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New York Times
18 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
A Seahawks Super Bowl disaster and the unraveling of a would-be dynasty: ‘They took a dream'
The following excerpt from The Franchise: Seattle Seahawks: A Curated History of the Legion of Boom Era by Michael-Shawn Dugar is reprinted with the permission of Triumph Books. It has been lightly edited in spots for context and clarity. You can find more information and order a copy here. Marshawn Lynch imagined this moment countless times as a kid growing up in North Oakland: 'It's the end of the game … one more play … the quarterback hand the ball off to Marshawn … he jump in the end zone — touchdown! The Oakland Raiders win the Super Bowl!' Advertisement The final seconds of Super Bowl XLIX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots nearly played out that way. With Seattle on the New England 5-yard line, trailing 28-24 with 1:06 remaining, NBC's Cris Collinsworth said, 'Now you have to stop Marshawn Lynch.' Then Wilson put the ball in Lynch's hands. 'Here he goes,' play-by-play man Al Michaels said as the running back plowed forward. 'Beast Mode! To the half-yard line!' Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell recalled that the Seahawks had failed on a pair of short-yardage runs earlier in the game: Vince Wilfork blew up a third-and-2 shotgun run for no gain in the first quarter, and linebacker Rob Ninkovich did the same on a third-and-1 carry in the third quarter. With those plays in mind, Bevell didn't think Lynch would just walk into the end zone if he called another run play on second down. Even though Lynch was also successful on a three-yard touchdown run on third-and-2 in the second quarter and produced a first down on a second-and-1 run in the third, Bevell believed he made the right decision based on the situation. Obviously, Lynch could have scored the game-winning touchdown, but when Bevell hears that he made the worst call of all time, 'I would not agree with that' is his retort. As for the specifics of the play he chose, Bevell felt good about giving Russell Wilson options: he could go to Doug Baldwin if the Patriots were in zone coverage, Ricardo Lockette if they were in man-to-man. 'The process was solid,' Bevell said. 'And I think the play call gave us a great opportunity to be very successful.' Choosing to throw on second down may have made sense to the coaching staff, but not to the dreamer from North Oakland. 'Not only did they take a ring, a moment — they took a dream,' Lynch said. 'That's a once-in-a-lifetime situation.' There wasn't any debate or discussion of audibling when Russell Wilson said the call. Sure, players I've spoken with had their objections, but they didn't feel it was their place to express it in that moment. Wilson was among the most powerful players in the huddle, and he fully believed in Bevell's call. So that left only Baldwin, Lynch, and possibly veteran center Max Unger as the guys with the cache to overrule the decision, although that would likely have required burning the team's final timeout. So onward they went. Advertisement Because receiver Chris Matthews had torched the Patriots earlier in the game, Brandon Browner replaced Logan Ryan as Matthews' primary defender. This substitution thrust backup cornerback Malcolm Butler into the game. On this final play, Browner lined up directly over Jermaine Kearse. Butler was several yards deep into the end zone, aligned over Lockette. Kearse figured there were two ways to play it: either Browner would take Lockette, or they'd 'lock' it, meaning the defenders follow who's in front of them. Butler and Browner chose the latter because they knew what was coming. Kearse thought it'd be an easy touchdown if he could disrupt Browner. But the bigger and stronger Browner overpowered Kearse, and Butler predicted a slant pattern by Lockette based on the receiver keeping his head forward then immediately turning to Wilson after jabbing outside with his right foot. Seattle's longtime play-by-play announcer Steve Raible described what followed: 'Lynch in the backfield … Russell looks, throws inside … OH MY GOD, IT'S PICKED OFF … AT THE GOAL LINE … IT'S PICKED OFF BY BUTLER … INTENDED FOR LOCKETTE AT THE GOAL LINE!' The atmosphere inside Seattle's locker room was one of tragedy. One year earlier, Lynch made sure Philthy Rich's 'Ready 2 Ride' blasted throughout the room in celebration of their triumph. This time, Lynch was fully dressed, headphones on, beelining for the exits by the time his teammates even arrived to a locker room soundtracked by silence. Heartbreak, despair, disgust, frustration, disbelief, and confusion filled the air. Tears flowed from the faces of coaches, executives, and players. Some players were inconsolable. Others were enraged, yelling and screaming at one another, and even some coaches. A backup defensive lineman punched a wall and injured his hand. Everyone I've ever spoken with described a dark, ominous room, like life had just been zapped from them, and they were all living the same nightmare. Advertisement 'It's like a death,' longtime vice president of player engagement Mo Kelly said. 'It's hard to ever get over that.' Getting over it was harder for some than others. The first step was hearing why they decided to throw the ball in that situation. Pete Carroll doubled down on his thought process: to get four bites at the apple with only one timeout, they had to throw ball at some point. It was sound logic schematically — but logic his locker room wasn't interesting in hearing, largely because they believed anything other than trusting Lynch to get across that line was flawed thinking. Throwing the ball was largely viewed as such a ludicrous notion that it birthed the conspiracy theory that Carroll and Bevell called that play to try and ensure Wilson won the MVP over Lynch, who at the time was feuding with the front office and making headlines for his rebellious stance against the press. Lynch publicly wondered if the coaches had plotted against him in that way. Carroll and Bevell are adamant that such a notion is ridiculous. Carroll isn't one to hold grudges, but he was upset his players were foolish enough to think he gave a damn about the MVP. When Carroll addressed the team at their meeting back in Seattle, he tripled down on the thought process and went as far as to say he'd throw the ball again if presented the same scenario. The room fell silent. Then the culture really started to fall apart. 'You already punched me in my stomach once,' one player told me of his reaction to Carroll's explanation, 'and he just took a knife this time and put it through my soul.' The Super Bowl loss and Carroll's reasoning behind the final play did irreparable damage to the Seahawks and their culture. For years, the players had essentially been programmed to believe they were a family. They internalized that idea and lived by it. This was especially true for the players whose only NFL experience was in Seattle. Losing the Super Bowl in that manner led them to poke holes in the message and the philosophy, like children growing up and bucking back at parents who they learned have been deceiving them. Their identity was to run the ball, but they felt they unnecessarily abandoned it when it mattered most. The Seahawks had been built around a collection of players who shared a familial bond. The bond was broken and shattered after the Super Bowl. The trust they once had was replaced by finger-pointing and skepticism. There wasn't a single dramatic blowup that made people feel this way, it was more a slow, drawn out feeling of division. But Carroll's explanation in the team meeting didn't help, neither did offensive line coach Tom Cable redirecting the blame, saying that if the defense hadn't blown a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter there'd be nothing to talk about. Cable's comment infuriated members of the defense. Any hope that the players wouldn't leave for the off-season with lingering bad feelings was gone. 'We didn't trust each other,' K.J. Wright said, describing the aftermath. 'We didn't connect with each other. It was a dark, gray cloud hovering over us. For it to get addressed the way it got addressed and for us to not talk about it — we needed therapy. If it was me, we'd have had therapy to let it out.' Wilson organized a trip to Hawaii for his teammates, with over 30 attendees. He wanted them to hang out and air their grievances in a safe space. It worked for some of the guys. They let it all out on the island and were able to leave the past where it belonged. It didn't work for everyone, though. And Wilson didn't make the situation any better by echoing Carroll's sentiment that he'd run the same play again if given the opportunity. Wilson had every right to share his truth but that's not a truth anyone wanted to hear, especially if their truth was that doing anything other than handing the ball to Lynch was idiotic and unforgivable. The Hawaii trip was a decent idea, but it was mostly a flop. Advertisement The Seahawks had become the spouse who stayed with their partner after being cheated on. The relationship remained intact, but the connection wasn't as strong. They forgave but didn't forget, and the feeling never faded. A text message here, a dinner conversation there. Venting to Kelly and longtime equipment director Erik Kennedy. A meeting before losing to the Packers in Week 2 of the 2015 season. Richard Sherman calling out the offensive coaches on the sideline on national television over a failed goal-line pass in 2016. An ESPN The Magazine article in 2017 explaining why Sherman won't let it go. A Sports Illustrated article in 2018 about other teammates basically feeling the same way. New coaches that joined the staff in 2018 could feel that players couldn't get over the fact they were only one-time champions. 'It lingered,' Baldwin said in 2022. 'We did our best to try and come out of it but … you got guys who are legitimately killing themselves. Every time you step out on that field and you get hit, you're taking days off your life. You have guys who are legitimately killing themselves to get to that moment. We were on the 1-yard line. There's nothing that's going to stop Marshawn and that offensive line from getting in the end zone.' (Photo of Marshawn Lynch: Christian Petersen / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bobby Wagner continues yearly tradition as he adds to his surefire Hall of Fame career with league-wide honor
Bobby Wagner continues yearly tradition as he adds to his surefire Hall of Fame career with league-wide honor originally appeared on A to Z Sports. A lot of people wrote off future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner when he joined the Washington Commanders last offseason, but all he did was rack up 100+ tackles for the 13th-straight season and make his 10th Pro NFL recently reminded everyone how good he is, too, as Wagner made his 10th overall, and ninth-straight appearance on the NFL's Top 100 list. Nobody should be surprised. The NFL Top 100 is composed of current players around the league voting on who is the best, regardless of position. Wagner is entering his 14th season, yet his colleagues believe he's good enough to land at No. 74 on the list. View the to see embedded media. Bobby Wagner is simply built different If you've been lucky enough to watch Wagner since his rookie season in 2012, and his "Legion of Boom" days with the Seattle Seahawks, then you've been blessed with arguably some of the best linebacker play in NFL history. As mentioned earlier, Wagner has had at least 100 tackles in every single one of his 13 seasons which is tied with another all-time great in LB Ray Lewis. In fact, Wagner needs one more season with 100+ tackles and he'll tie none other than Washington legend London Fletcher for most all-time. We very likely won't see another LB play like Wagner for a long no doubt that Wagner has a gold jacket waiting on him after he retires, but he knows his job isn't finished yet, and he's looking to go out with a championship in Washington. Wagner's instant impact as a Commander Washington felt the Wagner Effect right away as he elevated the team on and off the field. The Commanders received a lot of criticism after signing the veteran linebacker, but HC Dan Quinn knew what he was getting in Wagner. A young team going through a roster overhaul with a rookie quarterback needed a voice, and someone to lean on, especially when it was time for the was mic'd up for the playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, and you got to see first-hand how he impacts and leads those around him. He went as far as calling everyone "champ" and "champion" after a play, and gave the fumble recovery to then-rookie Dominique Hampton on the sideline, and told him to keep the ball can't put a monetized value on a player's mindset, and leadership to a team, but if you could, Wagner would deserve it all. Bringing the 10-time Pro Bowler back for one more season was important to Washington during free agency, and Wagner wanted to come back becuase he felt wanted. The two sides got a deal done, and it's time to finish business. View the to see embedded media. This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Ex-NFL star Richard Sherman charged with DUI as blood-alcohol tests results are finally revealed
Seattle Seahawks legend and Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman has been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in connection to his 2024 arrest in Washington state. Sherman was picked up on February 24, 2024 when a Washington State Patrol officer claimed to have observed the 37-year-old married father driving 'back and forth' within his lane at speeds of up to 79mph. Police say Sherman's eyes were bloodshot and he admitted to having two margaritas before refusing a Breathalyzer test, according to multiple reports. However, he did partake in a field sobriety test, which he reportedly failed, leading officers to take him into custody. Two hours later, after police got a warrant, his blood-alcohol level sat at 0.11, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08. Those test results were revealed by the Washington State Patrol crime lab Monday, leading local prosecutors to charge Sherman on Tuesday. According to a State Patrol press release, it is not uncommon for blood-alcohol tests to take several months to evaluate. Sherman is scheduled to be arraigned on June 30. This marks the second time the former NFL cornerback has faced a count of DUI after previously being arrested on drunk driving and domestic disturbance charges in 2021, when he was accused of trying to break into his in-laws' home. He ultimately pleaded guilty to a pair of misdemeanor charges. Sherman is best known for his role in Seattle's 'Legion of Boom' secondary, which helped the team to win Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. The Stanford grad went on to play with the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. These days, Sherman is an analyst for Prime Video's 'Thursday Night Football' broadcasts, and also serves as a panelist on FS1's Undisputed. More recently, Sherman's family home was robbed by armed thieves who have been targeting athletes in the Seattle area. Prosecutors in Seattle revealed a series of key clues they've used to charge a 21-year-old man with a string of high-profile burglaries of local athletes' homes. The alleged burglary ring is accused of hitting the residences of current Seattle Mariners stars Julio Rodriguez and Luis Castillo, club legend Edgar Martinez, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and Washington native Black Snell, as well as Sherman . After coordinating with six separate Washington police jurisdictions since early 2025, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office recently charged 21-year-old Earl Riley with multiple counts related to the case thanks to the presence of a red bag discovered at a family home last month. It is that red bag prosecutors say was seen on surveillance video at multiple break-ins, including a new clip from Martinez's home that was released Monday. Several burglars are seen in each video. Prosecutors also point to a Jeep Grand Cherokee that was spotted on multiple surveillance videos, as well as an Instagram post containing a Rolex watch matching the description of one stolen from Snell's home. Other stolen items from the athletes' homes were found at Riley's home or recovered from family members. Furthermore, cell phone data puts Riley near the scene of each home at the time of the burglaries from February to May. Riley was also accused of holding Sherman's family at gunpoint. He is now being held on $1 million bail ahead of his June 16 arraignment. Police have not released a mugshot of the suspect. Sherman and his wife Ashley both released security footage in March of the armed men who robbed their home while she and their children were on the property. 'House being robbed at gun point with my family in it isn't what anyone wants for a birthday gift,' Sherman wrote on X alongside two grabs from his security footage. 'Scary situation that my Wife handled masterfully and kept my kids safe. If anyone has any info that can help find these people please reach out.' Ashley posted video of the break in on social media, showing three men breaking in through a ground-floor window. As she explained, the couple's two children were not harmed physically. 'Thank you to everyone who has checked in. It is truly appreciated,' Ashley wrote on social media. 'The kids and I are physically ok. Very shaken up and hope to find these people soon.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Nick Emmanwori is embracing Kam Chancellor comps. Will the Seahawks use him the same way?
Nick Emmanwori doesn't shy away from the comparisons to star safeties with similar physical profiles, nor the expectations that come with them. Derwin James, Kyle Hamilton, Kam Chancellor — it's all fair game to the Seattle Seahawks' rookie defensive back. 'I love those expectations,' said Emmanwori, so coveted by the Seahawks that they traded up to draft him with the 35th pick. 'But, of course, I'm going to make my own imprint on the league.' Advertisement Emmanwori wants to make a name for himself in the NFL, but he's also aware of the legacy created by the previous iteration of star defensive backs in Seattle, and he wants to restore that feeling. On draft night, Emmanwori used the word 'dogs' to describe teammates Julian Love, Coby Bryant, Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon. 'We're looking to recreate the Legion of Boom,' the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Emmanwori said. 'Especially if I can fit in with the Kam Chancellor type of role.' Emmanwori has heard Chancellor comparisons since college. His position coach at South Carolina, Torrian Gray, was also Chancellor's defensive backs coach at Virginia Tech. Gray long considered Chancellor, who was 6-3 and around 230 pounds by the time he entered the NFL, a once-in-a-generation talent, given his abilities at that size. Then he laid eyes on Emmanwori at one of South Carolina's camps, working out as a linebacker. Enticed by Emmanwori's speed, Gray had to see if he could backpedal smoothly enough to play defensive back. Gray put Emmanwori to the test. The high schooler backpedaled, flipped his hips and hauled in a pass. That one rep was all the evidence Gray needed: another once-in-a-lifetime player. 'You're getting a generational-type guy as far as a body type,' Gray said of Emmanwori during a KJR-FM radio interview on May 1. 'He's a different breed.' Chancellor was recruited to Virginia Tech as a quarterback, then moved to cornerback before transitioning to strong safety and, later, free safety. He was a fifth-round pick in 2010, in part because the latter position wasn't his strong suit, and he posted underwhelming athletic testing ahead of the draft. On draft night, Seattle said Chancellor was out of position as a free safety and felt he was at his best coming downhill, defending the run and covering the underneath areas as opposed to matching up with wide receivers in the slot or playing deep centerfield (Seattle drafted Earl Thomas, a free safety, in the first round that year). Advertisement The Seahawks' projection for Emmanwori is similar. Coach Mike Macdonald mentioned safety, nickel and linebacker when forecasting Emmanwori's spot in the defense. That might sound like a utility defender, but all of those roles are second-level alignments based on the situation. Basically, the Seahawks want to put Emmanwori near the action. This was reflected in how Emmanwori was used during two rookie minicamp practices at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center earlier this month. Whether operating as a true box safety or a 'big nickel' defender, Emmanwori was near the line, keying the run, guarding tight ends and receiving instruction from Macdonald and his assistants in between reps. It's far too early to project Emmanwori having a Chancellor-level impact on Seattle's defense; Chancellor was a rare talent at the position and flew around like a battering ram with cleats. However, Macdonald can borrow from the way the coaching staff found a role that accentuated Chancellor's strengths and hid his weaknesses. Emmanwori appears to be at his best when he can eye his assignment through the play, then drive on the ball. He ran the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in 4.38 seconds — the same time as running back Ken Walker III — with a 1.53-second 10-yard split (just three hundredths of a second slower than Walker, despite being taller and heavier). Emmanwori's straight-line speed and burst allow him to be a difference-maker. The first play from scrimmage against Oklahoma last season was an interception, one of two Emmanwori had in the game. Emmanwori, the safety near the far hash in the video above, has only one threat to his side of the field after the pre-snap motion, and he is able to key on that receiver the whole way. Advertisement After initially flipping his hips toward the sideline, Emmanwori opens up and runs with the receiver across the field (South Carolina's edge rusher beat the tight end to provide a nice assist), sprinting from the far hash to the near numbers to make the diving grab. Bryant had an interception in a very similar situation against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14 of 2024. Safeties with range, closing speed and ball skills are legitimate weapons. Here's another example against LSU. Emmanwori, at the top right of the screen wearing No. 7, is matched up against inside receiver Kyren Lacy. He eyes the wideout the entire way and beats Lacy on the out-breaking route, leading to a checkdown, which Emmanwori rallies to and tackles for a short gain. The very next play shows why it might be best to try to keep Emmanwori in a position where everything is in front of him. He creeps into the box ahead of the snap but is late recognizing the over route from the opposite side of the field after the play-action fake. Emmanwori's speed allows him to catch up with Lacy before the ball arrives, but he doesn't get his head around and draws a defensive pass interference flag (he was then off the field for the next couple of snaps). Emmanwori had a similar issue on LSU's game-winning drive. Aligned as the boundary safety before rotating toward the line at the snap, he struggles to backpedal, flip his hips and track another over route from Lacy, ending up faceplanting while the receiver made the catch near the goal line. This is an area Emmanwori might be able to clean up, but it would make sense to focus on weaponizing his straight-line speed and to limit assignments that require high-level hip flexibility. Gray said he was 'very confident' when putting Emmanwori on a tight end in man coverage. But, Gray said, if Emmanwori's technique and fundamentals are on point, he can win against receivers, too. 'A taller, bigger wideout who is probably not going to be crazy shifty,' Gray said. 'I do like his chances there.' The video above shows instances of both situations. The first clip is a third-and-2 snap against Texas A&M. Emmanwori rotates from his safety spot to the line to match up against slot receiver Jabre Barber, who runs a whip route. As Barber sticks his foot in the ground to work back to the ball, Emmanwori does the same and uses his length and athleticism to force a tight throw that fell incomplete. The next clip features Emmanwori, at the bottom of the screen, in man-to-man coverage against Oklahoma tight end Bauer Sharp on third-and-4. Emmanwori is patient, then triggers to close the space and pop Sharp near the line to gain. Seattle's scheme will likely match Emmanwori with tight ends more often than receivers, but regardless, his man-to-man skills should shine when he comes on the field for sub packages in critical situations. Emmanwori's run defense when aligning near the line of scrimmage or rotating pre-snap appears to be better than his run support when playing deep (as The Athletic's Dane Brugler noted in 'The Beast,' Emmanwori made a habit of taking bad angles). Because of that, playing primarily in the box should suit him well. The clip above shows a pre-snap rotation into the box on second-and-2, but it's an example of what Emmanwori can bring in the run game when he's able to trigger quickly. Advertisement Emmanwori is talented enough to have been a first-round pick, which made it frustrating for him when his name wasn't called on opening night. He already played with energy and competitive fire, and slipping to the second round added new motivation. 'I'mma show the rest of the teams that passed on me,' Emmanwori said. 'I can't wait to show them what type of player I am and just make 'em regret it.' (Photos of Kam Chancellor, left, and Nick Emmanwori: Otto Greule Jr, Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)
