Seahawks vs. Falcons, 2013 NFL Playoffs: A heartbreaking loss, but Seattle is here to stay

On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks suffered their most heartbreaking loss of 2012 -- primarily because it ended their Cinderella season. The 'Hawks had a terribly slow start in the divisional round, entering halftime looking at a 20-0 deficit.

Danny Kelly of Field Gulls had this post-game write-up following the loss:

The Seahawks came back from a 20-point 4th quarter deficit to take the lead with 0:34 seconds remaining, but the Falcons countered with two quick pass plays after a nice kickoff return, and these three big gains put them to within field goal range. Matt Bryant kicked the 49-yard field goal with 8 seconds remaining, and Seattle's subsequent hail mary throw as the clock ran out was intercepted in the endzone by Julio Jones.

The Seahawks started slow in this one, and that's an understatement. The defense was gashed on the ground and through the air, and the offense struggled once in the redzone, and by halftime, Seattle found themselves down 20-0. It seemed like anything that could go wrong, was going wrong, and my hopes were not high as the Hawks took the field for the 2nd half.

This was only a heartbreaking loss because of the second-half effort by Seattle. Russell Wilson was engineering some late-game magic, and the team as a whole was playing inspired football. The team had a tremendous amount of momentum, but unfortunately, they just didn't have enough time.

Marshawn Lynch has had better games, and perhaps Richard Sherman should have done a little less jawing. But this is just the beginning for this up-and-coming squad in Seattle. There is something special brewing in the Pacific Northwest.

This will not be the last time the Seahawks make a run at a title.