SEATTLE — The result was what many expected, but the journey featured a few surprises.
And by journey, I mean from the season-ending euphoria over the Lions’ victory in Green Bay to a viral video of players dancing and a scooter-riding coach in Renton, to a forgettable second half in Santa Clara.
Pete Carroll was openly hoping for torrential rains, catastrophic winds and maybe even an act of the football gods Saturday that would have helped push his team past a superior team in the San Francisco 49ers.
Instead, when the skies opened, it was more favorable to the Faithful - a badge of honor given to 49ers fans who have watched their team win five Super Bowls with hopes of another one on the horizon.
Weather was not a factor in the playoff opener between the Seahawks and 49ers. I knew it wouldn’t be. That’s because after hearing about it all week on multiple newscasts, our chief meteorologist, Mike Everett, texted me the latest Doppler images Friday at 11 pm showing a break in the atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclones, or what we commoners would refer to as rain.
That Doppler image had a time stamp on it showing little to no precipitation over Santa Clara between 1:30 pm and 4:30 pm. Now the app on my phone disagreed, but my man Mike prides himself in what he calls custom forecasts, and he nailed this one. Like clockwork, the skies opened at 4:40 pm (seriously) and it poured down rain at Levi’s Stadium.
Why am I rambling on about the weather? Because horrible weather has a way of leveling the playing field, meaning a less talented team can seemingly keep the score close if the field is slippery, the ball is wet, and the wind is blowing every which way.
None of that happened during those crucial three hours at Levi’s Stadium. The only breeze evident at that time was the blowout on the scoreboard.
The Seahawks' second-half problems against the 49ers have been well-documented by now. Turnovers, penalties and mistakes buried the Seahawks.
They finished the season with an overall record of 9-and-9. Now they’ll turn their attention to 5 and 19 or 5 and 20, their potential first-round draft positions in April.
The talent is there on offense, although there is a need to upgrade Seattle's interior line.
On the other side of the ball, this team needs to fortify its defensive line and get some help at linebacker. The secondary should be set for a while, especially if Jamal Adams returns to full strength.
General manager John Schneider killed it in last year’s draft. The Seahawks' 2022 rookie class was arguably the best in the NFL, and Schneider is no doubt well into his research of the new crop of available players.
But even he must realize it’ll be tough to match last year's success.
Just as in Hollywood, sequels are hit-and-miss. Will it be Godfather 2 for Schneider or Caddyshack 2?
We’ll find out when the curtain rises on the next season.
For now, Seahawks fans should just enjoy one of the surprise hits of this season that left them wanting more.