The top five games and moments for the Seahawks under Pete Carroll
By Ryan Mouser
4. When the LOB announced they were here
In 2012 the Seahawks were coming off another 7-9 season which did not translate into a playoff berth. They had just signed free agent quarterback Matt Flynn to a 3-year $20 million dollar contract and he was expected to be the starter until 3rd round draft pick Russell Wilson won the job in training camp and proved Carroll’s “Always Compete” philosophy to be true. They also were beginning to form a legendary defense with rookie 2nd rounder Bobby Wagner, second-year players like Richard Sherman, and KJ Wright along with safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.
It was the early formations of what would become the LOB, but one game in particular let the world know that these young guys were ballers. Early in the season, the Seahawks were sitting at 3-2 with a tough opponent in the New England Patriots. The Patriots were coming off a season in which they had lost the Super Bowl and were favorites to represent again.
The young Seahawks defense wanted to make a statement and they did. Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman picked off Tom Brady and Russell Wilson hit Sidney Rice for the game-winning touchdown. After the game Richard Sherman let Brady know exactly who he was.
The Seahawks would go on to beat the Redskins in the Wild Card round and lose on a walk-off field goal in Atlanta. This was the game, though, where you knew the LOB would be a force to get used to.
3. The Beast Quake
Pete Carroll’s first season with the Seahawks came in 2010 and the team finished with a 7-9 record. Normally, that would have you on the outside looking in on the playoffs, but that season the NFC West was horrible and so the Seahawks won the division and hosted the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.
Most of the experts and fans did not give the Seahawks a chance in that game. As it turns out, the Seahawks not only had a chance in that game but they pulled off one of the best upsets in playoff history. The game was capped off by the Beast Quake, a run by Marshawn Lynch that registered on a nearby seismograph. The game was just a glimpse into what the future had in store for Pete Carroll and the Seahawks.