You look at it again and again, on video taken from the field, in a still image from above, and you still can't quite grasp how it played out the way it did. Ricardo Lockette seemed wide open. Russell Wilson, his view screened by Brandon Browner standing up Jermaine Kearse (an absolutely vital condition for the interception), had no idea that Malcolm Butler was even there, let alone was anticipating everything.


Wilson, talking to reporters at the Seahawks' training facility yesterday as the team cleaned out their lockers, said as much. For a split second, he thought the game was over—in Seattle's favor.

"It looked open enough to get it in there and make the play," Wilson said. "I thought we were going to. When I threw it, I was like, 'Touchdown, second Super Bowl ring, here we go.' And it didn't happen."


That doesn't sound like a guy with a lot of regrets. After all, what could he have done differently? The rightfully maligned play-call wasn't his. Not that he'd question it anyway.

"I had no doubt in the play call,'' Wilson said. "I still don't to this day."

("This day" being two days later, but you get the idea.)

Wilson will be fine. He got a haircut, and visited some sick kids in the hospital. There's something reassuring about seeing athletes not dwelling on their failure and bad luck. If he can get over Sunday, Seahawks fans probably can too.