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Rob Vanstone watches the game with the Ryan family.
Jon Ryan’s nieces and nephews were dressed to the 9s on Sunday.
All nine of them were resplendent in replica Seattle Seahawks NFL jerseys, bearing the surname and uniform number (9) of their uncle — who is destined for another Super Bowl after a classic NFC championship game.
As Sunday’s game ended, the Ryan family celebrated the Seahawks’ second touchdown pass of the day — a 35-yarder from Russell Wilson to Jermaine Kearse at 3:19 of overtime. Kearse’s grab gave Seattle a 28-22 victory over the visiting Green Bay Packers.
But the first touchdown pass gave the Seahawks some life.
And it was thrown by a Regina-born punter.
It looked like a routine field-goal attempt by the Seahawks, who were trailing 16-0 with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter when Steven Hauschka lined up for a 26-yarder.
But then Ryan, who is Hauschka’s holder, pulled the ball just before it could be kicked and rolled out to the left to begin a fake-fieldgoal attempt.
Suddenly, Ryan’s two sisters — Erica Honoway and Jill Scheer — and his sisterin-law (Haley Ryan) were on their feet, along with the punter’s mother, Barb.
There was momentary silence as Jon Ryan flipped the ball toward 310-pound tackle-eligible Garry Gilliam for ... wait for it ... a 19-yard major. “Oh my gosh!” “Oh my gosh!” Hugs all around. More screaming. “Uncle Jon just got seven points!” the nieces and nephews were informed. More hugs. “I’m trying to text and I’m shaking,’’ said Haley, whose husband (Steve Ryan) was at the Seahawks-Packers game with Erica’s spouse (Ryan Honoway). “I feel like I can’t breathe. “Oh my gosh ...” Meanwhile, Barb Ryan’s mobile device was on the verge of bouncing off the table at the family’s northwest Regina home.
“My phone is just going, ‘Bing, bing, bing,’ ’’ said the proud mother of the first punter in NFL history to throw a touchdown pass in a post-season game.
As far as I can determine, Ryan also became the first Saskatchewanian to throw a touchdown pass in an NFL or CFL regular-season or playoff game since 1958, when Saskatoon-born Ron Adam had three scoring tosses for the Saskatchewan Roughriders over the course of a season.
Adding to the improbability of Sunday’s TD toss, Ryan has never played quarterback at any level of organized football. He was a star receiver with the Sheldon-Williams Spartans and University of Regina Rams, in addition to seeing specialteams duty for both clubs.
His job description was changed to punter, period, when he joined the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2004. After two seasons with Winnipeg, he made the Packers’ roster in 2006. He joined the Seahawks in 2008 after being surprisingly released by the Packers.
Let’s just say that No. 9 enjoyed the last laugh — but not before a succession of tense moments on Sunday.
The Seahawks trailed 19-7 with roughly four minutes remaining before their offence emerged from hibernation.
A one-yard TD run by Wilson, punctuated by a Hauschka convert, narrowed the gap to 19-14 with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter.
Hauschka’s ensuing onside kick was successful, setting the stage for a 24-yard TD run by Marshawn Lynch with 1:25 left. Wilson’s pass to Luke Willson — the pride of LaSalle, Ont. — for a twopoint convert gave Seattle a 22-19 lead.
Undaunted, quarterback Aaron Rodgers drove the Packers into field-goal range, whereupon Mason Crosby forced overtime with a 48-yarder.
“I hate cheering against Mason,’’ said Jill, whose brother was a teammate of Crosby’s with the 2007 Packers. In fact, Jon Ryan was the best man at Crosby’s wedding.
Eleven seconds remained in the fourth quarter after Crosby’s clutch 48-yarder.
Hence, Ryan soon returned to the field — in his capacity as one of the Seahawks’ four captains — for the pre-overtime coin flip.
The Seahawks won the toss ... and the game ... and the right to oppose the New England Patriots in the 49th Super Bowl, to be played Feb. 1 in Glendale, Ariz.
Kearse’s game-winning touchdown was the impetus for a Ryan family huddle.
The incredulous adults were in “oh my gosh!” mode for the second consecutive year, being that the Seahawks routed the Denver Broncos 43-8 in the 2014 Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, the mini-No. 9s — Thomas, Grace, Madeline and Henry Scheer, Quinn, Bennett, Layne and Lincoln Honoway, and Knox Ryan — shared in the celebration, which included a toddlers’ victory dance in front of the fireplace.
“Go Super Bowl! ... Go Super Bowl! ... Go Super Bowl!’’