Jon Ryan is now 3-for-3 as a NFL quarterback. His third completion is the story of legends.
Ryan, punter for the Seattle Seahawks, pulled off a fake FG attempt, rolled left, and completed a 19-yard TD pass to Garry Gilliam in the 3rd quarter of the NFC Championship to spark the Seahawks record-setting comeback on Sunday.
Seattle was down 16-0 in the 3rd quarter. The completion got the Seahawks on the board; the team later completed the comeback with a 28-22 win in overtime to go to Super Bowl XLIX to take on the New England Patriots.
Ryan, from Regina, Saskatchewan, became the first Canadian to throw a postseason TD pass since Mark Rypien, who last postseason TD pass came just over 22 years ago.
Rypien threw a 24 yd TD pass to Gary Clark in the 3rd quarter to give Washington a 24-7 lead over Minnesota at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on January 2, 1993.
Rypien is the only Canadian QB to win the MVP of the Super Bowl, winning Super Bowl XXVI early in 1992.
Ryan became the first punter to throw a postseason TD pass. But he wasn't the only Canadian connection in Sunday's win.
Luke Willson, from LaSalle, Ontario, caught the 2-point conversion that gave Seattle a 3-point lead. The throw from starting QB Russell Wilson came from the other side of the field and was seemingly in the air forever before Willson reached up to grab the ball and score crucial points. Green Bay tied the game in the final minute and would have won had it not been for Willson's grab.
Willson scored his first playoff touchdown in his two-year NFL career against Carolina in the previous week.
Chris Matthews isn't Canadian but he did catch the onside kick that led to the touchdown drive that gave Seattle its first lead late in the game that led to Willson's 2-point conversion reception.
Williams did spend time with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL. In his rookie year of 2012, Williams had 1,192 yards, 7 TDS, and won the CFL Most Outstanding Rookie Award.
Williams suffered a turf toe injury in 2013 and only played 4 games. He signed with Seattle this season, played on the practice squad for most of the season before making the roster on December 6.
You can see Ryan, Willson, and Matthews play for the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1 on NBC and CTV.
photo credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
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