Seattle Seahawks Player Says God Was on Their Side to Defeat Vikings
God is with the Seattle Seahawks, according to wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who's revealing how much his team worshiped God after fighting their way to the NFC Divisional playoff game.
The Seahawks did more than just win the NFC wildcard game against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, they did so after trailing 9-0 leading into the last quarter. Somehow, quarterback Russell Wilson missed a snap from center Patrick Lewis and got the ball back to complete a 35-yard pass to Lockett.
Two plays later, Wilson threw the ball to receiver Doug Baldwin on third-and-10, which resulted in the Seahawks nabbing a 10-9 victory in the game that would keep them alive in the playoffs.
"I never thought in a million years he'd shank it to the left, but God was on our side," Lockett said after the game, according to ESPN. "You saw people out there, praising [God]. People were jumping, [yelling] 'Hallelujah!' on the ground, with their face on the ground. Nobody has ever seen anything like that."
The receiver took to Twitter to further witness about how his team worshipped following their win.
"God was definitely on our side! If yaw (sic) could've only seen our sideline praising and worshiping God! An amazing experience! #NeverQuit," Lockett tweeted.
Multiple Seahawks players have been vocal about their faith in the past, and even had a "coming to Jesus meeting" after the 2014-2015 season resulted in a Super Bowl loss.
Wilson, the 27-year-old Christian Seahawks quarterback, organized a trip for 85 teammates, coaching staff and their families for a divine moment in Maui, Hawaii, where they could find common ground after a disappointing end to their season last February. The QB threw an interception instead of passing to running back Marshawn Lynch that cost his Seahawks a second-straight championship ring during Super Bowl XLIX which resulted in tensions running high within the team.
In what some Seahawks players called a coming to Jesus meeting, detailed by Sports Illustrated, Wilson said his goal for the trip was to bring his teammates closer together.
"I brought you guys out here, away from everybody," Wilson said, according to Sports Illustrated. "I want to have a heart-to-heart."
Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin spoke about the experience, and how each teammate had to analyze things beyond the scope of football.
"It wasn't even necessarily about football," Seahawks wideout Baldwin told Sports Illustrated. "It was more about our responsibility as teammates to each other. It was: What are you going to fight for? And how are you going to fight for it?"
Sports Illustrated detailed the 45-minute conversation that included harsh words being spoken by members of the team who Wilson wanted to bring back to being of one accord.
"It gave me chills," Wilson said of the divine meeting.
The fateful Super Bowl XLIX last play made by Wilson proved to be a monumental moment in his spiritual life. He previously spoke about God speaking to him about it.
"The play happens, and they pick the ball off. And I take three steps," Wilson told Pastor Miles McPherson in an interview at The Rock Church last July. "And on the third step God says to me, 'I'm using you. ... I want to see how they respond. But most importantly, I want them to see how you respond."