"A lot of humans would've bankrupt up and said, `That's it,' but we've got a aggregation abounding of fighters," Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said.
The Seahawks (11-6) didn't account until Russell Wilson's abbreviate touchdown canyon to Doug Baldwin aboriginal in the fourth quarter. Then, a bollix by Adrian Peterson for the Vikings on the next control set up a acreage ambition by Steven Hauschka.
The Vikings (11-6) took the brawl for the chief drive with 1:42 larboard at their 39 and, aided by a canyon arrest amends on Kam Chancellor, collection abysmal into Seattle's territory. Afterwards clarification the alarm for the acutely assured win, Walsh artlessly absent the champ afterwards authoritative all three of his beforehand attempts.
"That's alleged grace," Chancellor said. "That's all it is."
Seattle will play next weekend at Carolina, area the Panthers had a first-round bye in mild mid-50s weather.
"I anticipate we were advantageous that we got the win," Seahawks drillmaster Pete Carroll said. "A lot of those times, guys accomplish those kicks. There's a top allotment that they accomplish them, but you've still got to do it."
Walsh didn't hide. Holder Jeff Locke had the laces angry in, not out, but there were no excuses to be made.
"You're confident, but you never anticipate that you accept it or yield it for granted," Walsh said, chastened with burnished eyes in the locker allowance afterward. "I just didn't put a beat on it that would be adequate by anybody's standards."
Huddled about amusement heaters and cutting huge capes on the black ancillary of the stadium, the Seahawks were chastened themselves for abundant of the game. Trailing 9-0 at the 13-minute mark, Wilson about took a huge accident on aboriginal down if he fumbled a shotgun breeze he wasn't accessible for. But the guy Vikings drillmaster Mike Zimmer alleged "Houdini" during the anniversary darted right, dodged a sack and begin Tyler Lockett advanced accessible for a 35-yard achievement to set up the account to Baldwin.
"Just approved to extend the play," said Wilson, who went 13 for 26 for 142 yards. "Find a way."
Chancellor, who ripped the brawl abroad from Peterson that Ahtyba Rubin recovered, absent a accouterment on bound end Kyle Rudolph's 24-yard accession that let the Vikings beforehand to the 18 with 1:26 left. But Peterson's next three carries larboard the Vikings a backyard abbreviate of the aboriginal down. Walsh, whose third bang was about blocked by Sherman, jogged out for the defining moment. And the Seahawks were al of a sudden adulatory an doubtful win, not clashing their assemblage accomplished Green Bay in the NFC championship bold endure year.
"It's a dent shot," Zimmer said. "He's got to accomplish it."
The Seahawks larboard their endure appointment to Minnesota with a 38-7 victory, authentic ascendancy on both abandon of the brawl that larboard no agnosticism that Dec. 6 afternoon they'd be a accepted adversary to ability their third beeline Super Bowl even afterwards the boisterous advantage of their home by the bay at CenturyLink Field.
For all their skills, acquaintance and swagger, though, the aggregate of these altitude and a well-prepared, embarrassed-by-the-previous-performance Vikings aggregation accepted to be absolutely the challenge.
This was a abundantly frigid accomplishment for Minnesota's two-year assignment outdoors at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Amphitheater during architecture of the new covered city stadium. For the aboriginal au naturel postseason bold actuality back the NFC championship bold in 1976, the aged drillmaster of that team, Bud Grant, served as an honorary captain. He strolled out for the bread cast in a Vikings cap and a amethyst short-sleeved polo shirt, searching accessible for a annular of golf.
The 88-year-old Grant got a barrage of approval from the crowd, a lot of of which was dressed in as abounding layers as those amethyst replica jerseys would allow. The advertisement of the minus-25 amount wind arctic agency a few account afterwards drew an appropriately loud cheer.
Every aberration and breach was abstract in a bold like this, and the Vikings benefited for the majority of the aboriginal three quarters.
Punter Jon Ryan had to aces up a low breeze on Seattle's aboriginal control and, alienated a abeyant block, approved to run up the average afore getting chaotic by Jason Trusnik able-bodied shy of the aboriginal down. Ryan landed on his face, breaking and bloodying his nose, and the Vikings angry the beneath acreage into their aboriginal acreage goal.
Wilson, who led the NFL in passer appraisement afterwards cutting up a arresting 24 touchdown passes with alone one interception over the endure seven games, was about bargain to a scrambler in the abysmal freeze.
Facing the wind in the additional quarter, he had Baldwin advanced accessible abaft the safeties at the ambition line, but the brawl afraid in the air and was calmly batted down. Headed the aforementioned administration against the accessible end of the amphitheater in the third quarter, Wilson overthrew Chase Coffman, and Trae Waynes intercepted the deflected canyon to set the Vikings up for addition acreage goal. Cliff Avril's roughing-the-passer amends able Minnesota 15 yards on that drive.
NOTES: Previous almanac algid amateur for anniversary franchise: Vikings, minus-2 degrees (Dec. 3, 1972, vs. Chicago). Seahawks, 16 degrees (Dec. 3, 2006, at Denver). ... Lockett's bolt (35 yards) was the longest play of the game, followed by Rudolph's accession (24 yards).
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