At first, Quandre Diggs wasn’t sure if he’d have the chance to make the play.
Once he did, he couldn’t resist the chance to gloat in front of an old friend.
Diggs made an over-the-shoulder catch to intercept a Baker Mayfield pass in overtime, then immediately held the ball aloft and pointed it at former Seahawks teammate Bobby Wagner standing just a few yards away on the Rams sideline.
“As soon as I caught it I saw him,” said Diggs, the Seahawks’ Pro Bowl safety. “I know he usually stands away from everybody. So when I saw him it was just, like, show big bro I got the ball. Like a little brother, the menace. I’ve always kind of been a menace.”
His most menacing play ever?
It was, at least, Diggs’ favorite interception of his nine-year career, and it was probably the most significant too.
The turnover gave the Seahawks possession at the Seattle 36-yard line, and eight players later Jason Myers kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the Seahawks a dramatic 19-16 victory to close out the regular season and keep alive their playoff hopes, if only for a few more hours.
“He’s a hero around here,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Diggs. “These guys love him. He’s a great leader, and they’ve got nicknames for him and all kinds of stuff. He’s tough as nails. And when he speaks, everybody shuts up. And then to come to make a play like that, it’s just beautiful and fitting, and I’m really happy for him.”
Wagner, making his first appearance as an opponent at Lumen Field, had seven tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit for the Rams on Sunday. After the game, Wagner and Diggs exchanged jerseys on the field.
“To have the respect and the love and appreciation that I have for him,” Diggs said, “and the same that he has for me, I mean, you’ve got a Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame person that loves you and respects you and always looks out for me, no matter what. To me, it’s so dope to have that type of bond, that relationship.”
Diggs came to Seattle in a trade from Detroit midway through the 2019 season, at a time when Wagner and K.J. Wright were the unquestioned leaders of the Seahawks defense. Diggs has assumed that title this season.
“Me coming here almost four years ago, it changed my career, changed my life,” Diggs said. “Bobby and K.J. and those guys were instrumental in that, and I’ll always be thankful and always hold them in high regard.”
Just before his interception, Diggs appeared to be slightly out of position in the middle of the field, as Rams receiver Van Jefferson broke free near the Rams sideline — wide open for what initially looked like it could be a game-ending touchdown.
Diggs had to turn and sprint some 20 yards to recover, and then made a leaping grab in front of Jefferson.
It was Diggs’ fourth interception of the season, and second in the past two weeks when the Seahawks were in must-win mode. He had several other near-misses this season, including several straight drops.
“I caught that one,” he said. “I’ve been getting some grief and I’ve been holding myself accountable for dropping the other ones, but I had to get that one.”