Before they even take a snap on Super Wild Card Weekend, the Seattle Seahawks have already exceeded expectations. After trading longtime quarterback Russell Wilson, many thought this would be a throwaway year for Seattle, with predictions consistently expecting more loses than wins.
Flash forward 18 weeks and the story could not be more different. Yes, it took a little help from the Detroit Lions, who had to beat the Green Bay Packers in order for Seattle to extend their season, but they made it to the playoffs.
Veteran quarterback Geno Smith is having a career year, head coach Pete Carroll has remained confident throughout the criticisms and now the team is preparing to face the No. 2 seeded San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the postseason.
It will be not be easy for the Seahawks, who are 0-2 against the Niners already this season, to come out on top. The 49ers defense has caused problems for Smith and Co. ... but crazier things have happened.
As they get ready for the game, Seattle players say they will leave it all on the field.
"We've got such a young team, and when you hear about all the stuff that was said about us from the beginning of the year all the way until now, it's like, nobody expected us to be here, nobody expects us to win outside of our building," receiver Tyler Lockett said, via the team's official website. "We believe that we can win, but nobody else does. Nobody thought that we would be able to do any of the things that we were able to do. Everybody was shocked that we even got into the playoffs."
The weather could potentially be a factor in the game, with rain and winds expected, but the team is putting all outside distractions aside.
"So for us it's like, we're just going to go out there and just play free," Lockett said. "We're not going to play with any worries. We don't really care what the weather is going to be like. We really don't care about any of that stuff; we're just going to play like we've got nothing to lose."
This will be a new experience for many, as 32 of the team's 53 players have no playoff experience. That could cause concern, but instead, the team is looking at the positives.
"I think everybody is just free," Lockett said. "I honestly think everybody is just more free. You don't have to be uptight. You don't have to be tense. Obviously, we're going into a playoff game, and you can really make it like, 'Oh, my gosh, it's the playoffs,' but it's different when everybody is telling you that you have to win or it's a bust type of season, when people thought we were going to win four games…"
Coming off a losing season, this year already gets a check in the win column, which is allowing the team to feel "free" as Lockett put it.
"We really don't have anything to lose," Lockett added. "We're just going to go out there and have fun, go out there and play, and I feel like we're getting better each and every week."
The Seahawks and 49ers are scheduled to face off on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 4:30 p.m. ET at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Niners quarterback Brock Purdy, who was taken with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, will become the lowest drafted quarterback to start a playoff game.
