The Seattle Seahawks' defense bended late in the fourth quarter Sunday night, but the unit ultimatley didn't break.
It appeared as though Cam Newton was going to lead the New England Patriots to a thrilling comeback win at CenturyLink Field. A Newton touchdown rush with 2:16 remaining in the game trimmed Seattle's lead to 35-30, and then seemingly in the blink of an eye, the Patriots once again found themselves in the red zone with a chance to win the game.
It all boiled down to a New England 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line with three seconds to go. The Patriots turned to a play that's proved to be particularly effective early this season: a quarterback power from Newton to the left side. But the Seahawks were ready for it, and second-year defensive lineman L.J. Collier made the play of the game by busting through the trenches, upending Newton and sealing a win for Seattle.
Jamal Adams was confident the Patriots' new starting quarterback would try to use his legs to win the game for the visitors. So confident, in fact, that the star safety initially planned to take flight into the backfield. But upon seeing how New England lined up, Adams reevaluated his approach.
"Honestly, you know what was crazy, I told K.J. (Wright), I said, 'Hey man, I'm about to jump over,' " Adams said, per Seahawks.com. "He looked at me, he said, 'Right now, are you sure?' I said, 'Yeah, I'm sure.' As soon as they came out in the formation, I said, 'K.J., no, no, no, no, call it off, call it off.' I knew that the ball was going right as well, so I did not want to make a mistake and jeopardize the team. What a play by not only L.J., but Bobby (Wagner) coming down on that backside, the whole line getting penetration.
"What a defensive stand, man, that was big flipping Cam over and stopping him short of the goal line. Obviously, I'm hyped up, that was my first win vs. the Patriots, so that was pretty exciting, man. I'm excited to be here."
The Seahawks will need their defense to build off the impressive end-of-game stand as they transition into Week 3. Seattle will host the high-powered Dallas Cowboys this Sunday.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports Images
