to punt with just over five minutes left in the game, but they managed to pin St. Louis at its own 3-yard line.
Backup quarterback Kellen Clemens marched the Rams (3-5) to the Seattle 1, but Daryl Richardson was stuffed on third down and Clemens threw incomplete on fourth down as time expired.
Game 9, at Seattle: Seahawks 27, Buccaneers 24, OT
Hauschka kicked a 27-yard field goal with 8:11 left in overtime, and the Seahawks overcame a 21-point deficit to beat the Buccaneers for the greatest comeback in franchise history.
Trailing 21-0, Wilson rallied Seattle (8-1). He threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin with 1:51 left in regulation to pull the Seahawks even. Wilson then led Seattle on a nine-play, 51-yard drive in overtime capped by Hauschka’s winner.
Game 10, at Atlanta: Seahawks 33, Falcons 10
Wilson threw a pair of touchdowns passes and Lynch ran for 145 yards in a one-sided follow-up to last season’s NFC divisional playoffs.
After struggling for victories the previous two weeks, the first-place Seahawks (9-1) blew out a team that not so long ago was talking Super Bowl.
Game 11, at Seattle: Seahawks 41, Vikings 20
Percy Harvin made an impact in his season debut, returning a kickoff 58 yards late in the first half to set up Wilson’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Baldwin, and the Seahawks rolled to their franchise-record 13th straight home win beating the Vikings.
Harvin made his anticipated Seattle debut after missing the first 10 weeks of the regular season following hip surgery. His kickoff return proved one of the biggest plays as Seahawks improved to 10-1 and stayed on top of the NFC heading into their bye week.
Game 12, at Seattle: Seahawks 34, Saints 7
Wilson threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns, and the Seahawks became the first team to clinch a spot in the NFC playoffs with an easy victory over the Saints.
Game 13, at San Francisco: 49ers 19, Seahawks 17
Phil Dawson kicked a 22-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining and the 49ers held off the Seahawks.
Frank Gore broke a 51-yard gain with just more than four minutes left to set up the go-ahead 11-play, 76-yard drive as the 49ers (9-4) kept the Seahawks (11-2) from clinching the NFC West on San Francisco’s home field.
Game 14, at Giants: Seahawks 23, Giants 0
Sherman had two interceptions, Lynch scored on a twisting, triple-effort 2-yard run, and Hauschka kicked three field goals as the Seahawks manhandled the Giants for their sixth road win.
Wilson toyed with the Giants defense, running for 50 yards and throwing for 206 and a touchdown before sitting out the last few minutes. Eli Manning was picked off a career-worst five times.
Game 15, at Seattle: Cardinals 17, Seahawks 10
Carson Palmer overcame four interceptions to throw a 31-yard touchdown to Michael Floyd with 2:13 left. The Cardinals kept their postseason hopes going while snapping the Seahawks 14-game home win streak.
Arizona (10-5) had to win after the Panthers beat the Saints. The Cardinals did so because of a stingy defense that flustered Wilson into one of his worst days as a pro, delaying any celebration of an NFC West championship.
Game 16, at Seattle: Seahawks 27, Rams 9
Malcolm Smith returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown, Lynch added a 2-yard scoring run and the Seahawks clinched the NFC West title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win over the Rams.
Divisional Playoffs, at Seattle: Seahawks 23, Saints 15
Lynch ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns, Hauschka kicked three field goals in blustery conditions and the Seahawks flustered Drew Brees and New Orleans in an NFC divisional playoff game.
The top-seeded Seahawks advanced to the NFC Championship for the second time in franchise history. Lynch finished with 140 yards on 28 carries and made up for another shaky day passing by Wilson.
NFC Championship, at Seattle: Seahawks 23, 49ers 17
Wilson threw a 35-yard touchdown pass on fourth down and Seattle’s top-ranked defense forced two late turnovers, lifting the Seahawks into their second Super Bowl with a victory over San Francisco for the NFC championship.
It’s the first trip to the Super Bowl game for the Seahawks (15-3) since they lost to Pittsburgh after the 2005 season.
With AP