From the moment the Patriots and Seahawks met in a classic NFC title game on Feb. 7, it was clear that the two teams had a long way to go before they’d be ready to play a championship game.
With the Patriots leading by two touchdowns and the Seahawks leading by three, it appeared that the game was on the verge of being tied.
The game was tied and it seemed like an eternity before the Patriots could pull away from the Seahawks.
But then the Seahawks scored a touchdown to take the lead for good and then the Patriots came roaring back to win in overtime.
The best moment of the SuperBowl game wasn’t the Seahawks’ victory over the Patriots, though.
Instead, the game showed the potential of a great franchise to make the Superdome a home for NFL football in a big way.
The Superbowl, in its first year of play, proved that the NFL is ready to have its big games on a larger stage.
There were several other moments in the Superbowl that stood out for me.
First, the Seahawks finally got the ball back with 2:20 left in the game.
The Patriots had the ball on the Patriots 37-yard line and the score was tied at 21.
The Seahawks would eventually run out the clock and win the game, 26-23.
And then the game itself was just like any other NFL game.
Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes, and the Patriots defense forced one of them into a field goal.
But it was the fact that Wilson threw the ball for two touchdowns on the drive that made the difference.
The drive lasted more than 13 minutes, but it came down to a single touchdown.
It was the first touchdown in the first half for Wilson in nearly a month, and it came after the Patriots had already given up five touchdowns in the opening minute.
The Seahawks then marched down the field and scored a first down on a 3-yard run by Deion Branch.
And when Wilson hit Zach Miller on a 27-yard pass, the drive began to move into overtime.
It seemed like the Seahawks were poised to take over the game when Wilson found Brandin Cooks in the end zone and the pass sailed over his head for a touchdown.
The Patriots responded with their own touchdown drive.
It began with a 19-yard field goal from Brandin Goodson, and after Brady hit Matt Flynn for a 24-yard touchdown pass, he had the chance to tie the game at 24.
But the Patriots punted on the ensuing possession and it looked like the game would be over.
But then Brady ran a screen pass to Justin Tucker that went for a 10-yard score and then Wilson hit Matt Stover for a 14-yard scoring strike that put the game out of reach.
The two teams were tied at 24 and the next drive was a little more dramatic.
Wilson took over in the second quarter and the game appeared to be headed for overtime.
But when the game moved to a third-and-goal from the 4, the Patriots held on for the victory.
In the process, the SuperDome experience helped the Patriots get ready for their Super Bowl, according to John Breitenbach, who was the Patriots’ director of communications and media relations during the SuperGame.
“The SuperDomic is a great place to be,” Breitengbach said.
“It is an environment where you can be creative, where you have the ability to be out of your comfort zone and be at your best, and I think that is the Superbowl.”
