“When you win a Super Bowl,” Bennett said, “you can do whatever you want.”

The Seahawks are in position to defend that championship because of an improbable confluence of events — improbable to anyone not scampering around their locker room afterward, dispensing and accepting hugs after a 28-22 victory over the Green Bay Packers. A 35-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Jermaine Kearse clinched the win in front of the largest announced crowd, 68,538, in CenturyLink Field’s history.

Some of those fans left the premises late in the fourth quarter, although in their retelling of a game described as “ridiculous” and “destiny” by the Seahawks and “sad” and “devastating” by the Packers, they will surely say that they stayed until the end, when the turf transformed into a navy blue mosh pit and the press box felt as if it would detach and fall onto the heaving crowd below.

“God blessed us with a few bounces,” said cornerback Richard Sherman, who had played much of the second half with one good arm after injuring his left elbow.

All around Sherman, his teammates paused from recapping what he called the wildest, craziest game he had played in, and they posed for photos with the George Halas trophy, awarded to the N.F.C. champion. In one corner stood the reserve offensive tackle Garry Gilliam, whom Carroll had told all week to be ready for a fake field goal. Gilliam caught a 19-yard pass from punter Jon Ryan, the holder, that precipitated Seattle’s comeback from a 16-0 halftime deficit.