USA TODAY International Edition
High- flying Seahawks gain credibility
Mind- set separates these Seahawks
Gritty team validates winning attitude each week, columnist Mike Jones says.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – “He’s gonna miss it,” Duane Brown told anyone who would listen.
The hosting 49ers and kicker Chase McLaughlin were lining up for a potential winning field goal with three minutes left in overtime after a back- and- forth affair that had the feel of a heavyweight bout.
But Brown wasn’t having it. He and his Seahawks teammates weren’t heading back north empty- handed. So that’s why he made the bold prediction that McLaughlin would miss.
In this wacky 100th NFL season, we’ve seen the unexpected, the improbable and even the impossible. These Seahawks – with seven of their eight wins decided by seven points or fewer – have seen and experienced just about every roller coaster the game has to offer. Two of those wins have been decided by one point. Four points or fewer have determined two others. Two needed overtime to settle.
Nothing can shake the Seahawks’ confidence or dampen their optimism. So when McLaughlin and the 49ers took the field for the potential game winner with three minutes left in overtime, the possibility of Chase McLaughlin making the 47- yard field goal didn’t enter Brown’s mind.
“We felt like we were going to win,” he said matter- of- factly. “We felt like throughout the game, no matter the adversity we had to overcome. We always felt like we were in control. … We kept telling each other he was going to miss it.”
Sure enough, McLaughlin’s kick did send the ball wide left, and the Seahawks responded by marching back up the field and scoring on a field goal of their own as time expired.
With a 27- 24 victory, Seattle ruined the 49ers’ perfect record and simultaneously took a step closer toward its goal of ascending to the top of the NFC West.
“We’re always optimistic here,” Brown continued. “That’s just the makeup of our team.”
Grit also ranks among the attributes of this Seattle team’s makeup. You see that in the Sea
hawks’ approach to the game: the runfirst offense. The physicality on defense. The guys who fly around on special teams. The ability to bounce back from setbacks that would cripple other teams.
“We’re definitely battle- tested,” Brown explained, “but I think it also just comes from leadership. It starts at the top with Pete ( Carroll) – just the demeanor and attitude, filters throughout the organization. Guys like Rus, guys like Bobby. We always believe. Never get pessimistic, never get down. No matter what happens, we feel like we’ve got a shot.”
Many NFL teams make similar claims about their mind- set. But it’s more than lip service for the Seahawks. Each week they seem to validate their words with actions. Each week they seem to make it harder to leave them out of the conversation about the league’s premier contenders.
Monday night’s game earned the Seahawks greater credibility because until that night, despite their record, critics knocked them for not having wins against quality opponents. They had beaten Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Arizona, the Rams, Browns, Falcons and Bucs ( needing overtime to win that game at home), and they had losses to the Teddy Bridgeawater- led Saints and Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. But Monday’s win over San Francisco spoke volumes because it meant amassing 336 yards and a 47% success rate on third downs while winning the time of possession battle by a nose against the best defense in the NFC.
It also meant their defense limited one of the best rushing offenses to only 87 yards and holding Jimmy Garoppolo to season lows in completion percentage ( 52.2) and yards per attempt ( 5.4) despite forcing him to throw the ball a season- high 46 times. It also meant that unit, which previously ranked among the middle of the pack, had recorded three takeaways and a defensive touchdown.
It’s true, the 49ers were without talented tight end George Kittle, and they lost wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to a rib injury during the game. But Seattle had its own injuries to overcome ( including wideout Tyler Lockett, who was lost midgame to a leg injury).
And both sides of the ball saw younger players emerge and provide meaningful contributions.
The resiliency spoke volumes because the Seahawks have a lot of young players both on a defense that has undergone an overhaul in recent years and at offensive skill positions.
Kicker Jason Myers delivered a perfect night ( 2- for- 2 on field goals, including the game winner, and 3- for- 3 on extra points) the week after missing two field goal attempts and an extra point try against Tampa Bay.
At various points Monday night, you could have envisioned the Seahawks collapsing, particularly after one of the four turnovers. But they did not, which is a reflection of the mental toughness required for a deep playoff run.
The Seahawks had grown tired of hearing just how great San Francisco’s defense was, and they took that as a challenge to show they deserve recognition as well.
“For sure, it’s a competition,” pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney said. “If you’re not competing, you need to retire. Point blank. Period. … That’s my whole thing for this team is to keep competing. It doesn’t matter what happens or what the scoreboard looks like. That’s what we did today.”
Now, the Seahawks aren’t at all perfect. Ball security was an issue. They’re still waiting for pass catchers to find the consistency required to elevate their offense. They still must cut down on the amount of points they surrender ( their 254 allowed are the most of any team with a winning record).
But this team is trending in the right direction and the experience gained from pulling off all of these close victories is extremely important.
“It’s a confidence booster,” Clowney said. “It lets us know we can win these kinds of games because we’ve done it before.”
Said Wilson, “The great thing about this game for our football team was just the resilience. We’ve had it all year. We’ve been, I think, the toughest team just in terms of resilience all year. Just how we stay encouraged, how we stay focused, how we keep having faith and believe something great is going to happen.”
The Seahawks believe greatness lies ahead, and after gutsy performances like Monday night’s, it’s hard to argue with them.