Seahawks Way to Little Way to Late

Published on January 16, 2011 by Seahawks.Com News (Feed)     

Peephole perspective: The Seahawks finally scored a couple of touchdowns, on two Matt Hasselbeck passes to Mike Williams and one to Brandon Stokley. But it was a textbook case of way too little, way too late. Bears 35-24.

Player of the quarter: David Hawthorne. The Seahawks were out of this one before the quarter ever started, but you never would have known it by how well – and hard – the third-year linebacker played. He entered the quarter with six tackles and tacked on a couple more by stopping RB Chester Taylor for a 1-yard gain and running down Taylor after an 11-yard gain.

Play of the quarter: The TD pass from Hasselbeck to Williams, which was setup when LB Aaron Curry intercepted a pass not from QB Jay Cutler but RB Matt Forte. Hasselbeck’s throw made him the seventh player in NFL history to pass for a TD in 10 consecutive playoff games.

Number of the quarter: 2011. As in, wait until next year for the Seahawks.

The bigger picture: The Seahawks opened the final quarter with the kinds of plays they didn’t make in the first three quarters. First, Curry intercepted a pass and returned it 22 yards to the Chicago 33.

Then Hasselbeck passed to Williams for a 2-yard TD that capped a nine-play, 33-yard drive. Bears CB Tim Jennings was called for pass interference on a fourth-and-1 pass to WR Brandon Stokley, giving the Seahawks a first down at the 19. Stokley then went down to get Hasselbeck’s low throw on a third-and-4 play for an 11-yard gain to the 2. The TD pass came on third-and-2.

The Seahawks forced a punt on the Bears’ next possession, but the tandem of Brad Maynard (punt) and Corey Graham (catch) then pinned Seattle deep in its own territory again (5-yard line).

The Bears tacked on a late score when Cutler passed to TE Kellen Davis for a TD with 4:40 left to play.

The Seahawks’ second TD came with 2:16 play, when Williams grabbed a pass that went off Bears CB Charles Tillman. Hasselbeck passed 17 yards to WR Brandon Stokley on the play just before the TD.

The Seahawks had a chance to get the onside kick, as it went off the Bears’ Graham. But Nick Roach recovered for Chicago.

Inside two-minutes, the Seahawks were in the no-huddle offense and scored quickly on a 46-yard reception from Hasselbeck to Obomanu setting up  a quick 9-yard score to  Stokley and narrowing the Bear’s lead to 11. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by Chicago who were able to run out the clock and end Seattle’s miraculous playoff run and season.

Tags: 4 Play, Brad Maynard, Brandon Stokley, Charles Tillman, Chester Taylor, curry, David Hawthorne, Jay Cutler, Kellen Davis, Matt Hasselbeck, nfl history, Own Territory, playoff games, Punt, tackles, Textbook Case, Three Quarters, Tim Jennings, Yard Gain, Yard Td