TWD Super Bowl Sunday Thread #1 For 2/2/14: The Turning Points of the Seattle Seahawks Season

Screenshot from NFL.com

For Pete Carroll's side, last year's loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Divisional Playoffs set the stage for full motivation into this season. And it has propelled them into a season where they could give their franchise its first Super Bowl title ever.

The Seahawks have been able to reach the final destination despite the devastating absences of their top two receivers. Russell Wilson hasn't let his development into one of the game's elite quarterbacks suffer without the presence of Sydney Rice and, for most of this season, Percy Harvin, as he still has taken great care of the ball while being the dynamic duel threat quarterback that makes him special. Still, it helps to have Marshawn Lynch survive a whole season healthy while having Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, and Zach Miller play key roles whenever they have.

Of course, Carroll's defensive mind and his personal on that side of the ball have receive the most limelight. The secondary has easily garner the headlines, but it's the front 7, led by Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Chris Clemons, and Bruce Irvin on the rush who really make them elite.

Here are the defining turning points of their season, besides last seasons' defeat in the playoffs of course:

1) In Week 1 of a preview of how good both the Panthers and the Seahawks would be, Wilson need a huge 43-yard-touchdown pass to Kearse to give them the lead in the 4th quarter and get a vital 12-7 road comeback win to start their season.

2) In the week following their first loss to the Colts, Carroll and his team got back on track with a 20-13 home win against the Titans. Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas had interceptions on the day to send Seattle to 5-1 at the time.

3) And despite their bitter rivals, San Francisco 49ers, playing their best game in a while at the hostile confines of their home stadium, the Seahawks did not let the pressure get to them with home field advantage at the Super Bowl. Wilson's second clutch throw to Kearse this season gave Seattle the lead that they did not give up. And of course, the Sherman tip to Smith for the interception of Colin Kaepernick sealed their birth to Chris Christie land.

(More to come at Super Bowl Sunday at TWD).