Marcus Burley comes up big with first career interception
Oct 26, 2014, 11:59 PM | Updated: Oct 28, 2014, 2:50 pm
Seattle was trailing, Carolina was driving and one Seahawks cornerback had already let a pass slip through right his hands.
The first interception of Marcus Burley’s career came at pretty good time for the Seahawks.
More coverage of the Seahawks’ Week-8 win over Carolina
• Recap | Stats | Photos | Carroll Show | Interviews | • O’Neil: Three Things from the Seahawks’ win | • O’Neil: Wilson, Seahawks show their resolve | • O’Neil: Irvin helps Seahawks finish off Carolina | • Huard: Breaking down the go-ahead touchdown | • Henderson: Willson makes up for miscues | • Pete Carroll Show: Missed chances on defense |
The second-year cornerback made one of the biggest plays of Seattle’s 13-9 win over Carolina – and his career, for that matter – picking off Newton in the third-quarter as he attempted a back-handed dump pass while trying to evade pressure.
“Your eyes light up and you have to make the play,” Burley said in an interview with the postgame show on 710 ESPN Seattle.
Burley returned the interception 24 yards to set up the tying field goal.
The interception was just the third of the season for the Seahawks, who led the league last season with 28. Part of the reason for the dropoff has been missed opportunities, which was again an issue Sunday as first cornerback Tharold Simon and then linebacker K.J. Wright dropped what would have been interceptions.
But Burley hung on for the most significant play of his tenure with the Seahawks. He became Seattle’s nickelback when Jeremy Lane injured his groin in the opener, thrown into the fire against three of the league’s top quarterbacks less than a week after he was acquired in a trade with Indianapolis.
He has survived to this point. On Sunday, his interception helped Seattle do the same.