Newcomers Bask in Spotlight as Seahawks Clinch Playoff Berth

Unable to hold his excitement, Jamal Adams will finally get to taste the playoffs in his fourth NFL season, while Carlos Dunlap is grateful for the opportunity at this stage of his career to play January football again as a member of the Seahawks.

LANDOVER, MD - Stepping up to the podium to address reporters following the Seahawks 20-15 win over the Washington Football Team on Sunday, Jamal Adams initially looked calm and collected as he awaited his first question.

But as the reporter began to ask about how it felt to finally earn a chance to play in the postseason, Adams couldn't contain his emotions, excitedly interrupting the question to express his exuberance.

"Hell yeah! That's a hell of a feeling," an apologetic Adams shouted. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to this guys. I know you're used to Seattle always going to the playoffs. I'm not used to this. I'm used to sending my [Christmas] cards home by this time and hey, I'm already packing up, learning where I'm going next, where's the vacation?"

From Adams perspective, it's been a long time coming for the star safety, whose discontent with the Jets inability to contend ultimately played a critical role in demanding a trade and forcing his way out of town last summer.

During his three seasons with New York, who drafted Adams sixth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, the franchise never finished with better than a 7-9 record and never came close to sniffing the postseason. In two of those seasons, they finished with double-digit losses and plunged to the bottom of the AFC East standings.

Thriving in his new surroundings, Adams has settled down and played a starring role as Seattle hoped he would when they dealt two first-round picks and a third-round pick to acquire him back in July. Helping the team punch a playoff ticket for the eighth time in nine years, he finished with nine tackles against Washington and pushed his single-season record for defensive backs to 9.5 sacks.

"It feels good. Man, this is what you dream of," Adams smiled.

Adams wasn't the only new Seahawk fired up for a chance to play in the postseason. While he played in several playoff games earlier in his career with the Bengals, defensive end Carlos Dunlap had grown accustomed to setting offseason plans in motion early as the franchise struggled.

Since going 12-4 in 2015, Cincinnati has regressed tremendously, finishing with losing records in each of the past five seasons. Rejuvenated in Seattle, the 31-year old Dunlap is grateful the franchise acquired him in late October and can't wait for another shot at winning a Super Bowl.

"It's an unbelievable opportunity. Seahawks saved my season," Dunlap said after the game. "I'd be preparing to go home for an offseason at this moment, but things turned out in my favor and you know the universe just wants me to win and we got an opportunity. That's all I want is opportunity."

After being relatively quiet in limited snaps during the first three and half quarters, Dunlap came through when Washington tried to cap off a stunning fourth quarter comeback. With the football inside Seattle's 30-yard line, the veteran edge rusher bulldozed right tackle Morgan Moses onto his backside and then sacked quarterback Dwayne Haskins, setting up a 4th and 24 situation.

On the very next play, Haskins' Hail Mary went unanswered as cornerback Shaquill Griffin swatted the pass away in the end zone, securing the Seahawks 10th win.

With the sack, Dunlap has now produced 5.5 sacks in six games since his arrival, continuing to be a difference maker despite dealing with a sore foot that held him out of the lineup last week. His presence has brought out the best in the rest of the group, as evidenced by sacks by L.J. Collier and Alton Robinson on that fateful final drive.

While Adams and Dunlap certainly were living it up in the locker room after the game and will enjoy this victory during a long flight back to Seattle, both players understand there's work left to do. Now in the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years, simply getting there isn't the ultimate goal for the Seahawks and a crucial date against the Rams looms next Sunday with an NFC West title and playoff seeding on the line.

"It's one step at a time, obviously," Adams said. "It's pretty cool to clinch it, but we've got a big game coming up next weekend and I'll tell you what, I'm looking forward to that."