Where all 32 NFL teams were when the Seahawks and Patriots last met in the Super Bowl

Many things were different in sports the last time the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks met in the Super Bowl on February 1, 2015. The San Francisco Giants were coming off their third World Series in five years (2010, 2012 and 2014); Ohio State defeated 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks in the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship the previous month; projected lottery picks Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow led Duke into what became a national championship season; The Golden State Warriors became an NBA powerhouse under first-year head coach Steve Kerr and won the franchise’s first championship in 40 years. But, sticking with the NFL, here’s what happened with all 32 teams when Patriots rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at the goal line to ultimately seal the Patriots’ fourth Super Bowl triumph in franchise history: AFC East New York Jets The Jets fired Rex Ryan after six seasons following a 4-12 campaign. Remember Michael Vick in the Hess look? He started three games and appeared in 10 total games for the Jets in 2014. Miami Dolphins The 2014 season was the coming-out party for running back Lamar Miller, who rushed for a career-high 1,099 yards and eight touchdowns on 5.1 yards per carry. He also totaled 275 receiving yards. Buffalo Bills While missing the playoffs for a 15th straight season, 2014 marked the first time since 2004 that the Bills finished with a winning record (9-7). A bright spot for Buffalo was its pass rush, as the Bills led the NFL with 54.0 sacks. Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus each earned All-Pro honors, while the two defensive linemen and Jerry Hughes all totaled double-digit sacks. New England Patriots The Patriots were looking for their first Super Bowl victory in a decade amid controversy. As New England easily won their AFC Championship Game against the Colts, 45-7, the Colts reported to the NFL that the game balls the Patriots were using were underinflated, leading to “deflation.” AFC North Cleveland Browns The 2014 season was chaotic and the Browns were on a quest for a playoff spot. Of course, they failed. What was part of this chaos? Rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, made two starts for Cleveland. Pittsburgh Steelers The Steelers offense was a well-oiled machine. Ben Roethlisberger led the NFL with 4,952 passing yards; Le’Veon Bell passed for 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns, while totaling 83 receptions for 854 yards; Antonio Brown led the NFL in receptions (129) and receiving yards (1,698), while reaching the end zone 13 times. Steve Smith Jr., a two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler for the Baltimore Ravens, had his first season with the Ravens, with the veteran receiver racking up 79 receptions for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns. Cincinnati Bengals The Bengals have always been a renowned team under head coach Marvin Lewis. That said, the 2014 season was more of the same for Cincinnati in the postseason, as the Bengals lost in the wild-card round for a fourth straight year and fell to 0-6 in the postseason under Lewis. Andrew Luck of the AFC South Indianapolis Colts led the NFL with 40 passing touchdowns and led the Colts to the AFC Championship Game, which included defeating Peyton Manning and the Broncos on the road in the divisional round. Houston Texans defensive lineman JJ Watt was imposing his will on the NFL, totaling 20.5 sacks and earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2014 for the second time in three seasons and earning All-Pro honors for a third straight season. Jacksonville Jaguars Former UCF quarterback Blake Bortles completed his first season in the NFL, which selected him with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft; the Jaguars finished 3-13 in their second season under head coach Gus Bradley. Tennessee Titans The Titans went 2-14 in a season that saw three quarterbacks start at least five games: Zach Mettenberger, Charlie Whitehurst and Jake Locker. Three months later, they drafted Mariota with the second pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. AFC West Kansas City Chiefs During the team’s second season under Andy Reid, the Chiefs missed the playoffs. They would make the playoffs in each of the next 10 seasons. Oakland Raiders Oakland fired head coach Dennis Allen after an 0-4 start, with Tony Sparano taking over on an interim basis. Rookie quarterback Derek Carr started all 16 games for the Raiders, totaling 3,270 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a passer rating of 76.6, while completing 58.1% of his passes. Denver Broncos receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders combined for 212 receptions for 3,023 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2014, each recording triple-digit receptions. San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle earned his second career All-Pro honor, totaling one interception, two forced fumbles, eight passes defensed and 114 combined tackles. NFC East New York Giants Odell Beckham Jr. had a historic rookie season with the Giants, racking up 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 regular season games. Sure, Beckham scored a three-finger touchdown in a prime-time Week 12 game. Dallas Cowboys Dallas lost to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC divisional round. The lasting image? Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant appeared to have a fourth-down reception at the Packers’ one-yard line, but the play was called off as Bryant was ruled not to have maintained control of the ball all the way down the field. Washington Washington completed its first season under head coach Jay Gruden, which was a 4-12 campaign that saw three quarterbacks make at least four starts: Robert Griffin III (seven), Kirk Cousins ​​(five) and Colt McCoy (four). Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin recorded 85 receptions for a career-high 1,318 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Meanwhile, linebacker Connor Barwin had arguably the best season of his NFL career in 2014 with the Eagles, totaling a career-high in sacks (14.5), forced fumbles (two) and combined tackles (64); Barwin earned a Pro Bowl nod. NFC North Green Bay Packers The 2014 season saw quarterback Aaron Rodgers earn NFL MVP honors, but it ended in heartbreak for the Packers, who blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship and lost in overtime. Detroit Lions Keeping with the playoff theme, the Lions led the Cowboys in the fourth quarter of their wild-card game when a flag was thrown at Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens on a third-and-1 with 8:18 remaining in the fourth quarter, which would have given Detroit a first down in opposing territory. However, the officials picked up the flag, Detroit punted, and Dallas took the lead for good on the next possession. Minnesota Vikings The 2014 season was the first NFL campaign for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who made 12 starts. In the combined 13 games he played in, Bridgewater totaled 2,919 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a passer rating of 85.2, while completing 64.4% of his passes. He also totaled 209 yards and a touchdown. Chicago Bears The Bears fired head coach Marc Trestman after two seasons and a 5-11 record in 2014; they went 13-19 overall in 2013-14. NFC South Carolina Panthers The Panthers won the NFC South with a losing record (7-8-1), but then beat the Cardinals in the Wild Card Round. In the regular season, Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen each had 1,008 receiving yards, while linebacker Lou Kuechly led the NFL with 153 combined tackles. Atlanta Falcons Atlanta, who had missed the playoffs and posted losing records in consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2014, was set to hire Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their new head coach after firing seven-year head coach Mike Smith. New Orleans Saints The Saints missed the playoffs in 2014 in what would be the first of three seasons in which they missed the playoffs (2014-16). During the 2014 regular season, Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the NFL with 4,952 passing yards, while he would end up as tight end and then three-time Pro Bowler Jimmy Graham last season in New Orleans. Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans totaled 68 receptions for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns during his 2014 rookie campaign with the Buccaneers. The meaning? Evans would total over 1,000 receiving yards in each of the first 11 seasons of his NFL career. NFC West Seattle Seahawks Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch led the NFL in rushing yards for a second straight season in 2014 (13). Lynch also responded “I’m here so I don’t get fined” to questions asked of him during Super Bowl week. Seattle entered Super Bowl XLIX as the defending Super Bowl champions. San Francisco 49ers The 2014 NFL season was Jim Harbaugh’s last as head coach of the 49ers, and he would go on to become the head coach at his alma mater Michigan. During Harbaugh’s four seasons in the Bay Area (2011-14), the 49ers went a combined 44-19-1 in the regular season and 5-3 in the playoffs, highlighted by reaching Super Bowl XLVII. Arizona Cardinals The Cardinals were in their second season under head coach Bruce Arians, winning double-digit games in both seasons and making the playoffs in 2014. St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn led the NFL with five forced fumbles in 2014, while also recording 10.5 sacks, six passes defended and 46 combined tackles.