NFL 2014 NFC Championship Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers
With 22 seconds left in regulation,
Seattle cornerback
Richard Sherman deflected a pass in the end zone into the arms of linebacker
Malcolm Smith for a game clinching interception as
San Francisco was trying to drive for a winning score.
Things got off to a rough start for the
Seahawks as their quarterback
Russell Wilson was sacked on the first play of the game by linebacker
Aldon Smith, resulting in a fumble that was recovered on the Seattle 15 yard line. However, their defense managed to keep San Francisco out of the end zone, forcing them to settle for
Phil Dawson's 25-yard field goal to take a 3–0 lead. There would be no more scoring until the 2nd quarter, when
49ers quarterback
Colin Kaepernick took off for a 58 yard run that gave the team a first down on the Seattle 10 yard line. Three plays later on 4th and goal, running back
Anthony Dixon dove over the goal line pile to score a 1-yard touchdown run, increasing the lead to
10–0. This time, Seattle managed to respond with
Wilson's 51-yard completion to
Doug Baldwin leading to a 32-yard field goal by
Steven Hauschka with just under 6 minutes left in the quarter.
Near the end of the quarter, the 49ers appeared to have a chance to drive for points when
Wilson threw an incomplete pass on 4th down from the 38-yard line with 20 seconds to go.
Defensive back Carlos Rogers was flagged for shoving receiver
Golden Tate out of bounds after the incompletion, resulting in a penalty that pushed San Francisco back 15 yards and the team decided to run out the clock. Commentators
Joe Buck and
Troy Aikman both said they felt the penalty call was improper, as it appeared to be only a mild push.[10][11]
San Francisco was forced to punt on their first drive of the second half, and
Tate returned the ball 10 yards to his 40-yard line. Three plays later,
Lynch scored on a 40-yard touchdown run, tying the score 10–10.
The 49ers struck back with
Kaepernick completing a 22-yard pass to Crabtree and then rushing for a 22-yard gain himself. Kaepernick fumbled the ball on the next play, but center
Jonathan Goodwin recovered it and ran for a 6-yard gain. Kaepernick then finished the drive with a 26-yard scoring completion to
Anquan Boldin, putting the 49ers back in front at 17–10.
Baldwin returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards to the 49ers' 33-yard line, setting up
Hauschka's 40-yard field goal that made the score 17–13 with less than four minutes left in the third quarter.[12][13]
Seattle took their first lead of the game on the second play of the fourth quarter, 20–17, scoring on Wilson's 35-yard touchdown pass to
Jermaine Kearse on 4th down and 7. A series of fumbles and turnovers followed; firstly, Seattle defensive end
Cliff Avril forced a fumble from Kaepernick, which was then recovered by
Michael Bennett on the 49ers' 23-yard line. Seattle then drove to the 10-yard line, and on third down Wilson completed a pass to Kearse. But Kearse fumbled on the 1-yard line as he was going in for a score, while being tackled by linebacker
NaVorro Bowman. Replays showed
Bowman making a recovery and being touched down by contact, but the play did not end and the ball was pulled away from Bowman. Seattle fullback
Michael Robinson ended up with the ball, allowing the Seahawks to maintain possession. The play was not reviewable, and to make matters worse for San Francisco, Bowman suffered a severe leg injury. Now with 4th and goal on the 1-yard line, Seattle coach
Pete Carroll decided to go for the touchdown. But Lynch fumbled a handoff from Wilson and the 49ers ended up getting the ball back on the Seahawks 15-yard line. However, all they managed to do with this opportunity was give it back, as Kaepernick was intercepted by safety
Kam Chancellor on the second play of their ensuing drive.[14]
Now with the ball on the San Francisco 40-yard line, Seattle drove to the 29-yard line where Hauschka kicked a field goal to give the team a 23–17 lead with 3:37 left in the game. San Francisco responded with a drive to the Seahawks' 18-yard line, featuring a 17-yard reception by running back
Frank Gore on 4th down and 2. With 30 seconds remaining, Kaepernick attempted a pass to Crabtree in corner of the end zone. Richard Sherman made a leaping deflection of the pass to Malcolm Smith for an interception to seal the victory for the
Seattle Seahawks.