Many believed the Seahawks were an undeserving team to host a wild-card playoff against the favored Saints, after Seattle went 7-9 in the weak NFC West in 2010. Drew Brees and New Orleans were the reigning Super Bowl 44 champions. The Saints entered the 2011 playoffs as a strong 11-5 wild card.
Despite the game being played in front of raucous “The 12s” in Q, the hosts were 10-point underdogs. The Seahawks, who went down 10-0 early, had a surprising 24--20 halftime lead. They increased that to 34-20 with 10 points in the third quarter, before the Saints rallied to make it 34-30 with only 4:20 left.
Facing a second-and-10 at their own 33 while trying to work the clock, the Seahawks deviated from their usual zone running to give Marshawn Lynch a man-blocking power run. Lynch went vintage Beast Mode with a thunderous rumble, breaking nine Saints would-be tackles to carry the ball 67 yards for a touchdown. Once Lynch was bursting toward the game-clinching score, the NFL’s loudest home crowd erupted, literally, causing an minor earthquake that registered as 2.0 in magnitude. 'Beast Quake' will live on forever in Seattle.
🔟 years ago today, Beast Quake shook Seattle.pic.twitter.com/O4IfTr4ZUx
— Seattle Times Sports (@SeaTimesSports) January 8, 2021
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