The one play that changed the entire course of the NFL season

Winning a Super Bowl takes a lot of hard work. From OTAs, to mini camp, to preseason, and 18 weeks of the regular season, then the playoffs and then the Super Bowl, everything has to go almost perfect along the way. On top of that, you need a little luck from time to time.

Luck was on Seahawks side

There will be bumps and bruises and ups and downs throughout the campaign, and it’s hard to look back at one play and think that either won or lost us the season. However, there is one play that changed the entire course of the Seahawks season and without that play, getting to the Super Bowl and winning it would have probably been a lot tougher.

It was Zachary Charbonnet´s two point conversion that he picked up by happened chance on a batted ball that dribbled into the end zone. It seemed like a fairly innocuous play, but it would be the play that defined the Seahawks season.

Lets track back to Week 16. The Seahawks are hosting the Los Angeles Rams in the second matchup between the two NFC West Rivals. It’s in Seattle after the Rams beat the Seahawks in LA earlier in the season. At that point both were in the running for the division title and had a chance at the one seed in the NFC. It was looking like whoever won that game was going to get the top spot, the first round BYE and home field advantage, and that’s exactly what ended up happening.

The Seahawks were in trouble. They had an apoplectic first half after scoring on their opening drive, and there were even some boos reigning down at Lumen Field as they headed into the break down 13-7 in one of the most important games of the season. The Rams would get hot in the second half and stretch that lead out to 30-14 with just over 13 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Come to think of it, the stars had to align perfectly for the Rams to win that game and get the one seed. Darnold threw an interception in the drive after Seattle went down 30-16. The defense came up with a three and out, and Rashid Shaheed would return the punt for a TD, and after a two point conversion caught by Cooper Kupp. The comeback was on. Seattle would hold LA to another three and out and two plays later, Darnold found A.J. Barner with a 26 yard touchdown pass.

Rams took pole position in NFC

The ensuing two point conversion is where the season changed forever. Down 30-28, Darnold threw a pass to the flat for Charbonnet, the pass was batted down and bounced into the end zone. The play was seemingly over but Charbonnet bent down and calmly picked it up with one hand. It was ruled an incomplete pass, but the refs went to the replay, and deemed it a backward pass, fumble recovery in the end zone and a successful two point conversion.

Neither team went on to score for the final 6:23 of the fourth quarter, but LA did score on the first possession of overtime. Seattle responded with a touchdown drive of their own when Darnold hit Jaxson Smith-Njigba with a four yard TD pass. With just 3:13 to go in the OT session, the Rams went for the win, Darnold hit Eric Saubert in the end zone for the walkout winning play.

There are a lot of things throughout the season that led to the Seahawks Super Bowl win, but without the Charbonnet play to pick the ball up in the end zone on that two point conversion, the Seahawks would probably not have won that game. Which means they wouldn’t have earned the one seed in the NFC. Which means they wouldn’t have had a first round BYE, and they would have had to go on the road and all three games just to get to the Super Bowl. It’s was a wild ride for Seattle, but one that needed more than a few things to go their way in the most important game of the season.

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