The Seattle Seahawks are on a run and they look unstoppable. Do they remind you of anybody we've seen lately on playoff runs that have turned into Super Bowl victories? Yes, I'm comparing the Seahawks to the New York Giant teams of 2007 and 2011.
Okay, they Giants do have the better quarterback, but that's not the point. Russell Wilson came into this season with a chip on his shoulder as many wondered if he was in fact ready to quarterback in the NFL. When the Giants made their first run, many wondered if Eli Manning was really a quarterback capable of winning a championship.
In 2007, the Giants were categorized as a team with a solid defense that would at times show up to play. Later, we found out that the defense was pretty tough, period.
Compare them now to the 2012 Seahawks and you find similarities. A run heavy team that many say wins because of their defense. Manning wasn't great yet and the defense gave him opportunities to keep his team in games and eventually win. Manning and the defense closed out games together.
Fast track to 2012 and the Seahawks are doing just that. Right when they need stops against the Washington Redskins, the defense showed up and bullied Robert Griffin III around. The Redskins scored in their first two drives of the game. When many thought the game was going to become a blowout, Wilson and the Seahawks refused to panic.
Both years, the Giants had to go the distance to win the Super Bowl. They faced dynamic teams like the Dallas Cowboys, who were pretty good in 2007. That year, the Cowboys came off a bye and the Giants beat them. Then in 2011, they faced possibly the best offense in the league, the Green Bay Packers who were also coming off a bye and destroyed them in the NFC Divisional round.
Now the Seahawks have a chance to embarrass the heavily criticized Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons come into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the NFC after posting a 13-3 record.
Matt Ryan has been unstoppable all year long and Tony Gonzalez, though likely calling it quits after this season, is playing at a high level and for a championship.
However, when looking what the Seahawks can do on defense, I feel bad for Gonzalez's chances at winning the trophy.
The Falcons are at home, but they've lost at home before in the playoffs so there are ways to win at the Georgia Dome even when facing the crowd factor.
The Seahawks are on a roll, they've won five straight games to get into the playoffs and made it six straight after a win over the Redskins. The Falcons are coming off a bye.
Does it sound familiar now?
The Seahawks are the underdog even though they are red hot. They are playing with a rookie quarterback that has no pressure on his shoulder since he has surpassed the performances of fellow rookies Andrew Luck and RG3.
And don't forget, the Seahawks have the coolest coach in the NFL.
Final score: Seahawks 29-24 Falcons
I don't think they will indeed win the Super Bowl, but I am slowly becoming a believer. Sort of how the Giants made the world believe in 2007 and 2011 that they were capable of winning a championship.
