There are bad losses. There are sickening losses. And then there's what happened to the Packers on Sunday in Seattle.
Had even one of multiple scenarios played out differently, it might have been the Packers representing the NFC in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. But they didn't, so the Packers won't.
We've put together a group of eight potentially fate-altering plays or sequences in the order in which they occurred. Warning: This is not for the faint of heart.
1. Goal line stalls
The Packers reached the Seahawks 1-yard line in back-to-back possessions in the first quarter and came away with just six points. After John Kuhn had 1-yard touchdown negated by an official review, Eddie Lacy was stuffed on 3rd-and-goal, prompting Mike McCarthy to bring out the field-goal unit. On the next possession, Aaron Rodgers led Jordy Nelson a foot too far on an end zone throw, which was followed by Randall Cobb being tackled at the 1 on third down. McCarthy again sent Mason Crosby onto the field.
2. Rodgers' second pick
Green Bay failed in every opportunity to put the game away, and it started right here. The Packers had marched back into Seattle territory with a 16-0 lead midway through the second quarter. On 1st-and-10 from the 33, Rodgers had a miscommunication with either Cobb or Nelson (it's difficult to tell on replay) and the quarterback's pass was picked off by Byron Maxwell. Another missed opportunity.
3. 3rd-and-19
The Packers had the Seahawks right where they wanted them. Seattle faced a 3rd-and-19 from midfield, down 16-0 midway through the third quarter. The Packers opted to rush just three, giving Russell 7.7 seconds from the time he took the snap to the moment he released his pass, a 29-yard completion to a wide open Doug Baldwin. Four plays later, Seahawks punter Jon Ryan got Seattle on the board with his fake field goal touchdown pass to Garry Gilliam.
4. Ha Ha can't hold on
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix's day was a microcosm of what happened to his team. The day started out brilliantly for the rookie, with two interceptions. But it turned sour in crunch time, starting with this drop of a Russell Wilson pass with 7:11 to play in the fourth quarter. Said Joe Buck on the Fox telecast: "And that could have been number three on the day for Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and that would have ended of the day because he was wide open on his way to the end zone."
5. Burnett goes down
Morgan Burnett appeared to punch Green Bay's ticket for Arizona when he corralled a deflected Russell Wilson pass for the Packers' fourth interception with five minutes to play. But Burnett had an odd reaction after making the play, choosing to slide to the turf rather than advance the ball into Seahawks territory. The Packers went three-and-out on the ensuing possession, taking just one minute off the game clock. The Seahawks were still alive.
6. Bostick goes down in infamy
Here's the craziest thing about this game: The Packers failed in all the scenarios above and still probably would have won if Brandon Bostick did his job on the fateful onside kick attempt. But Bostick abandoned his blocking assignment and went up for the ball as Jordy Nelson watched helplessly behind him. The ball went through Bostick's hands and conked off his helmet, leading to a Seahawks recovery. Four plays later, they had the lead.
"I let my team down, I feel like," Bostick said. "There was a lot on this game. I just feel like if I was able to do my job -- my assignment was to block -- Jordy would've caught the ball and the game would've been over."
7. 2-point madness
Now to Clinton-Dix's final fourth-quarter miscue -- and it's an all-timer. On the Seahawks' 2-point attempt after taking a 20-19 lead with 1:25 play, Wilson took the snap out of the shotgun formation, rolled right, and quickly retreated as Green Bay's rush closed in. He drops back 11 yards, in fact, before heaving the ball up for grabs to the opposite side of the field. The balloon sailed toward tight end Luke Willson, who was covered by Clinton-Dix. For reasons that might never be known, the rookie safety fails to make a play on the ball and Willson pulls it in.
8. The cruel end
Even after Crosby tied the game with a 48-yard field goal with seconds to play in regulation, you got the feeling this would end with a final stomach punch to Cheesehead Nation. Wilson and Jermaine Kearse did just that, connecting on a 35-yard touchdown to end the game on the first possession of overtime. Cornerback Tramon Williams got beat in man coverage and had no safety help on the play (a head-scratcher, in retrospect). Wilson made the throw, Kearse made the catch, and one of the most crushing collapses in NFL playoff history was complete.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast recaps Championship Sunday, and breaks down the Seahawks' historic comeback against the Packers. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
