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While some teams will have no problem preparing for the upcoming season, it may be difficult for the Seattle Seahawks, who were less than a yard from a second straight Super Bowl win when Russell Wilson threw a red zone interception to end the game.
As detailed by SI's Greg A. Bedard, some other teams who suffered tough playoff losses - like the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers - are erasing the memory and moving on.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, however, told Bedard his wonderful philosophy on the devastating finish, noting that the Seahawks don't need to forget the play:
"I've always talked about how big wins can be just as challenging as big losses. And whatever affects you needs to be dealt with. Last year it was the celebration all the way through the off-season and the distraction of all that. This year it's dealing with the loss and giving the game away and how we're going to handle that. And we've done it."
Carroll continued, saying the Seahawks can use it as fuel:
"We don't ever have to get over it. I don't. Like I said, it fuels me. There's a lot of things in my coaching days that have. And I have never minded the fact that I know there's a place where I don't want to go again. I hate learning the hard way. But some of the greatest lessons come from it. That's how it works for me."
Bedard discusses how Carroll has long held practice segments called "Talk About It Mondays" where players and staff can open up about their thoughts on a game, regardless of whether it was a win or loss. Following the Super Bowl, Bedard says Carroll encouraged his players to take some time to grieve the loss and process it before coming back.
Carroll is one of the NFL's greatest personality handlers, and many believe he's the perfect open, flexible, accepting coach to manage a Seahawks team full of vibrant personalities. With the Seahawks returning much of last year's team, if they can get over a brutal last-second loss, they should be just fine going into this season.