SUPER BOWL BOUND
Seahawks’ Ryan returns to NFL final
A fake field goal has helped the Seattle Seahawks revel in the reality of a second straight Super Bowl berth.
A touchdown pass by Regina-born punter Jon Ryan, who found offensive lineman Garry Gilliam for a 19-yard score with 4:44 remaining in the third quarter, produced Seattle’s first points of Sunday’s NFC championship game against the visiting Green Bay Packers.
Seattle ended up winning 28-22 in overtime to advance to the NFL’s Feb. 1 Super Bowl game against the New England Patriots, who beat the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 in Sunday’s AFC final.
The Seahawks are hoping to become the first repeat Super Bowl champion since the Tom Brady-quarterbacked Patriots, who won their second consecutive title — and their third in a four-year span — in 2005.
Like Brady, Ryan was most notable on Sunday for making a play with his throwing arm.
The Seahawks were trailing 16-0 when Steven Hauschka, with Ryan as the holder, lined up for a 26-yard field-goal attempt. Instead, Ryan pulled the ball and rolled to his left.
According to a report by The Associated Press, the play originally called for Ryan to run the ball around the end. He had to improvize, though, when onrushing Packers players eliminated the run option. The Seahawks’ punter then spotted Gilliam and calmly lofted a pass toward the end zone.
“(The play) was brought (in) from the sideline and, as long as we had the look on the field that we want to go with, we would stick with it,’’ Ryan told the AP.
Ryan added that the fake field goal did not become part of the Seahawks’ game plan until Thursday.
In nine NFL seasons, Ryan is now 3-for-3 on pass attempts, for 79 yards.
On Sunday, Ryan threw as many TD passes as both starting quarterbacks — Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers.