(Getty)
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch’s night began on the bench with a mysterious illness and ended with one of the greatest runs of his career.
How would he sum it all up?
“Thanks for asking,” Lynch said with minor variations to every question asked in a typically brief and bizarre session with reporters after Seattle’s 35-6 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Lynch’s teammates did plenty of talking about his 79-yard touchdown run, which defensive end Michael Bennett called “the best run I ever seen. He was just running like he’s running for his freedom or something.”
It started out as a run to the left, but Lynch cut it all the way back to the Seattle sideline, stiff-armed cornerback Patrick Peterson, bowled over safety Rashad Johnson with help from a block by receiver Ricardo Lockette and stepped through Alex Okafor’s diving ankle tackle.
“You could show that highlight over and over and give him the MVP, and I don’t think anybody would argue,” Sherman said.
Punctuating the run: a 180-degree leap and crotch grab into the end zone.
“I think it was a 10/10,” Bennett said. “I ain’t seen that since Dominique Dawes.”
Lynch also had a 6-yard touchdown run and finished with 113 yards on just 10 carries after sitting out the entire first quarter with what the team termed an upset stomach.
(Tom Pelissero/USA TODAY Sports)
He spent much of that time sitting on a Gatorade cooler and drinking fluids. At one point, he kneeled down in front of the cooler as teammates formed a wall to shield whatever was happening from TV cameras.
“He couldn’t throw up, you know?” coach Pete Carroll said. “He was sick to his stomach. I don’t know if he ever did (throw up), if he ever got to it or was holding back.”
So how was Lynch’s stomach feeling after he helped the Seahawks take control of the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and adding another big play to his highlight reel?
“Thank you for asking,” he said.
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