The play call was 17 Power--the same run play called for the Beast Quake against the Saints. In that playoff game three years ago, imperfect blocking forced Marshawn Lynch to make his own hole.
This time, Seattle's blockers executed effectively at the point of attack. From the Seattle 21-yard line, center Patrick Lewis snapped the ball and exploded into defensive tackle Dan Williams, driving him two steps outside before left guard Richard Carpenter piled on to complete a superfluous double-team. Meanwhile, backup left tackle Alvin Bailey wrestled Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell aside, while tight end Luke Willson held off linebacker Matt Shaughnessy, opening a wide hole in the C-gap between Bailey and Willson.
Cooper Helfet, a second tight end, lined up outside of Willson, but looped inside to run interference in the hole with linebacker Glenn Carson. Helfet made no effort to block Carson, but the linebacker made perfunctory contact presumably intended to disrupt the route of an eligible receiver.
Right guard JR Sweezy pulled, sprinting left to hit the hole just ahead of Lynch, who had taken the handoff. Sweezy found no one new to block, but needed to clean up some unfinished business. Campbell shed Bailey's block and shoved Carson toward Lynch. Sweezy peeled back and shot out both arms, repelling Campbell with his left while using his right to redirect Carson's dive from a viable angle to a futile grab at the ball carrier's ankles.
The wideouts made their blocks on the second level. Paul Richardson hooked safety Tony Jefferson and drove him to the turf as the Beast burst from the hole. When Rashad Johnson--Arizona's other safety--ran up to meet Lynch, Ricardo Lockette's slant route ran right into him, allowing the Beast to cut back toward the right sideline.
Trailing Lockette in coverage put All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson in good position to make the play, but he overran Lynch's cutback.
Now it was a footrace. Johnson fought off Lockette's block and ran with Peterson after Lynch, with the Rocket in hot pursuit.
As the Beast crossed the 30-yard line, Peterson took a good angle, and used his superior speed to meet Lynch outside the numbers at the Seattle 43-yard line. After hand-fighting for a few steps, Peterson stepped in front of Lynch and grabbed at his outside shoulder, but the Beast just flung him off the field with his free arm.
This encounter slowed Lynch, allowing Johnson and Lockette to catch up with him at the Arizona 45-yard line. Lynch and Lockette shoved the safety to the ground out of bounds. Still trying to make a play from the sidelines, Peterson hurdled his prone teammate, but Lockette ran off the field and blocked him. The Rocket then ran back on the field in search of someone else to block.
At the Arizona 20-yard line, linebacker Alex Okafor face-planted while diving ineffectually for Lynch's ankles.
All-Pro cornerback Antonio Cromartie had slowed to a jog in mid-play, assuming that Peterson and Johnson could tackle Lynch on the sideline, but when he saw the Beast escape, he resumed sprinting. As Lynch neared the goal line, Lockette rocketed downfield and blocked Cromartie to ensure that the Beast could complete his glorious run with an inglorious crotch grab.
Lockette's hustle provided the perfect counterpoint to the Beast's epic run. In the course of Lynch's 79-yard run, the Rocket ran farther and faster, throwing four blocks on three players, two of whom were All-Pros.
Ricardo Lockette is a badass.
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