On Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours afternoon the Seahawks' 28-22 NFC Championship overtime win against the Green Bay Packers at Seattle's CenturyLink Field, head coach Pete Carroll and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse met with the media in the auditorium at Renton's Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks.com's Clare Farnsworth has the details from Carroll here and below you'll find four things we learned from Kearse's Monday press conference:
1. The Best Advice He Got During The Game Came From Jeron Johnson
Russell Wilson attempted six passes in Kearse's direction on Sunday. The first four were intercepted by the Packers, two of which deflected off of the wideout's hands. Wilson's fifth attempt fell incomplete and Kearse would later tweet he had played his "worst game" "by far." But the two finally linked up on Wilson's sixth attempt in Kearse's direction. It went for a 35-yard game-winning score that secured the Seahawks a 28-22 overtime victory and a place in Super Bowl XLIX.
Kearse said the best advice he received during what was initially a rough day came from safety Jeron Johnson, who was inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship with an elbow injury.
"Jeron Johnson, he came up to me," said Kearse. "I talked to him and he said there were still plays out there to be made. That really resonated with me just to keep pushing forward no matter what happened throughout the game.
"Anything can happen, as you can see."
2. He Wanted To Talk About Chris Matthews
With two minutes and nine seconds remaining and the Seahawks trailing 19-14, Chris Matthews snatched an onside kick from Steven Hauschka to keep his club's hopes alive.
Less than a minute later, Marshawn Lynch raced 24 yards for a touchdown and after an improbable two point-conversion from Wilson to tight end Luke Willson, Seattle found itself on top by three, 22-19.
"Can I talk about the Chris Matthews play?" Kearse questioned of the special teams effort turned in by the fellow undrafted wideout. "That was huge. I talk to Chris a lot and just to see his progression, even when he was on practice squad and when he got activated to the 53, just to see him maximize opportunities is definitely joyful."
Kearse credited Carroll for giving all of his players an equal opportunity to compete, a philosophy the former University of Washington Husky believes brings out the Seahawks' best.
"That might be the play of the game right there," said Kearse. "For him to get the onsides and make a heads up play like that is truly incredible."
3. He's Looking Forward To Playing Against Brandon Browner In Super Bowl XLIX
The Seahawks will face the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX after the AFC's No. 1 seed routed the Indianapolis Colts, 45-7, on Sunday night in New England.
The Patriots feature a familiar face in their secondary, with the physical former Seattle cornerback Brandon Browner working opposite Patriots lock-down defender Darrelle Revis.
Browner was part of the team's "Legion of Boom" defensive backfield a season ago when the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII. Kearse said he's excited about the possibility of lining up against his one-time teammate next month at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I've had my shares of going against B.B. a lot. I'm definitely looking forward to it. It's going to be a lot of fun."
4. He Doesn't Regret Throwing The Game-Winning Touchdown Into A Sea Of 12s
After Kearse came down with the game-winning score against the Packers, he heaved the football as far as he could into the south end zone at CenturyLink Field. Kearse said it was his way of releasing an afternoon's worth of irritation after his difficult start.
Photos of the celebrations from the Seahawks after their come from behind win in overtime NFC Championship.
On Saturday, the team headed to a local college for a brief walk-thru. Safety Marcus Burley listens to music on his Bose headphones on the bus ride.
Seahawks receivers Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin shout just moments after Kearse's 35-yard game-winning touchdown catch in overtime. Both Kearse and Baldwin had tough afternoons (Kearse targeted four times, all resulting in interceptions and Baldwin with a fumble and a drop) before each had big receptions in the final drive.
Seattle's defense was stifling the Vikings who tried a reverse, only to have cornerback DeShawn Shead make a diving tackle for a six-yard loss on the play.
"That throw was more so just a sign of frustration," said Kearse. "Just letting a lot of frustration throughout that whole game out, just trying to throw it as far as possible. It's just something that happened in the moment."
One lucky 12 ended up with a quality souvenir, but Kearse doesn't regret tossing his clinching score into the stands.
"I've got a Super Bowl ball, so I'm happy with that," Kearse said in reference to the 23-yard touchdown he scored in last year's 43-8 Super Bowl win over the Denver Broncos. "And I'm going to try to get another one."
