First there was ‘Beast Quake’ and now there is ‘Beast Quake 2.0: Desert Storm’.
As explosive as he is enigmatic, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is now responsible for two of the more memorable rushing touchdowns in recent NFL history.
The original – a 67-yard tackle-breaking touchdown run that propelled the Seahawks to a stunning upset over the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints in January 2011 – is considered one of the greatest runs in playoff history.
The sequel – a 79-yard smash and dash in the desert against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16 – has some declaring it could be even better.
On each occasion he went ‘Full Beast Mode’, a process easily recognisable by the subject’s tendency to dive backwards into the end zone while simultaneously grabbing at his crotch.
Both times Lynch’s indomitable warrior spirit and ability to break tackles had fellow players in awe and drew widespread praise from anyone with access to the Internet.
The two plays do have several similarities – Lynch starts with a hand-off up the middle, sheds a few tackles before breaking it out to the right, stiff-arming a few of his foes out of the way and setting up blocks downfield before he dives in backwards with his now trademark Beast Mode celebration.
One element which stands out from both runs and embodies Lynch’s rugged style is that both runs took him towards the sideline but he refused to go out of bounds. Often running backs or receivers prefer to take the yards gained and avoid a punishing hit by stepping out of bounds. That is not how Marshawn Lynch plays football, in fact you often see him looking for contact on easy touchdown runs or catches.
But, in what has become frustratingly customary for the Skittles-munching extrovert, Lynch was revealing little after Sunday’s game.
When optimistic reporters brought up the subject of the longest run of his career, Lynch offered only a “thanks for asking”, a subtle variation on his previous run of “yeah” quotes.
But his teammates weren’t afraid to go out on a limb and declare the latest instalment of Beast Mode better than the original.
Quarterback Russell Wilson said the power dash against the Cardinals on Sunday night was better than Lynch’s seismic-inducing jaunt against the New Orleans Saints in 2011.
“If you love football, it’s got to be one of the best runs of all time,” Wilson said.
While Seahawks coach Pete Carroll offered similar approval.
“I haven’t seen it yet, other than live, but I’ve never seen a better run than Marshawn’s run tonight,” he said.
“It reminded me of OJ Simpson against Ohio State or whoever the heck that was. Cutting back and finishing and all that stuff. It was as good a run as I can ever remember seeing.”
“One word: greatness,” cornerback Byron Maxwell said.
“That’s the best way I can describe it … I’m still in awe. I can’t wait to look at it again. Seriously, though.”
“It was the best run I’ve ever seen,” said defensive end Michael Bennett, setting up what may be the NFL’s quote of the year.
“I felt like he was running for freedom or something. Boy, he was gone. They haven’t had a run like that since the Underground Railroad.”
There is no doubt ‘Desert Storm’ was a fitting sequel to ‘Beast Quake’, but it doesn’t surpass the original.
A first-round pick out of the University of California, Lynch had three solid seasons in Buffalo before he was traded to the Seahawks during the 2010 season. Considered a promising but troubled back, Lynch burst into the national consciousness later that season and hasn’t looked back.
Playing in his first ever playoff game, Lynch beat nine defenders on an incredible 67-yard touchdown run that helped the 7-9 Seahawks upset the 11-5 Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints 41-36 in the NFC Wild Card Round.
Both runs, taken out of context, are incredible. But what sets the original apart is the magnitude of the moment. It occurred at a critical juncture in a playoff game and became a defining moment in the history of the franchise.
The Seahawks were ahead 34-30 with four minutes remaining when Lynch made the run before the Saints scored late for what would have been the game-winning touchdown. The play solidified the new attitude of the Seahawks team, now considered one of the resilient and determined franchises in the league.
Also, Lynch was playing at home in front of what is now widely considered the loudest and proudest fans in the NFL – the 12th man. The crowd noise was so thunderous at certain points of that run it was later determined that a nearby seismic monitoring station registered a small tremor located at Qwest Field.
That is something special.
The original run wasn’t as long, but Lynch managed to bust nine tackles against the Saints in 67 yards, more than the four Cardinals he shed in 79 yards on Sunday night. The reaction to Desert Storm was to be expected given Lynch’s history and pedigree.
But the original was so impressive the Indianapolis Colts showed it on the big screen during their tight playoff tussle that night against the New York Jets. The run left defensive players on the sideline speechless. An analysis of the memorable run shows Colts defensive end Robert Mathis grabbing at his mouth in shock and repeatedly shouting “oh”, while his teammate Eric Foster sits stunned with his mouth wide open.
The gravity of the moment, the explosiveness of the run and the aftermath for the Seahawks organisation were always going to make the original hard to top.
But if anyone was going to get close it was going to be Marshawn Lynch. If he keeps running, angry Beast Quake may one day be made into a trilogy.
What do you think? Which one of Marshawn Lynch’s run was more impressive?
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