Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen knows he owes his teammates more than a few words of thanks after their dramatic 31–27 win over the Los Angeles Rams sent Seattle to Super Bowl LX.
For a brief moment in the NFC Championship Game, Woolen appeared on the verge of becoming the game’s most infamous figure — not for a blown coverage, but for letting his emotions get the best of him at the worst possible time.
Late in the third quarter, with Seattle holding a comfortable 31–20 lead, Woolen made what looked like a momentum-swinging play. On third-and-12, he broke up a pass intended for Rams star receiver Puka Nacua, seemingly forcing a punt that would have given the Seahawks the ball with a double-digit advantage.
Instead, Woolen continued jawing toward the Rams’ sideline after the play. Despite repeated warnings from officials to return to his bench, the trash talk continued — and the yellow flag followed. The taunting penalty wiped out the stop and handed Los Angeles a crucial first down.
One play later, Nacua burned Woolen on a double move for a 34-yard touchdown, instantly turning what should have been a Seahawks surge into a tight, high-pressure game.
“Even though I made a great play, I wasn’t great for my team,” Woolen said afterward, via the Associated Press. “I’ve got to be better with that and celebrate with the team. The next play, they scored a touchdown, and that wouldn’t have happened if I had just celebrated with the team.”
The penalty wasn’t the result of a quick reaction or a single comment. Officials allowed the play to finish and attempted to escort Woolen away before finally throwing the flag when he refused to disengage.
On the Seattle sideline, frustration was immediate. What could have been a game-tilting defensive stand suddenly became a one-score contest with the Rams roaring back to life.
Fortunately for Woolen, the Seahawks responded the right way.
After the touchdown, Seattle’s defense dug in, stopping Matthew Stafford and the Rams on fourth-and-4 to preserve a four-point lead. The offense followed by draining valuable clock, executing when it mattered most to seal the victory and punch Seattle’s ticket to the Super Bowl.
“We just told each other you’ve got to keep going, keep playing,” defensive lineman Byron Murphy II said. “We have Riq’s back no matter what.”
Safety Julian Love echoed that sentiment, emphasizing accountability without isolation.
“I said, ‘Don’t do that again, obviously. But I love you, and you’re gonna make plays for us,’” Love said. “That’s how we approach what’s next.”
Woolen responded by settling down and delivering strong coverage the rest of the night. He finished as one of three Seahawks defenders with multiple passes defended, alongside rookie Nick Emmanwori and Devon Witherspoon, whose fourth-down breakup proved to be one of the game’s defining moments.
Head coach Mike Macdonald praised the team’s response rather than dwelling on the mistake.
“He just made an emotional decision and we got to pick him up,” Macdonald said. “That’s not the time to point fingers. You’ve got to play the next play. Riq came back and played well the rest of the game. That’s ‘12 As One.’”
Seattle will need Woolen at his best when they face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. After a near-miss that could have rewritten the narrative, the cornerback now has a chance at redemption on the sport’s biggest stage.
