We at Seahawks Wire would not be doing our jobs properly if we did not acknowledge one of the holy days in Seahawks history: on this day, Seattle defeated the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 in the 2013 NFC Championship!
It was the culmination of the heated and bitter rivalry, not just between the Hawks and Niners, but between head coaches Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh. Both teams had been made in mirror images of one another. Suffocating defense. Brutal rushing attacks. Dynamic dual threat quarterbacks. Eccentric leadership at the top.
There was no path to the Super Bowl for the Seahawks that did not include the 49ers. Everyone felt this to be the case. When these teams were slated to face off against one another, it was the expectation. A true clash of the titans for the right to play for a Lombardi.
Given the shellacking Seattle put on the Denver Broncos two weeks later in Super Bowl XLVIII, this NFC Championship was the true final showdown of the season. The biggest moments of this game will live forever in Seahawks lore. Marshawn Lynch’s touchdown to tie the game. Jermaine Kearse’s go-head touchdown on 4th down. And of course, Richard Sherman’s game-sealing tipped pass to eventual Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith.
The Seahawks claimed their second conference championship in franchise history, then would follow it up with their first Lombardi trophy. But there would be no ring without this game, and because of this, we must forever pay tribute to one of the greatest moments in Seattle sports to date.
